one more problem

[BarMatt80]

Well the kat is running great, no problems with it, well except chain and sprockets, but that will be fixed by the weekend. The problem i am having is i am only getting 25 mpg. That puts it as 1 mpg more effecient than my car. I ride my bike to work which is 19 miles of highway(first 5 is 55 mph, damn ohio, and the other 15 is 80 mph). Everything in the carbs has been replaced except emulsion tubes, and they don't seem worn at all. i have new needle valves, leaned out my needles, changed the main jet(116) and i am still getting 25 mph. I would like to get this up to atleast the 30 or 35 if possible or even higher but that is big wish
and increase. i just don't know what it is. maybe i need to stop buying speedway 87 octane(i can't tell a difference between 87 and 93). so you all think change in octane or fuel supplier would help?

thanks guys, i really like to find the answer to it.

[StevieB]

Octane rating of your gas is very likely NOT the reason. You are shooting in the wind; find an auto emmissions center that has a exhaust gas analizer for pre-95 vehicles, and get some real data. Failing that, I would guess you are running excessively lean, unless there is black deposits at exhaust tip. Too little info to be more specific.

[MadMax]

Wow, that's pretty crapy mileage! My 03 Kat averages between 40~45 mpg. I'm not sure what to suggest. Maybe someone will have a good idea for you. Good luck!

[katana bob]

what is the sprocket ratio on the bike? what rpm do you run at highway speeds? have the carbs been synched lately? I also read where the new gasoline/ethanol blends reduce gas milage by as much as half. could that be it?

[BarMatt80]

stevie--i'll take it back to the dyno guy beginning next week since he is out for vacation this week. I talked to him about it and he said to lean the needles out because at one setting will give you better performance and one will be better gas mileage. since most your riding is in that range. so i opted for better gas mileage. so excessively lean would cause it to burn to much fuel and get bad gas mileage?

katanabob-it is stock, i think 15-45 or something like that, whatever is stock. turning around anywhere from 6000-8000 on the highway cruising. but i think pretty much everyone is doing that if they have stock gearing.

as for the ethanol blends i thought i heard somewhere that ethanol gets 40% less mileage than gasoline, but i think that was straight ethanol. but i think the pumps for the 87 octane doesn't not have the 10% ethanol sticker.

stevieb- also i will clean my exhuast and see if black reappears

[Anonymous]

what is the needle settign in your carbs you could also possibly go down a main jet size too my kat even with a stage 3 kit was getting 35 to 40 mpg with stock sprockets start yanking plugs waht do they look like sounds like your burning super rich and stop bying speedway gas it mostly water.

[BarMatt80]

i will stop buying that gas. the needles are on the last or the top most clip. they were on the second to top clip and that is where the dyno guy put them. he told me to go one clip or half clip leaner. but i do notice a flat spot so i need to put the washers on the needles for a half setting. also i am running 116 mains. they are a dynojet jet kit by the way.

number 1 plug: golden honey with some black on it very light
number 2: perfect golden honey color, no black
number 3: golden honey with little bit more black on it than 1, but nothing to really signify extreme rich.
number 4: just like number 3.

bike runs pretty much the best it ever has, from starting and running and from cold to hot.

[Anonymous]

ok go to 114 main jets and reset the needles at 3 clips your too rich no way you should have to be on the top notch up or down one notch is lot of adjsutment thats just my opinion

[BarMatt80]

i'll order up some jets then, where is a good place? also should i get like 112 and 114 ? just in case?

but what i don't understand is that i got this kind of gas mileage when i was running k&n pods and 130 or 140 mains. I didn't think a 110 main to a 116 was that big of a jump and i figured i would loose mpg but thought it would be like 5 mpg.

[Anonymous]

ok are you using 116 dyno jet brand jets ???????? or mikuni jets if your using dyno jets parts you have to order dyno jet jets to swap them out the needle tapers are diff compared to mikuni jets

[BarMatt80]

yeah i am running dynojet jets and needles. i'll order up some 112 and 114 this weekend, man sin, once again i thank you.

[DooD]

Simple solution.....stop doing 120+mph in the 55 zone, and your mileage might be a little better!

WOT doesn't make for the best mileage results!

[md86]

Damn , even with WAY poor jetting I was getting better milage then that . Hell , even running on 3 cylinders I was getting better . If the plugs all look fine , I'm at a loss .

[kiba]

What's your riding position like? Sitting up or otherwise increasing the drag can do bad things to the mileage.

/kiba

[BarMatt80]

sitting up mostly, but yet how my wind screen is most air misses me, but still mostly up.