Hi, I'm new to the forum and live in the Denver area. But I wanted to post here because it seems like there's a lot of knowledge about the Magna on this board.
I have two main questions:
1) My Magna seems to idle too high (1800 - 2000) and wanted to know if there were certain things I should look for when trying to resolve this?
2) I was curious if anyone could "guess" at what the jetting should be for 6,000 ft, stock airbox, currently stock jets, and Jardine drag pipes?
Ok, so now some info - This is a 94 Magna I recently bought from a friend in the DFW area. The engine seems to be completely stock, including #40 slow jet and #102 main jet, except for the Jardine drag pipes. It had been sitting up for about a year and a half when I picked it up recently and brought it back to CO (I live just under 6k ft above sea level). It was not running at the time.
I pulled the carbs and gave them a thorough cleaning and the bike seems to run well. Although I'm thinking it's running a little lean from the looks of the plugs and the popping on decel. But, hey it's running now :) Even if I back the throttle stop screw completely out the engine still idles at close to 2k rpm (once the engine is good and warm). The throttle cabes do not seem to be tight enough to cause this either... although I will double check next time I'm working on it. I have the pilot/fuel screws turned out exactly 2 turns (I did this because of the altitude). Should I maybe turn them out to 3+ turns? Is there anything else that might cause it to idle so high?? Oh, and I have not yet synched the carbs up... but I plan to shortly. It's 1.8 degrees F out right now so I'll probably wait for a warmer day :-D
The other thing I'm curious about is the jetting at this altitude with the Jardine pipes. Is the popping on decel a true indication of it running lean? The bike has #102 main jets and I'm assuming the rest of the carbs are bone stock too. I have a set of #105 jets and a set of needle shims as well. But I had thought those might be too rich for 6K+ feet even with the Jardines. Was I wrong? Any thoughts on that??
Any thoughts, comments, or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!!
J
Welcome to the forum...
I will take a stab at a guess for your altitude adjustments.
I would install a shim on the carb needle and set the pilot at 2 1/4 turns out and go from there. A little decel pop is actually correct, but just a hint of decel pop. Not a pop pop pop pop etc.
Obviously you are in a different situation with less air so smaller adjustments are needed to get your correct. You could I guess go with the 105's and a shim and if its too rich add a K&N... But I am going to guess and say the 105's are not going to be needed. A shim is about a half a jet size, and with pilot jet adjustments I think we can get you to the right settings.
Try the shims and bump up the pilots and go from there, if it still has moderate decel pop open the pilots to 3 turns out and see what the results are from there.
On the Idle there is a little knob on the left side of the bike under the choke knob turn it one way or the other and that should do ya should be a 1000 rpm + -100!!! Welcome to the club!!
Thanks guys... I'll play around with that when I can work without freezing my hands off :)
Quote from: JAXMagna on December 15, 2008, 05:05:28 PM
Thanks guys... I'll play around with that when I can work without freezing my hands off :)
As Roboto65 said, get on the left side of your bike. Lean down and look under/behind where the carbs rest, you should see your idle screw.
Whoever owned the bike before you either wanted his bike to be louder or thought that turning up the idle will keep the bike running if it had trouble starting (in the cold, etc..)
No disrespect to MarylandMagnav45 or roboto56 but the "knob" or "idle screw" on the left side of the bike you guys are talking about is just a device to adjust the throttle stop screw which in turn typically "adjusts" the idle. The issue I'm having is if that screw (or knob) is back out completely, or even removed, the bike will still idle at close to 2K rpm. It would be nice if it were as simple as adjusting the idle speed knob thing-a-ma-jiggy.
I'm hoping, that once it warms up, I can play with the fuel/pilot screws to help resolve this. Currently they are backed out only 2 turns (for high altitude) but it my be running lean which can cause a higher idle (sometimes :shock: ). I'll try Greg's suggestions and let you know how it turns out though :grin:
Thanks again for the comments!
Sounds like the Carbs might be wildly out of synch with one carb holding the others open.
None taken 8-) 8-) Ok did you take the carbs apart or did you leave them as a set most likely when you cleaned them you got something out of whack also . Where you are altitude and with the pipes you have you sure need to be putting more air in the system..
When I did shims and stuff on mine the idle raised up on me but could be adjusted down with the screw. Now if you took them apart well the balance screws are out for sure had that happen also had to pull the carbs and bench sync them and that we be close enough !!!
I concur this is not your pilot screw adjustments.
Is your throttle returning all the way down/back? Hard to think all your carbs are running lean for this condition to occur.
Your setup will not cause an issue at idle. I was up there last Aug. in altitudes from 5-12,000K with no issues regarding high idle, stayed in Buena Vista, CO. IIRC I had V&H pipes, everything else stock.
I think you will find it's something else. You may have to reclean your carbs, if you do blow carb cleaner through all the holes and orifices along with compressed air. First I would check all my linkages for binding (you have a push pull system) , insure the air filter is properly seated air tight, no leaks.
Carbs should not be out of sync enough unless they were removed from the mount frame or someone messed around in an attempt to sync.
Another possibility.... (two of them)
Is your throttle cable too tight?
Are your carbs loose? If they are not fitted tight and snug, they'll suck in air and raise your IDLE.
Hmmm... the plot thickens...
Wow, great thoughts all! I really appreciate the suggestions. I hate the thought of pulling the carbs off again and going through them :( I took them off once, took them apart, cleaned them with carb cleaner, blew them out with compressed air, and it was quite a chore pulling them off and putting them back in :shock:
I will make sure I check:
- carb sync
- air leaks around the air box/filter and carb clamps
- throttle cables for tightness or bindings
- turning out the pilot screws
If none of that helps at all I'll just pull those puppies back off and go through them again. Then recheck everthying... again :p
Oh, and Terry, is your jetting and carbs all stock as well?? Buena Vista, CO is about the altitude that I'm hoping to tune for.
Thanks again all!
Quote from: JAXMagna on December 17, 2008, 11:51:10 AM
Oh, and Terry, is your jetting and carbs all stock as well?? Buena Vista, CO is about the altitude that I'm hoping to tune for.
Thanks again all!
IIRC they were all stock. I tried to locate the post when my carbs were jetted but couldn't. When I did jet my pilot screws were out apprx. 1 3/4 turns took them to 2 3/4. As you made mention of higher altitude will cause a normal motor to run rich.
If I had rejetted, I would have been at 105 mains, 2 total shims, 2 3/4 turns out on the pilots, K&N filter, V & Hines pipes. And I could have rejetted before the trip.
With pipes added, stock jetting I think you would have no issues with idle according to Allen's crystal ball. I was hampered with a slow bike while trying to pass someone.
I have a question to ask... What is the stock setting of the 3rd gen pilot screws? Is it 1-3/4 out from a light seat like you said Terry? I don't remember.
Quick update... GOOD NEWS! :D
The problem seemed to be the carbs were WAY (I mean like crazy WAY) out of sync for some reason. No air leaks, no throttle cable tension or binding, but I did turn the pilots out just a tad more (2 1/2 total).
Purrs like a kitten and runs like a beast now... and idles perfectly. Thanks all!! Gotta go clean up now :p
Always nice to hear what the ailment was and you have it running well, did you bench sync or do you have a sync gauge?
Quote from: L J BAD MAG on December 17, 2008, 01:42:02 PM
I have a question to ask... What is the stock setting of the 3rd gen pilot screws? Is it 1-3/4 out from a light seat like you said Terry? I don't remember.
Stock is 2 1/2 turns out for the initial opening before you fine tune.
Quote from: TLRam1 on December 17, 2008, 05:23:56 PM
Always nice to hear what the ailment was and you have it running well, did you bench sync or do you have a sync gauge?
I have a gauge that I use for all my carb and TB syncing needs :D For anyone that is interested I use the Carbtune Pro - http://www.carbtune.com/ (http://www.carbtune.com/) It's been well worth the money I paid. I've used it on everything from inline 4 carbed sportbikes to Ducati FI v-twins... and of course now the Magna. It's a
very nice tool, well made, simple, and easy to use. IMHO :cool:
I guess now, if the snow ever melts enough here, I'll take her out for a few rides and see if any further
fine tuning needs to be done. But I'm pretty happy for the moment. Thanks again to everyone for all the input.
Oh! Here's some pics of the beastie during some of the work (hope this link works). It was absolutely
filthy and had been sititng for about 18 months when I picked it up. It seems to have some promise now - http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=fc79o14.9e6fl2og&x=0&y=hwj9g0&localeid=en_US (http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=fc79o14.9e6fl2og&x=0&y=hwj9g0&localeid=en_US)
Okay good, forget the Magna, now what kind of dirt bikes do you have..
Quote from: TLRam1 on December 17, 2008, 11:31:53 PM
Okay good, forget the Magna, now what kind of dirt bikes do you have..
Forget the Magna!? :-o
Haha... well, in the pic backgrounds we have a 97 XR200R, an 04 YZ250F, and an 05 CRF250X :cool: CO (and UT) offer some absolutely amazing off-road riding. And it's all FREE! Heck of a deal. (well BYBO - bring your own bike)
I am certainly impressed with the way you have cleaned it up. Hope it runs great for you.
I could not quite read the label on the jack stand you use to lift the rear. :???: It appears to fit over the ends of the shaft. Does it lift against the nuts? Is it Magna specific? I want one! Where did you get it, and how much did it cost??
+1 on the motorcycle lift. I want one too. :-D
http://www.gpiindustries.com/products.html (http://www.gpiindustries.com/products.html)
I had seen them for sale a couple of years ago on eBay. I picked up the front and rear for about $100 at the time. I don't currently see any listed on eBay right now but maybe the info on the web site link is still good. There are TONS of similar stand on ebay though.
Up until recently I have been purely a sprtsbike guy... which is why I picked up these stands (hell of a price too). I've owned several different types of rear swingarm stands and would think that many/most of the adjustable kinds would work on the swingarms of the Magna as these did.
It fits neatly on the ends of the swingarm and does not hit or lift against the nuts or the pipes. Works very well and clean. I bet there's a lot of choices out there that would work as well. The front stand is nice too to lift get the front wheel off the ground for any kind of up-front work.
Thanks, JAXMagna.
I have a lift, and have welded up a cradle to fit the Magna's frame to properly balance the bike on the lift. It puts the whole bike up, as high as two feet, for ease of maintenance, engine tuning, tire changing, etc. I have a total of less than $60 in this arrangement, ignoring my time and welding rod. :-)
The lift is heavy, and I expect the cradle I made is heavier than the lift in your picture. It takes a good bit of effort to dig it out of the barn, fit it under the bike, strap the whole thing for safety, etc.
I also use a "poor man's lift" (see "Tips and Tricks" on MOOT main web site) which I use to clean and oil the chain, but the lift you show seems a great way to accomplish these lesser tasks.
Quote from: lragan on December 18, 2008, 01:41:19 PM
I also use a "poor man's lift" (see "Tips and Tricks" on MOOT main web site) which I use to clean and oil the chain, but the lift you show seems a great way to accomplish these lesser tasks.
Yes! This is a good tool/stand for simple or lesser tasks. I'll have to look through the "Tips and Tricks" section as I may wish to keep this bike long term. I orginally purchased it as a project or investment... but I think the Magna is a very unique bike. The V-4s are quite a challenge to work on but the bike itself seems to have what many other "cruiser" style bikes do not. Great site and great posters... and that's not just the margaritas talking :-D
I'll start new threads on for new issues as they come up. Keep the rubber side up! (or is that just what crazy sprotbike people say?)
JAX