Author Topic: Care and Feeding of your Electra (or how to put it on a diet). (Read 5555 times)

1Blackwolf1 · **on:** July 23, 2009, 01:05:06 am

After much deliberation and consternation have started ridding my wifes '06 Electra of excess baggage. Tossed the stock air box and filter to the wayside along with the PAV sytem and spittoon. Added a more open muffler. Am currently waiting on a couple main jets from our host to even out top end performance. A little lean at speed but know the main jets will straighten the problem out short order.

I can't believe the amount of plumbing these things have. Kind of wish she'd have got a iron head bike. But after wrestling with it can now say it wasn't a bad job.

Tomorrow on to removing the stock board seat in favor of a classic solo. Wish me luck. Will.

Ice · **Reply #1 on:** July 23, 2009, 01:55:50 am

Good luck and good riding.

PhilJ · **Reply #2 on:** July 23, 2009, 02:34:31 am

Will, what type muffler did you put on the wife bike and what size jets are you getting. I think I need to re-jet my AVL and so far I haven't found in printed material the stock jets sizes.
With out of course taking the carb apart. Trying to avoid doing that more than I have to. $:-\$

1Blackwolf1 · **Reply #3 on:** July 23, 2009, 03:08:42 am

I'm using a cocktail shaker for a muffler. Got it from flea-bay for $65.00 delivered. I put a 20 in for a pilot, stock is a 15. Am going to put in a 115/117.5 for a main, stock is a 110. Believe a 115 will be plenty for 900 ft elevation. Also installed a K & N air filter. Am leaving the converter pipe in the stock manifold. Hope this helpps..FWIW the main jets from a iron barrel Mikarb are different than AVL Mikuni. Will.

PhilJ · **Reply #4 on:** July 23, 2009, 12:17:42 pm

Thanks Will,
I have an 60's BSA muffler which is open compared to the stock muffler. When I did that I saw no change in the plug readings but a big boost in torque. Not able to leave well enough alone I took out the converter pipe and the new plug remains pretty white after 80 miles so I most likely need to change jetting. I just don't know how long it takes to get a reading off a new plug.

Phil

1Blackwolf1 · **Reply #5 on:** July 23, 2009, 01:04:13 pm

I'd say about 60 miles would do the trick on the AVL engine. If it isn't stumbling all over itself you are probably pretty close. If idle and acceleration seem pretty decent w/o flat spots you are within the ballpark. I believe that the electronic ignition on an AVL burns hot enough that you won't see a dark brown/gray sooty plug, and if you do you may have way over compensated. Will.

scoTTy · **Reply #6 on:** July 23, 2009, 03:41:28 pm

you won't believe the diet I have put mine on,,

I'm making a new battery holder out of aluminum stock.. remember the old one with the fuses attached? ::)Gone and the fuses rerouted.. :DI'l try to take picture over the weekend

PhilJ · **Reply #7 on:** July 23, 2009, 05:10:18 pm

Quote from: 1Blackwolf1 on July 23, 2009, 01:04:13 pm

I'd say about 60 miles would do the trick on the AVL engine. If it isn't stumbling all over itself you are probably pretty close. If idle and acceleration seem pretty decent w/o flat spots you are within the ballpark. I believe that the electronic ignition on an AVL burns hot enough that you won't see a dark brown/gray sooty plug, and if you do you may have way over compensated. Will.

With the stock muffler and even the BSA muffler they were brown, maybe a little more brown than all the pictures, now that the header obstruction is remove it's staying mostly white but a little brown deep on the porcelain. And the jetting is still stock. I'll run it a little longer then if it doesn't get better I'll go up one on the jets.

1Blackwolf1 · **Reply #8 on:** July 23, 2009, 06:35:20 pm

Thats about how I came to the conclusion of where to go on jets. Brass isn't overlt expensive but kind of a pain to be swapping out. Will.

Geirskogul · **Reply #9 on:** July 23, 2009, 11:49:51 pm

I found a local place that sells jets for $2.50 and no tax - pretty nice so I grabbed $15 worth to play with.

When I thought my bike was correct, I wasn't getting any deposits on the plug. For kicks I upped the jetting, and got way more seat of the pants power and less struggling on hills (not to mention less popping on decel with a bigger pilot), and the plug turned a nice "mocha." Think the color of McDonalds iced cafes and you'd be just about spot on.

End jetting was 122.5 main and 17.5 pilot for me, but that's with a free flowing air filter and the stock sausage with the hot tube dremeled out of it.

1Blackwolf1 · **Reply #10 on:** July 24, 2009, 01:20:46 am

Wish I could get jets for that I'd keep a few on the shelf myself. Have heard that jap bikes used the same jets but don't really have time to go poking through the yards around here to pull out a handful for future use. Could probably get them that way for scrap prices. New brass that cheap is a steal. Will.

Geirskogul · **Reply #11 on:** July 25, 2009, 03:14:36 am

If it helps, on the CV carb you don't specifically need the "small round" mikuni jets - all the places around here had were the "large round" mikuni main jets. They're the same depth as the small rounds, except the "head" is wider. On these carbs it doesn't affect anything.

I was surprised about the price myself. Apparently they sell them almost at cost, but business is business and I don't feel regret for buying a bunch of them.

scoTTy · **Reply #12 on:** July 25, 2009, 03:27:30 am

with this thread going on about jets..l.. i think if we could put our altitude up with what jets we have found works for our machine here would help others

1Blackwolf1 · **Reply #13 on:** July 25, 2009, 04:16:16 am

Scotty I'm right at 900ft above sea level and using a 20 /117.5 jet combo. Bike has K&N filter, open muffler, hot tube in the head pipe. Hope that helps you out. Will.

Geirskogul · **Reply #14 on:** July 26, 2009, 01:37:35 am

Sea level to 1,200 feet - my house is at sea level in the valley but it raises a helluva lot as you go up.

Jerry · **Reply #15 on:** August 04, 2009, 01:52:13 pm

I'm getting my ducks in a row to change exhaust and air filter too. Just wondering what you used to plug the hole in the head where the PAV went?

PhilJ · **Reply #16 on:** August 04, 2009, 02:41:43 pm

Jerry, you can search the forum for the answer. Someone a year or so ago had a part number, I took that to NAPA, they crossed it to theirs and voila a plug.

1Blackwolf1 · **Reply #17 on:** August 04, 2009, 04:35:11 pm

Or you can order the plug from CMW, same one as used on the iron head engine, just in case you are calling in an order. Also went to a 125 main jet now the wife can keep up with my iron lung military. If you want to try it I have a Dunstsll muffler if you want it to save money, just pay for shipping. Will.

Jerry · **Reply #18 on:** August 05, 2009, 02:34:12 pm

Thanks for the replies. I think I'll go with the British classic system from CMW, but thanks for the offer on the Dunstall. Now my decision is whether to use a K&N or the new Ace cannister, and should I go with the flat slide carb. or try to rejet the original....So many options!!

Jerry

1Blackwolf1 · **Reply #19 on:** August 05, 2009, 03:19:57 pm

Save your money on the K & N, get the Ace canister, I wish I'd had that option first. Unless you have the $$$'s to kick around rejetting the stock carb isn't very expensive, and unless you are trying to do some radical speed riding will probably work good..

boggy · **Reply #20 on:** August 05, 2009, 04:23:19 pm

Is the Ace canister on the RE Store site? Didn't find it. Can you drop in a link here?

Thanks.Boggy

EnfieldJake · **Reply #21 on:** August 06, 2009, 08:29:13 am

Quote from: Jerry on August 04, 2009, 01:52:13 pm

I'm getting my ducks in a row to change exhaust and air filter too. Just wondering what you used to plug the hole in the head where the PAV went?

I'll save you the trouble of searching Jerry, have fun!
http://www.enfieldmotorcycles.com/forum/index.php/topic,1548.msg15851.html#msg15851

Jake

PhilJ · **Reply #22 on:** August 06, 2009, 12:32:36 pm

Now I remember where I got that idea. I don't know if I thanked you then or not but it was a geat work around.

EnfieldJake · **Reply #23 on:** August 06, 2009, 02:06:03 pm

No problem Phil!!! I'm just glad my idea was able to help someone. It's just one more thing to help keep us enjoying these AWESOME machines!!!