Cold start without choke. Too rich?

[Hooligan]

Too high a fuel level will result in fuel leakage out the carb overflow. A leaking fuel tap along with a bad float needle will result in constant leakage out the carb overflows when the engine is stopped. Ask me how I know this. :(

[Hooligan]

It's not rocket science to read a plug and see that it's too rich. I'm just saying, lean it out a bit. Stop erring on the side of rich. That little extra rich is the problem here. Evan, we haven't been out together on the bikes, but I'm a wide open hooligan.

I suspect Rory is correct ......... however.

GP and street riding are a lot different Rory. You cannot ride WOT everywhere you go. And a lot of people have not nor have any interest in racing...getting your jetting perfect is also not a fun or easy thing to do. Dyno time costs money and for the most part these are now 'cheap' old bikes with the exception of some very impressive builders on here. Carb tuning is nearly a lost art now...I certainly don't have the time to get the last 5% out of it. Sure they are excuses but its how most deal with these bikes...

I more subscribe to Evan's line of reasoning. These are fun street bikes that don't need to be jetted to within an inch of disaster and rarely get ridden WOT for any length of time. Personally I prefer to err on the side of slightly rich than slightly lean. Melting a piston S U C K S in a big way.

I purchased a $400 EGT for each of my bikes as insurance against destroying an engine. At $600 to overbore and recon a complete top end, the cost of the EGT is well worthwhile.

[hondaror]

Never did I say anything about perfect jetting. I'm talking about safe within a decent range. Not spewing excess injector oil, from the pipes, out the exhaust at the head. A lean plug shows lean. White electrode tip. It just boils down to more work than most are willing to do, or dyno time. It means cheaper operating costs, better power, with less mess. What is not to like about that?
Peter's LC sounds really good static but I've never rode it to know how the jetting feels. Crisp feel with tan plug and tan exhaust colour is not unattainable. Just saying most bikes are run unessessarily rich.

[seahorse]

It gets more difficult the larger you go on the Cs or the more performance mods you do.
For example my 421 has to run a larger than expected pilot just to feed it when off throttle at higher revs, otherwise you have a rodeo on your hands.
As a result the static idle is pretty wet.
Hence tuning has taken a lot of trial and error, but it safely hammers everywhere.
No power valves to clog up.

If unsure it makes sense to err on side of caution pocket wise, but Rory has a good point which I have read him mention before, to rich and mild riding will increases maintenance on the pvs.

I was also very interested to read of Rory 110,000 km LC on an original crank, that's when you know a bike is set up right. And just how reliable they can be.

Merry xma to everyone. Even you Bare.