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Best Carburetor?

32K views 23 replies 20 participants last post by  Homesick  
#1 ·
I recently bought an '89 FXLR that came with a SU Eliminator II carb. Looks cool, but the velocity stack makes it tough to get my right foot on the highway peg... The bike was sitting for awhile, and it runs OK but not great as a result (some breaking up at higher RPM's, unreliable idle speed). I purchased a rebuild kit for the SU, but before I go to the trouble, I thought I'd ask you for recommendations. Rebuild the SU? Go for an S&S super E? I've heard the Mikuni HSR-42 is the best?

Thanks for any help!!
 
#2 ·
Mile says it true. If you don't want a stocker, then a Mik 42 is a straight bolt on and ride carb.
 
#6 ·
Carbs

Alright, I guess I have to go against the general direction that this thread is taking. Nothing against mikunis, everyone has thier own personal taste, I ran S&S carbs for years, even before they had an accelorator pump as on the super E. The SU is more trouble than they are worth, the S&S was developed for the sole purpose of being a Harley carb and was later adapted for use on some "metric" drag bikes. The S&S is the easiest carb to tune and work on, hands down, it is also made in the USA, I vote for switching to the S&S.


I have no connection to S&S and if you want background or credentials.........PM me here. Just tryin to be hepful :whistle:
 
#10 · (Edited)
I have run both the mikuni and the S&S. Both are good carbs. I favor the S&S and have for years. I am currently running a XXXcarbs modified S&S 'e'. Abso-f'n-luteley love it!!! I will be installing a stock S&S 'e' on the ol lady's lowrider soon too. I have messed aroun with the stock cv carb--all the mods--drilled throttle plate, thunder slide, different needles, polished throat, and the stock S&S pulled harder as soon as it was bolted on the bike.http://www.xxxcarburetors.com
 
#13 ·
Screw the S$S, you just have to fork out all kinds of dough to get it to give you throttle response and midrange.
(thunderjets, etc)
0 to 100, no S&S will stay with a nicely jetted Mikuni...period.@gree:
 
#14 ·
No Offense



I would like to know if you are speaking from personal experience or some type of documented testing. I am not disagreeing, just would like to know the facts. The only thing that I know is from personal experience, I never had to use a thunderjet or anything else on any of the S&S carbs that I installed, just straight out of the box with some fine tuning. I'm all for the best,simplest, and most reliable, whichever brand that may be.

Ride Safe
 
#19 ·
Had a 98" with a bone stock CV44 and loved it. Great power, great responsiveness, amazing MPG and it loved any altitude and any weather. I liked it so much I went with a bone stock CV51 for the 124". The same comments above apply.

Honestly, I don't know what more you could want in a carb. :cool:
 
#21 ·
the best set up ive found is the standard carb with a needle from a 88 sportster pt no 27094-88 only £9 over here runs far better than the dyno jet easy to fit and oh so cheap you may or may not need to go up a main jet size (my 93 fat boy did not) a quick turn on the air screw and away you go. has run fine for 2 years also mpg remains the same. best £9 i have ever spent ($13) hope this helps someone. 93 fatboy owned from new never to be parted
 
#23 ·
Interesting hearsay re S&S... :coffee:

I've run the stock CV40, the SE CV44 and now the S&S G. Based on internet comments, I was ready for mild headaches with the S&S.

However, my S&S G is as smooth or smoother than my CVs, has noticeably better throttle response, smooth transitions and was no more difficult than any other carb to dial-in. I am very pleased.

I picked up both a CV51 and a Mik 48 to have on standby and to compare. They remain on standby and I'll be sticking with the S&S for the forseeable future.

I'm running a T-jet, but the newer S&S carbs have an adjustable air bleed and I'm told they tune easily / transition smoothly and that a T-jet is unnecessary.

IMO, you can't go wrong with either of the three. Matched to the engine and properly dialed-in, they all perform well. Plenty of folks running them.

Someone mentioned PSI - no personal experience, but from what I've read here and elsewhere, people who have tried them say they're fickle, hard to tune and don't stay in tune. PSI had several redesigns in attempts to work out the bugs, and around a year ago R&R supposedly worked with the guy and was said to have fixed the problems. However, I don't hear much about them and have never seen one on the road or at the track. JMHO, YMMV.