[GR8FUL]

I am considering a new fat boy and have mixed feelings about carb or fuel injection. Some say carb is better for tuning but some claim better running with efi (high alitude). Any thoughts.

EFI


Carb

 

[PTParks]

What are your intentions as far as mods, etc? Where do you ride, around town or cross-country?

Carb: Typical carb problems (out of adjustment = poor starting/running) but fairly easy to fix and not as common as in the past. Easy to mod bike/engine. Minimal adjustments to compensate for newer equipment (carb, pipes, cam, etc). Carbs on new bikes fast becoming a thing of the past (EPA).

EFI: Better starts, better fuel economy. Stays in tune. Does not like mods much past air filter and lower restriction pipes. Will probably need some sort of electronic "tweek" ($$$) or another "black box" to bring it back into specs even with bolt-on minor mods. Extra initial cost of EFI. YOU CANNOT FIX IT YOURSELF!!! Electronic gremlins are hard to trace even with the proper diagnostic equipment. A lot of additional parts to screw up (injectors, internal fuel pump, etc) not found on a carbed bike. The wave of the future .

 

[HIPPO]

Agree with above with one exception.


If you know what you are doing with a CV the bike will run as good or better then with EFI, and in real life EFI bikes do NOT get better fuel mileage then carbs (had them both). The CV will to a certain extent compensate for altitude and my carbureted bikes always ran fine all the way from sea level to 12K ft, and ALL you had to do was slightly turn the idle speed up once you got way up there and stayed, but you could ride around it. Let's see, did it about 4 times in 2 years and 50K miles, comes out to about $150.00 a pop.

If you tour with the bike and you were to break down, you can find a takeoff CV to cannibalize in every little two horse town for a couple of bucks.
With most electrical problems in BFE, you are much more likely to limp a carb bike home.

Other then that I have no preference. LOL