[SoarAndEnvision]

hey guys how's it going?

I got a new exhaust for my 500R/Ex-500 :

Last photo is my jet-carb kit. Anyone done this before and have any tips/suggestions? Thanks!

 

[ChopperCharles]

Yeah. Throw out the jet kit. Keep your needles stock, and ONLY change your main jets and pilot settings. No new needles, no drilling slides, none of that crap. It's more heartache and trouble than it's worth. You can get the same effect with just jets and shims under stock needles.

Hell, I'm running open pod filters, and all I did was swap in new main jets and raise the needles .020" with a shim. (Out 7 whole dollars) Bike runs perfect. Dynojet kits are a waste of money.

Charles.

 

[Art1989]

Follow Factory Pro instructions to the letter (if you install a full system and don't change the mains you'll have problems that you won't be able to correct aka stumbles flat spots what ever you want to call them) then tune it using their tuning guide (tuning guide available on Factory Pro website) definitely use the whole kit needles and all after removing the stock crap stomp or hammer it flat and throw it away. Make sure you clean the carbs well the pilot jets are very small and clog easily. I found with the dynojet kit and a D&D full system that I needed more fuel than the baseline installation called for and that was with the 140 dynojet mains installed so I think I went down 2 slots on the needles (raised them) and the plugs came out a nice coffee brown. If you run stock needles it could cause a lean condition which in extreme cases could melt holes in your pistons if you do run them make sure you check your plug after riding for about 20 min which you'll be doing anyway when tuning (white is bad indicating lean, black is bad indicating rich, dark to light brown aka coffee brown is good) If for what ever crazy reason you decide to run the stock needles follow Charles advice get some small .020 or so washers so you can use them to raise the needles if you have a lean condition as I'm sure you will, thats why the factory pro needles have slots to allow for tuning. If it was me I'd get rid of the air box and install pods at the same time, I know that's not a popular idea on this site, but I don't really care. The best place to get pods is Amazon.com believe it or not, just search for K&N RC-0982 should be 55 bucks shipped. If you need any help or tuning advice feel free to contact me my ph is (402) 319-2830 best after 5pm central time. The info I have given you here is by no means the whole tuning process, but as I said use the Factory Pro guide and give me a call if you need to I'll be happy to lend a hand. Good luck

 

[SoarAndEnvision]

wow Art thanks a lot ! I'll probably take you up on that call in a few days - this is my first carb'd anything so I'm learning. Thanks again bud.

 

[ChopperCharles]

Exhaust mods are much less painful on a bike than airbox mods. You can usually get away with running an aftermarket exhaust with bone stock carbs, but it will pop and backfire on decelleration. 99% of what you need is a new main jet. An exhaust alone doesn't provide enough extra flow to lean out the low end such that new needles are required. In my experience, Dynojet needles are WAY, WAY WAYWAYWAY too rich on the bottom. If the bottom is a little lean, or you have a flat spot in the center of the rpm range, raising the needle .020" is all you need, assuming the main jet is spot on.

Charles.

 

[knightslugger]

what about FactoryPro kits? any insight there choppercharles?

 

[fog]

Once again this topic comes up. (jet kits) They are all way too rich and will cost you power. The popping is from the fresh air emitted by the emmission stuff on top. Keep the air box , do the FOG MOD and open the pilots. and don't ride that damn thing by my house.

FOG

 

[Art1989]

BULL ****

Once again this topic comes up. (jet kits) They are all way too rich and will cost you power. The popping is from the fresh air emitted by the emmission stuff on top. Keep the air box , do the FOG MOD and open the pilots. and don't ride that damn thing by my house.

FOG

 

[SoarAndEnvision]

Alright now I'm getting confused :-\ - but I really do appreciate all the feedback

 

[Nick D]

I can't say who's right or wrong, I haven't tried either method yet (and you're crazy if you think I'm paying for a jet kit ;P). What I do know is that FOG has the most seat/dyno/race time on these bikes. The only real way to solve any of it would be with dyno sheets and time slips and it's not worth fighting about as bench-racers.

But on top of everything I'm going with results. 9 out of 10 people that have talked about installing their exhaust have just tuned the pilots and been golden. No jet changes, no shims, just pop out the caps and grab a screwdriver. Honestly, I'd try that first, you don't even have to take the carbs off and if everything runs well afterward then you're done. Just put the exhaust on and try it out, you're not going to kill the bike with a short test ride and evaluation. Most likely you'll get some popping on decel, which can be ignored if you don't mind it (my bike's done it since I "fixed" the exhaust. If you get a flat spot (around 6000 to 8000 rpms) then you need to hit the pilots. If tuning the pilots doesn't work, then you don't have a choice but to pull the carbs and swap the jets.

 

[SoarAndEnvision]

Cool - I'm waiting on a chain tensioner that got bent from not alligning properly (apparently the "guides" are really JUST "guides" - hard lesson learned) - so I can take of the center stand (no rear wheel stand ) .

So I'll def. keep the board posted- thanks!

 

[Art1989]

Nicks a nice guy, but I'm telling you straight up if you run a full system such as the muzzy or D&D you need to changes the mains to make it run right, selecting the correct main jets is the first step in the tunning process and the pilots have little or nothing to do with 6000 to 8000 rpm range unless your cruising at 1/8 throttle or less and have a surging problem so adjusting them to cure a flat spot at 8000 is ridiculous, use the tuning guide, good information written by professionals. I've been building and modding and racing bikes since the early 80s I've had allot of bikes and most of them are big bikes, I know that the EX500 is a beginners bike and I think thats where the problem with this web site stems from, you don't have allot of people buying these bikes to hot rod or race and even the some what experienced guys are afraid to touch the carbs. You heard all the horror stories about flat spots, well don't change your mains with that muzzy pipe and you to will have an unhappy story to tell! I don't mean to insult anyone, and you can believe what ever you like. Just follow the jet kit instructions as I told you and don't be scared to pull the carbs they are not some magical device that you'll screw up by touching them as many seem to believe, just keep them clean and again follow the instructions, none of these people know more about jetting than Factory Pro or Dynojet. And don't believe all the BS on here it comes from inexperience or experience with people who don't know what the hell they are doing. I want to leave you with this, with what I've done to this 89 EX it will power wheelie in first gear at about 4500 RPMs and I don't mean with clutch I mean twist the grip and it comes up to the pivot point and will flip if you not careful, and the gearing is only a 16 and 45 (2.81 to 1), not the 15 and 44 (2.93 to 1) that others are running how many stock air boxed, slip-on piped EXs will do that, speak up if yours will. Maybe I'm crazy but the bikes I ride/race make hp in the 160s not 50s, so you believe who ever you want, but follow the god damed instructions that came with your jet kit!

 

[MrSciTrek]

Well... nobody who reads this stuff can say people here have no passion.

 

[Nick D]

Nicks a nice guy, but I'm telling you straight up if you run a full system such as the muzzy or D&D you need to changes the mains to make it run right, selecting the correct main jets is the first step in the tunning process and the pilots have little or nothing to do with 6000 to 8000 rpm range unless your cruising at 1/8 throttle or less and have a surging problem so adjusting them to cure a flat spot at 8000 is ridiculous, use the tuning guide, good information written by professionals. I've been building and modding and racing bikes since the early 80s I've had allot of bikes and most of them are big bikes, I know that the EX500 is a beginners bike and I think thats where the problem with this web site stems from, you don't have allot of people buying these bikes to hot rod or race and even the some what experienced guys are afraid to touch the carbs. You heard all the horror stories about flat spots, well don't change your mains with that muzzy pipe and you to will have an unhappy story to tell! I don't mean to insult anyone, and you can believe what ever you like. Just follow the jet kit instructions as I told you and don't be scared to pull the carbs they are not some magical device that you'll screw up by touching them as many seem to believe, just keep them clean and again follow the instructions, none of these people know more about jetting than Factory Pro or Dynojet. And don't believe all the BS on here it comes from inexperience or experience with people who don't know what the hell they are doing. I want to leave you with this, with what I've done to this 89 EX it will power wheelie in first gear at about 4500 RPMs and I don't mean with clutch I mean twist the grip and it comes up to the pivot point and will flip if you not careful, and the gearing is only a 16 and 45 (2.81 to 1), not the 15 and 44 (2.93 to 1) that others are running how many stock air boxed, slip-on piped EXs will do that, speak up if yours will. Maybe I'm crazy but the bikes I ride/race make hp in the 160s not 50s, so you believe who ever you want, but follow the god damed instructions that came with your jet kit!

Dyno runs are cheap enough, why not throw it on there and try it out? You won't have a benchmark from before, but I'd like to see what kind of power you're putting down. Also, what kind of gas mileage are you getting with it jetted? I can understand trying to pull out every last bit of performance, I'm just curious if there's a point when it goes a little rich at times and everyday performance may suffer.

Just out of curiosity, if he were to just adjust the pilots and it ran great and didn't have a flat spot, why would it be wrong? What would be the downside to having not jetted it?

And just to be clear, those are honest questions, no sarcasm intended. I'm going for education here, not an argument.

Well... nobody who read this stuff can say people here have no passion.

Isn't that the truth .

 

[Art1989]

Dyno pull is on the agenda, right now I have the swing arm off for painting, but as soon as thats done and back together, she be on the dyno.

 

[SoarAndEnvision]

so before :

(one each side)

Now :

and

but it also seems to stick way the **** out

i.e.

Is that normal? - Man look at that ugly ass fender of mine. That hAS to get DELETED very soon.


Anyway - an inch of the pipe is touch a small piece of the frame about a cm thick - what the center stand used to b attached to.

This is *much* louder than I thought it was going to be.

Any thing shout "what the **** did you do?" so far?

Thanks!

:teeth

 

[MrSciTrek]

Agree, it seems like it sticks out too far, almost like it was designed for the other side of the bike.

 

[SoarAndEnvision]

Shouldn't ya bolt the exhaust to the backside of the peg bracket ?

! - good idea - heheheh - let me try that

 

[Nick D]

! - good idea - heheheh - let me try that

Bahahahaha! That's some funny stuff, looks like something I'd do and have to redo. You could almost use it for a kickstand .

That definitely looks great, that's an awesome exhaust. That stainless piping looks really good. If you have the means you should post up a sound file or a video, I'd like to hear what it sounds like.

 

[flmz]

Nice pipes, I'm thinking of getting new pipes too. This is probably a dumb question but where would you get bigger main jets without a jet kit?