Hi guys. I've noticed my bike doesn't have a carb because it's a fuel injection engine. Can someone explain the pros and cons (is this why I can't find a choke?) btw the bike is going really well. I'm finding surprises on it everyday. I'm really impressed with all the quality parts for example the Brembo brakes are amazing, they are nearly too good.

Well the way i see the Pors / Cons on carbs and Fuel injected are (maybe wrong so take with a bit of salt)

Carbs:

Pros.

They look smart. For example a nice brand new Webber 45 Carb....................SEXY!!!!!

Can tune them and get good power gains but only if you know what your doing and can be done in your shed.

No lap top is needed to sort them out.

Cons:

Can get Carb freeze on really cold days.

(insert more cons)

Fuel injection:

Pros.

Modern and more efective

Great power gains

Reliable (most of the time seen a few cages with a number of injectors not working)

Cons.

Need a lap top and a very billy wizz gizza to tune them up

Expensive when go wrong

Electrical

Look ugly and normally covered in plastic

Just my view.

Pros of EFI:

Fuel injectors only wear over very large cycles.

Fuel injection can be tuned using simple devices that are connected 'inline' with the injector circuit and this can be done quickly; if you don't like the results you can change it back quickly.

EFI has only a few variables and so fault finding is a cince (and it really is too).

An injector has 1 moving part and less than a dozen components, compare to a Mikuni CV (yuck).

Modern efi is a lot lighter than 4 complex carbs on multicylinder machines.

The fuelling map can be designed to maximise torque, as well as peak power (yes i know carbs can do this, but it is a blacker art).

It can be tuned dynamically, on the road, with a wideband 02 sensor; unlike carbs that need pulling for jet changes etc.

Downsides (maybe pros of carbs too).

If the fuel pump breaks you are not going to start it (they are reliable though).

They are not as good for typically fuel economy (indirect injection at least), as they are set up for stoichiometric or rich not truly lean like some carbs (emissions regulations).

Thanks for the info guys. So basically it's just new technology creeping in. Eventual carbs will be fazed out and become obsolete? When I turn the ignition on it makes a sound like its warming up or something. Also are kick starts not compatable with EFI?

kickstarts are compatible with efi but manufacturers have 'moved on' here too, they've phasing them out for years

Yeah so when your starter motor fucks up you have no choice but to spend £300 on a new one.

Yeah so when your starter motor fucks up you have no choice but to spend £300 on a new one.

'if' not when Grouch

C'mon grouch can you not just be happy and ride it.

End of the day injectors are more efficient and economical, less weight, can be controlled to a very finite degree and don't break.

Block if you use shitty fuel but break, nah

Diesel engines used to eat injectors but they work at a massively higher pressures and the injectors are in the combustion chamber. Petrol are not there yet.

Still polishing a turd really, no real improvement since the basic idea 100 years ago. If cars/motorcycles had moved on as far and as fast as planes or weapons... Now that would be something.

Cynic I am happy in fact I'm over the moon I just want to know some technical info about my bike. It's impossible not to be happy with a WR. Everything on it is spot on.

I think production bikes have more or less reached their peak performance wise. I can't picture it really enjoyable having a bike capable of 0-60 in one second or some other ridiculous spec.

So the idea of a 200mpg petrol electric bike the size of a Bandit doesent appeal. Lot of ways to improve...

I was thinking speed, once you get to a certain point it would be physically impossible to go any faster. Machines could but humans wouldn't be able to stand the G Force etc.

Fuel seems to not go off. in injection Engines, a few mates just fire up in spring .after layed up for winter,,

Now carbs,,, need stripped usually, and fresh fuel...

Yeah so when your starter motor fucks up you have no choice but to spend £300 on a new one.

no, you don`t need to spend 300 pounds, because you can push your bike to start it. I do this (just curiosity) with my 280 kg bike, so i`m sure you can do this with your 150 kg bike anyway, maybe just you to have this luck to get a starter motor broken )

I prefer Carbs however FI is a lot easier to setup as long as you can understand the information the laptop is getting.

no, you don`t need to spend 300 pounds, because you can push your bike to start it. I do this (just curiosity) with my 280 kg bike, so i`m sure you can do this with your 150 kg bike anyway, maybe just you to have this luck to get a starter motor broken )

I'd soon get pissed off with bumping my bike. Also isn't bump starting bad for bikes?

I was thinking speed, once you get to a certain point it would be physically impossible to go any faster. Machines could but humans wouldn't be able to stand the G Force etc.

What use is speed, anything over 90 is poi.tless.

Lighter more efficient bikes. Composits, new propultion. Christ nearly all of todays 'modern' tech can be seen on a vincent black shadow.

What use is speed, anything over 90 is poi.tless.

Lighter more efficient bikes. Composits, new propultion. Christ nearly all of todays 'modern' tech can be seen on a vincent black shadow.

That's what I meant.

Grouch my bike is over 30 years old with no kick start & still on first starter motor and I'm sure they have improved since.

Tommy

Is that your xs400. No kickstart? I had an xs250 back in 1981 and I tell you, if that pig never had a kickstart I would have set it on fire on many an occasion. I had always thought the 400 had a k/s as well. Live and learn tommy, live and learn

Grouch my bike is over 30 years old with no kick start & still on first starter motor and I'm sure they have improved since.

A 30 year old bike without a kick start. DAMN! I thought it was the last 5 years they had started getting rid of them. When your bike was new it must of been top end and cutting edge.