Home

"Burning rich"

"Burning rich"

George Black
5 years ago

Hi again guys.
Since I have lost trust to the a moto dealership I am turning to you motorcycle owners to get an opinion on another matter.

A friend of mine came over to check my 2014 xl883 iron for the first time.

As soon as I turned on the ignition (with the second try) I saw his face get dark.
He grabbed the throttle, gave it a few wrist twists and he said "Do you find that your fuel dissapears too quickly?"
Damn it! Yes.
He said he didnt like the smell coming out, it doesnt burn the fuel and it's burning rich.

Called my dealership and they said "That's how Harleys are"
I would believe these words if I hadnt start losing faith in them.

May I also add that sometimes my bike on low speeds makes a noise as if rocks are trying to spark a fire "chaaff", something like that and it feels as if the bike is about to stall.

What do you make out of all this?

tussuck
5 years ago

Was the engine cold or hot?

George Black
5 years ago

Quoting tussuck on 13 Sep 2019 11:44 AM
Was the engine cold or hot?

Hot eventually. The behaviour remains the same throughout a week

Krash Kinkade
5 years ago

George, my sporty is a carb bike so no EFI, not saying I don't like EFI.
when they are cold the EFI ecu would give them more fuel till they are warmed up.
Also the heads & barrels are alloy so , better to wait till motor warm to the touch before giving it quick revs.
is the bike stock? like anything ( pipes air cleaner tune ) ever been changed from how it was new?

brash
5 years ago

only way to tell is to delve into the tune or a calibrated O2 sensor.

If someone says "read the plugs" can they also read my future whilst they are there!

fatbat
5 years ago

I don't think a fuel injected bike should smell noticeably rich or fuely unless there is a problem or leak, or the tune is overly rich. Out of the box the tune is usually lean. Has the bike ever been tuned or had another tune calibration installed?
Every harley I've owned has benefited from a professional dyno tune. They cost a bit and I wouldn't trust most dealers or just anybody to do it. I'm not talking about installing a tune calibration but a proper dyno tune. The bikes run better at all levels of throttle input and will still give good fuel economy when cruising. They also run cooler and smoother. Will diagnose and fix any fuel related issue you have too.

Since you're in Sydney and your bike is out of warranty, call LA Cycles in Hoxton Park. I haven't used them personally but they have a good reputation and I'm led to believe they dyno tune.

brash
5 years ago

yep, just take it to LA. Jimmy will sort it.

13:1 AFR you will definitely get a whiff of fuel, but at idle and cruise shouldn't be too bad.

tussuck
5 years ago

An EFI on Startup will run rich as the ECU is in startup mode. Once the head temp is up to spec then the ECU goes into normal running mode. So on a startup you will smell gas.
If you on a ride and stop at lights etc AND you still smell strong gas smell then something is amiss. Have you checked for any Error Codes?

imoo6170
5 years ago

Quoting fatbat on 13 Sep 2019 10:51 PMedited: 13 Sep 2019 10:54 PM
I don't think a fuel injected bike should smell noticeably rich or fuely unless there is a problem or leak, or the tune is overly rich. Out of the box the tune is usually lean. Has the bike ever been tuned or had another tune calibration installed?
Every harley I've owned has benefited from a professional dyno tune. They cost a bit and I wouldn't trust most dealers or just anybody to do it. I'm not talking about installing a tune calibration but a proper dyno tune. The bikes run better at all levels of throttle input and will still give good fuel economy when cruising. They also run cooler and smoother. Will diagnose and fix any fuel related issue you have too.

Since you're in Sydney and your bike is out of warranty, call LA Cycles in Hoxton Park. I haven't used them personally but they have a good reputation and I'm led to believe they dyno tune.

Yes LA Cycle they do Dyno tune and the are very good - I have used them for several of my bikes.
I have also heard a good things about APL @ Windsor - I have never used them but other have and they are happy.
Also had a mate recently use S&R Pro at Penrith and he was also very happy

George Black
5 years ago

Quoting tussuck on 14 Sep 2019 02:28 AM
An EFI on Startup will run rich as the ECU is in startup mode. Once the head temp is up to spec then the ECU goes into normal running mode. So on a startup you will smell gas.
If you on a ride and stop at lights etc AND you still smell strong gas smell then something is amiss. Have you checked for any Error Codes?

No error indicators

tussuck
5 years ago

Quoting tussuck on 14 Sep 2019 02:28 AM
An EFI on Startup will run rich as the ECU is in startup mode. Once the head temp is up to spec then the ECU goes into normal running mode. So on a startup you will smell gas.
If you on a ride and stop at lights etc AND you still smell strong gas smell then something is amiss. Have you checked for any Error Codes?

Quoting George Black on 15 Sep 2019 04:18 AM
No error indicators

So...
Are you happy with how it goes?
I'm guessing yes you were until some dick told you its not running right; which is a bugger as now the ONLY fix is to spend a few hundred bucks to have it tuned!
If it needs 'tuning' then does this mean your running an aftermarket ECU, if yes then thats cool; otherwise your in for a whole new "ECU Selection" experience plus several hundred bucks more on top of the tune.
All because someones face went 'dark' (The shade of dark is important, but I'll not dive into that as its a lot more time and a few hundred bucks...lol)

robots
5 years ago

I reckon your plugs would be covered in black soot too,
Post up your before and after tune file to see if it's been tuned

About |
Privacy Policy |
Terms of Use
© 2024, v3.1.0