tm1200s
New member
...installed. I don't ride this thing nearly enough but I keep the battery charged, or replaced, and fire it up on occasion. But with the old floats being replaced every now and then, when I get into the second year or so it still runs but the fuel leaking all over the place is annoying. Pricing out the Bing kits with the alcohol safe floats and new bowls is very expensive at about $470 for all the stuff. Unfortunately, I've always gone the cheap route just buying what I needed but if I can fix this problem permanently then I'll try it this time. Read all the info on the pros and cons of the new style floats and bowls and ordered up the stuff. Complete rebuild kits with the alcohol safe floats and bowls substituted for the stock items. Before I go any further let me say that this is the best thing I've done for this bike since I bought it new in 1978. It runs as good as it ever did.
The kits were complete and even had new float needles with seats that needed to be pulled from the casting and the new seats pressed back in. I still have a gallon of the old style carb cleaner that I don't think is available any longer, at least not here in California, and so another carb rebuild was in progress. I already had enough info on these carbs to do the job and this is the first rebuild I've done on these where I replaced parts other than just the diaphragms, gaskets and O-rings. This time new needles, jets and seats along with the rest of the upgraded parts. The old carb cleaner did an excellent job, as usual, but I would have preferred using the ultrasonic that I unfortunately drained for a cleaning last week (and never refilled). Everything went back together nicely-float level and main jet needle set, new o-rings and gaskets and carbs re-installed. Fuel ON and left for a few minutes and no leaks. What a change. Started right up idling a bit high but after a balance and adjustments I got a smooth, steady idle at about 950. A test drive showed a lot of improvement over the last 'rebuild' that gave me trouble getting into the upper rpm range. Not so this time. No problems getting up towards the redline and also very smooth at freeway speeds+ . I'll put a few more miles on it this year having the freshly updated carbs, new tires and dampers and the previously completed paint and Buchanan's stainless spoke install. Did I mention that the cost of the new carb parts from Bing were well worth it and that it runs as good as it ever did?
tm
The kits were complete and even had new float needles with seats that needed to be pulled from the casting and the new seats pressed back in. I still have a gallon of the old style carb cleaner that I don't think is available any longer, at least not here in California, and so another carb rebuild was in progress. I already had enough info on these carbs to do the job and this is the first rebuild I've done on these where I replaced parts other than just the diaphragms, gaskets and O-rings. This time new needles, jets and seats along with the rest of the upgraded parts. The old carb cleaner did an excellent job, as usual, but I would have preferred using the ultrasonic that I unfortunately drained for a cleaning last week (and never refilled). Everything went back together nicely-float level and main jet needle set, new o-rings and gaskets and carbs re-installed. Fuel ON and left for a few minutes and no leaks. What a change. Started right up idling a bit high but after a balance and adjustments I got a smooth, steady idle at about 950. A test drive showed a lot of improvement over the last 'rebuild' that gave me trouble getting into the upper rpm range. Not so this time. No problems getting up towards the redline and also very smooth at freeway speeds+ . I'll put a few more miles on it this year having the freshly updated carbs, new tires and dampers and the previously completed paint and Buchanan's stainless spoke install. Did I mention that the cost of the new carb parts from Bing were well worth it and that it runs as good as it ever did?
tm
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