My first post, I had done a lot of useful reading on the site, thanks to all here!! Hope I am following proper protocol. I did make a donation, if that helps
2014
Bought it 4/17 with 2,500 on it, as of 11/17 it has 6,800 on it. I love riding it.
I am able to run pure non ethanol gas in it about 50%-75% of the time. Closest source is 25 miles away.
I changed my oil to Mobil 1 V-twin about 500 miles ago. Even with my lousy hearing I noticed a little less clatter.
Completely stock except for jetting noted below & Raptor petcock.
My mechanical expertise is fairly limited. Oil / filter, battery changes and such. 40 years ago I used to adjust the valves on my Datsun 510 and my Dodge Slant 6 & do basic tune ups on them. Beyond that.....
I had a local mechanic rejet my carb a while back (actually, he drilled them out) and I've been satisfied with the improvement. With real gas, popping is now essentially non existent, and pretty minimal with ethanol gas.
Weather has started getting cool here.
Recently I put a new HiFlo air filter in (old filter did not look too dirty) and drained the "puke tube" for the first time since I acquired the bike, It drained a fair amount of coffee brown looking liquid. I guess I waited longer than I should have. Also, around this time I switched from StaBil 360 to Lucas fuel stabilizer/ethanol treatment.
The point, finally:
So about this time the bike seems to act like it is too lean, defintely a different feel. I had the same local mechanic, more of an old school guy, been at it for years, take it for a ride & that was his opinion - running lean. But he thinks it's because the weather is getting cooler. Doesn't seem to me like it has cooled enough yet to lean the bike out that much. Bike still idles fine, no low throttle surging like I had before the jetting. Although it is a cold blooded machine. I take it around the block a few times before getting on the road.
While it doesn't seem logical to me, I wonder if either one or a combination of both the new new air filter and maybe doing the puke tube drain later than I should have are involved? Anytime the bike starts running/feeling different there has to be a reason. The Lucas fuel treatment is highly rated, does anyone here have any experience with it?