Well, it's 2023 and the plan is to go back to the Salt for the Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials with the CB500. Rained out last year 2022. I'm registered and the hotels are booked (casinos for the wife). Of course, it rained last week while SCTA was setting up for Speedweek, I believe they will try to start racing today. From his posts it sounds like Dennis, Old Scrambler is actually out there now.
Anyway, my billet cut 12.5-1 CR pistons finally showed up, so the bike is put together with those plus the Megacycle cam. To recap, we ran in 2021 with the Mike Rieck ported (seriously) head with oversize intakes, CR26 carbs, Hindle exhaust, Dyna S ignition. But stock pistons and cam. Now I have the new pistons in and the Megacycle 126-20 cam with custom 110 degree lobe centers. We went 109mph in 2021 but it required nursing it up to 3500rpm, stumbling until then, at which point it just takes off and screams. Always starts easy and idles easy.
Now, with the pistons in and cam degreed, it still starts and idles easily but is even harder to get going, stalls and even dies at 3-4k rpm. Rips if I can get it to 5k rpm. I'll try posting or linking a couple videos of my first tests a few days ago in the neighborhood. Here is the carb situation.
CR26 carbs on the Cycle X manifolds which Mike flowed to the heads.
2021
100 main jets (went down from 105s while on the salt in 2021, didn't change much)
65 pilot jets
Needle is supposed to be a YYO 7-slot needle, with clip in 4th slot per manual online. Turns out mine was a P151 5-slot needle with clip in 4th slot from bottom.
Pod type filters that came wth the CR26 carbs
D7 plugs, gap .027
Stock timing
I think I ran the 100 octane race fuel from the event vendor, can't believe I didn't write that down. In gas classes you have to buy gas from the on-site vendor, fuel class run what you want.
2023
Running it in the garage the plugs were really fouled black so I changed a couple things before test riding. A fellow racer pointed out that it needs to be under load so further testing will be on the street (who needs lights, brakes, license plates). I should have rode it before changing but.. Changes before the first test:
95 main jets
55 pilot jets
moved clip down to 3rd slot to raise needle
Did not have the filters on
Will post the videos, pics in next post. I guess I know nothing about tuning outside of stock except what I have been trying to gather from here and elsewhere lately.
