real-life experience - "carb vs. fuel-injection"

[bradahj]

Thoughts? (can't type --- holding my new baby girl)

[Nathang]

Originally Posted by Nathang

Damn I love fuel inj & electronic ignition

Didn't start my LowRider for 6 months, wife's trying to be negative,

standing there saying "It probably won't start..."

pushed the starter button, never even heard the starter engage,

first cylinder went BOOM! as quick as pulling a trigger,

I'm off and running like the motor was already warm.

Damn I love fuel injection & electronic ignition

.

....

[Kainam]

I like carbs. I don't have to do any electronic gymnastics to get my AFR ratio set at a proper 13.2.

[wndchsr]

After having both carb and FI I will stick with the FI hands down. Thing runs as good crossing the Rockies as it does at the elevation in Tennessee.

[gtrman66]

Had both, prefer carb. Just a preference.

[XL1200R]

You already know my opinion, but I'll add to what I said earlier.

Let's say you have stock pipes and air cleaner and you want to go stage 1 (new intake and exhaust)

With fuel injection you buy the parts and then need a 100 dollar (I think) download for the efi from Harley which only gets you back to the lean EPA compliant 14:7:1 af ratio

Or, you spend 200 or so and get a decent tuner with pre programmed fuel maps for various bike setups (basically you can never get it perfect this way)

Or you spend like 350 400 bucks and get a SERT or Thundermax? Tuner that can do it all


And finally, with a Carb you spend 10-20 bucks in a few jets and mess around a little until you find what works best.


As for cold starts even at like 25 degrees I pull out the choke pump the throttle twice and she starts within a half a second every time. The choke is off a 1/4 mile down the road and I'm in business.


I personally just don't see the advantages of efi as long as you maintain your Carb your bike will run great and for less money.

Also, if you somehow destroy the Carb you can replace the whole thing for much less then efi.

If your battery dies it is also very hard to push start an efi (because you are relying on fuel in the fuel lines as the electronic pump can't pump more till the bike fires up)

[GotGold]

Originally Posted by XL1200R

You already know my opinion, but I'll add to what I said earlier.

Let's say you have stock pipes and air cleaner and you want to go stage 1 (new intake and exhaust)

With fuel injection you buy the parts and then need a 100 dollar (I think) download for the efi from Harley which only gets you back to the lean EPA compliant 14:7:1 af ratio

Or, you spend 200 or so and get a decent tuner with pre programmed fuel maps for various bike setups (basically you can never get it perfect this way)

Or you spend like 350 400 bucks and get a SERT or Thundermax? Tuner that can do it all


And finally, with a Carb you spend 10-20 bucks in a few jets and mess around a little until you find what works best.


As for cold starts even at like 25 degrees I pull out the choke pump the throttle twice and she starts within a half a second every time. The choke is off a 1/4 mile down the road and I'm in business.


I personally just don't see the advantages of efi as long as you maintain your Carb your bike will run great and for less money.

Also, if you somehow destroy the Carb you can replace the whole thing for much less then efi.

If your battery dies it is also very hard to push start an efi (because you are relying on fuel in the fuel lines as the electronic pump can't pump more till the bike fires up)

Exactly. I miss having a carb. Its cool having the pipes go Boom when ya hit it, but I'd still rather have a carb. My .02

[Chief Illiniwek]

Congrats on the fresh baby girl, brad.

[Ratso]

Originally Posted by Chief Illiniwek

Congrats on the fresh baby girl, brad.

And when you put her back in the crib do a forum search on the topic. There have to be about a million posts about this.

[bradahj]

Ratso,

I've done just that and there are such varying opinions........... difficult to decide......

I've said recently (after another deal fell through) that I have a chance to go with either a 2004 XL1200R (30000 miles) or a 2007 XL1200R (9000 miles)...... thus the questions with the initial post.....