Adjusting idle jets on a running sv650s

[bob prohaska]

Has anybody figured out how to adjust the idle jets on a running
Suzuki SV650S? I played around a little with a flexible shaft
screwdriver and a length of hose stuffed over the bosses on the
carb body to serve as a guide. It didn't work very well, but the
bike ran decently anyway so I quit worrying about it.

A few years have elapsed, and I'm now wondering if somebody was
more clever than me......

Thanks for reading,

bob prohaska

[Mark Olson]

I have acquired a couple of right-angle screwdrivers made for this purpose
over the years. One of them has a sort of shroud that partially encircles
the tip, that allows you to center the blade around the idle mixture
screw head. It was helpful in a couple of instances but not used on my SV.

I don't remember having to ever adjust the mixture screws on my '01
SV650S. I had the carbs off once to install slightly larger pilot jets
per the "community wisdom" of the various SV650 forums. The bike always
ran perfectly over 7 years and 40k miles until I sold it.

--
FJR1300A, GL1000, KLR650A6F, EX250J9A, DR200SE, Vespa Ciao

[bob prohaska]

Mark Olson <ols...@tiny.invalid> wrote:
> bob prohaska <b...@www.zefox.net> wrote:
>> Has anybody figured out how to adjust the idle jets on a running
>> Suzuki SV650S? I played around a little with a flexible shaft
>> screwdriver and a length of hose stuffed over the bosses on the
>> carb body to serve as a guide. It didn't work very well, but the
>> bike ran decently anyway so I quit worrying about it.
>>
>> A few years have elapsed, and I'm now wondering if somebody was
>> more clever than me......
>
> I have acquired a couple of right-angle screwdrivers made for this purpose
> over the years. One of them has a sort of shroud that partially encircles
> the tip, that allows you to center the blade around the idle mixture
> screw head. It was helpful in a couple of instances but not used on my SV.
>

I looked at images of things like that but concluded they probably could
not be used; the access is just too serpentine. A flexible plastic hose
_could_ be used to guide a very limber (bike brake cable outer) flex shaft
with a screwdriver bit jammed into the end. Unfortunately the plastic
hose guide slipped off after the carbs were back on, and I didn't want to
hassle pulling them off again to replace the guide with something better.

> I don't remember having to ever adjust the mixture screws on my '01
> SV650S. I had the carbs off once to install slightly larger pilot jets
> per the "community wisdom" of the various SV650 forums. The bike always
> ran perfectly over 7 years and 40k miles until I sold it.
>

Nor have I. But, if the cold start enrichment is turned off before the
engine is hot there's a little un-evenness in the firing. I just leave
the lever pulled a little bit. Once hot it runs beautifully. Fewer
miles and more years than you, from time to time it bugs me. But,
only a little bit 8-)

Thanks for writing,

bob prohaska

[Mark Olson]

bob prohaska <b...@www.zefox.net> wrote:

> Nor have I. But, if the cold start enrichment is turned off before the
> engine is hot there's a little un-evenness in the firing. I just leave
> the lever pulled a little bit. Once hot it runs beautifully. Fewer

Mirrors my experience on carbureted bikes. Come to think of it,
the FJR is the only fuel injected bike I've owned.

[bob prohaska]

Mark Olson <ols...@tiny.invalid> wrote:
>
> Mirrors my experience on carbureted bikes. Come to think of it,
> the FJR is the only fuel injected bike I've owned.
>

Just out of curiosity, how do you like injection on the FJR?

Fuel injection on my vfr800 is just about perfection when
it's warm. When it's cold, hard engine braking can lead to
a stall if the clutch is abruptly disengaged on closed throttle.
Just a smidgen of cold start enrichment solves the problem.

The vfr is now 23 years old and I've never touched the fuel
system apart from replacing a dented tank in about '01.

bob prohaska

[Mark Olson]

bob prohaska <b...@www.zefox.net> wrote:
> Mark Olson <ols...@tiny.invalid> wrote:
>>
>> Mirrors my experience on carbureted bikes. Come to think of it,
>> the FJR is the only fuel injected bike I've owned.
>>
>
> Just out of curiosity, how do you like injection on the FJR?

To be 100% honest, I don't like how it completely stops injecting
fuel on closed throttle. I prefer the analog transition of a
carburetor, vs. the abrupt step change you get at small throttle
openings with EFI. I even tried a Power Commander, but it can't
lengthen injector pulses that aren't there.

> Fuel injection on my vfr800 is just about perfection when
> it's warm. When it's cold, hard engine braking can lead to
> a stall if the clutch is abruptly disengaged on closed throttle.
> Just a smidgen of cold start enrichment solves the problem.

Overall, I love the FJR. it has a few niggles, but it's a
great bike. I'd say I'd buy another, but it's a heavy beast
and the next bike is going to be a bit lighter.

> The vfr is now 23 years old and I've never touched the fuel
> system apart from replacing a dented tank in about '01.
>
> bob prohaska
>