Are Carbureted Bikes too Difficult to Live With? | £3,000 Lost in One Mile

[@67daltonknox]

In constant use, carbs are fine. The biggest problem comes with intermittent use or prolonged storage. The carbs need to be drained. I have to say that the on-off throttle response of my carbureted bikes was superior to that of my fuel injected bikes, which have all been abrupt and jerky requiring clutch slip that was never required with the carb bikes.

[@teneretraveller8980]

Intercom? Riding your bike is one of the few times you can disconnect from the world, without the constant technological bombardment. Alone with my bike and my thoughts. I tour with people who use them, all the time in blissful silence. The hand signals I used before still work. And that includes travelling with management on the bike. Resist! Enjoy the silence, as Depeche Mode said. Ride safe and happy travels 👍

[@russthebiker]

That's me as we'll A map A route card,written every day And a big finger to Google and all of its ten year old programmers He'll we are meant to embrace the cowboy spirit and ignore the masses

[@peterkinloch666]

The guy with the suzuki gs850 saying he had a problem with the carbs, if he limped home on just 2 cylinders it sounds more like an electrical problem, possibly a coil. The bike is fitted with 2 coils, each run 2 cylinders.

[@hughmac7423]

Up until March 2023, all I have had was old carb bikes, and I've been riding 45 years. They are not hard to look after, if you know how to pull apart carbies, clean and maintain them, if you don't then learn, it is not hard.

[@MrMichaelfalk]

Btw. the last 5 bikes i have owned 3 with carbs 2 injected - guess which 2 i have had problems with.. the latest - an Aprillia Pegaso strada - is still in the workshop after almost 2 months - problem found.. fuelpump.. The other - an Hyosung blew the ECU... The 3 carbs bike - old kawasaki and suzukis - never failed me - so much less electronics to go wrong... Just my very small experience..

[@oldgreybeard2507]

My 800cc GS tried to kill me. Cut out then a massive surge of power then cut out. Imagine on a twisty road with steep climbs and descents. Computer inspection showed no problems. The fuel pump was mechanically breaking down. BMW fitted a load of duff ones. When the carbs on the Honda went bad I got home no problem.

[@gdfggggg]

Carbs will go on and on if you follow some simple rules: 1. Use pure petroleum where poss (not e10) 2. Make sure your fuel filter is changed once in a while (you might get debris in the fuel supplied, or your tank may be contaminated/corroded). 3. If left unused for winter, fill your tank with no E fuel and add a stabiliser, or empty your tank, hang a few packet of silica gel in the tank to soak up atmospheric moisture. 4. Start the bike up if left unused once a month to get new fuel moving through the chambers. 5. Before parking the bike up for a long period, leave the engine running and turn off the fuel tap; the bike will use up all of the fuel in the carbs (oh you just said that 😂), keeping them fuel free and dry. I just bought a dynojet kit for mine; described on the packet was pure simplicity. When I put in the new parts in ran like a bag of … anyway, after a few hours here and there of tinkering it now has the speed and power that genuinely blows me away. I may be one of those rare people that get a thrill from fixing things and making them work properly.

[@Ijusthopeitsquick]

Unfortunately, as far as I can see, there is no more ethanol-free petrol available in Europe, apart from racing fuel. Petrol taps on most bikes don't have an "Off" position, only "On" "Prime" and "Reserve". The only way to drain the bowls on most bikes is to use the drain screw on each carburettor or to drain the tank completely.

[@gdfggggg]

@Ijusthopeitsquick you can use E5 in the uk, which is OK but not ideal. My petrol tap has an off position and every other bike I've used. When you run the engine you can almost drain the carbs completely; they'll empty to the bottom of the main jet. The small amount left in the bottom will evaporate off.

[@Ijusthopeitsquick]

@@gdfggggg We also have E5 in France, which is still 5% ethanol. I'm curious which bikes you are referring to when you say they all had "Off" positions. My 2001 Bandit doesn't have one, nor did my Blackbird back in the late 90s. The only engines I see with "On/Off" taps are small capacity singles, bikes from the 90s or earlier, and some small machines like generators and lawnmowers. I also don't understand why you think a full carb bowl won't evaporate off but a half-full carb bowl will...

[@gdfggggg]

@Ijusthopeitsquick a full carb bowl will take much longer to evaporate and will be more likely to damage rubbers and when evaporating leaving residue behind. When you run them empty it's only a small amount left in the chambers. I had an rgv250 and now a zzr1100. Im qualified mechanic. Worked on lots of other bikes through the years. You Need to be able turn the fuel off to be able to remove the fuel tank.

[@gdfggggg]

@@Ijusthopeitsquick granted, they're older.

[@barney3417]

I recently sold a 1999 Honda Valkyrie GL1500 which I rebuilt 9 years ago. It has 6 carbs!! after initial adjustment when I rebuilt it I never had to do anything again, Until I put E10 fuel in it, it ran like a bag of spanners, pinking and running rough all the time.... I put Super E5 in it and it was back to it's old self, lovely !! Carbs using E10 is a No No

[@directorstu]

Interesting. My 1997 Triumph runs ok on E10, but I generally add fuel additive. Might try the Super

[@heleti0000]

I run 95-98 in both my bikes (Royal Enfield and Ducati) after my Jeep Mechanic showed me examples of Jeep cylinder heads - one run exclusively on E10 and one on 95-98. Basically, he said if you run your Jeep on E10, then take it to another mechanic because he did not want the hassle of explaining the overly expensive service costs due to the “damage” done by E10. Having said that, “IF” an engine is actually designed to run only on E10 there may not be the same issues (?).

[@willyrackham2957]

Just an observation ..I visit most of the local bike meet ups ...I keep seeing more and more Royal Enfield Hunters 350 ...older riders ..lady riders ...shorter riders .....it seems this bike ticks many boxes for many people......I am not advocating Royal Enfield s I have no connection with Enfield as I say just an observation....

[@903lew]

@@willyrackham2957It’s a new and pretty bike with a good warranty for a reasonable price. Insurance premiums are good and well, there are more colour options than ‘black’ and ‘mostly black’. Also helps that it’s fairly approachable in size and power.

[@jan22309]

I once put E10 in my 1973 Honda 😅 Because i needed fuel and there was no other option, i had no issues, but i still avoid to do it 😂

[@wimtimmerman6730]

Hi Freddy, love your channel. You mention the fact that there where already cars with fuel injection in the 70s. Few people are aware of the fact that the Germans already used fuel injection on planes, like the Messerschmidt 109, during the second world war. This solved one problem that the famous Spitfires of the British displayed: running out of fuel and stuttering when flying upside down, which happens during dogfights. I think the fuel injection systems on the WO2 planes where mechanical systems, and not electronic ones, as are the modern fuel injection systems on cars and bikes, but they most definitely worked a treat for the Germans during WO2.

[@allanweseman5433]

I am a 75 year old former Volkswagen mechanic in the USA. The very first electronic fuel injected automobile was the 1968 VW fastback and squareback type 3. After the passing of my second wife, I returned to motorcycle riding, first purchasing a used 1994 Yamaha V-Max 1200cc. It was carburetted and suffered eventually from ethanol added fuel requiring difficult carburetor work. Within a year I also bought a 2014 Honda CB 1100 which is fuel injected and still air cooled. It is a complete joy to start and ride with no choke mechanism. Six months later I purchased a used 2010 Honda VFR which is a fuel injected 1237cc V-4 with unspeakable power. Having difficulty now swinging my leg over the V-Max and dealing with carb problems, I traded it in on a new 2023 Honda Grom which is 126cc, air cooled and fuel injected. It gets an astounding 155 miles per gallon. Recently I spotted a 2012 Honda CBR250r sportbike which had not been started in five years. I bought it 3 weeks ago for $400. adding it to my bike collection. Amazingly the fuel was not all that terrible, and with a good cleanup, new rear master cylinder, battery and drive chain, I have this wonderful single cylinder 249cc, liquid cooled, fuel injected engine. I don't think I will ever want another carbureted motorcycle, mainly because with fuel injection they can tolerate sitting long periods without running, get great gas mileage and deliver great power with just a minimal addition of weight.

[@nealeburgess6756]

I have been riding my 1988 BMW K75 with Bosch L Jetronic for the last 15 years. I did have to buy a second hand ECU a few years ago, because it would stop working in extreme heat (45 degrees in Spain and Morocco). Apart from that the fuel injection has been brilliant. However, I have no fear of carbs. In fact last year I bought a new car that is 40 years old with a carb (1983 Ford Escort 1.1L). I have done over 10,000 miles in a year in Scotland, England, France and Spain. So my advice is by a good bike with carbs or fuel injection, and enjoy riding it as often as possible. The more you use them, the less trouble they give.

[@steveclark..]

I think that around that time, or say the early 1990's were the sweet spot when it comes to fuel injection, electronics and reliability/easy to work on. I dislike more modern vehicles that need a diagnostic tool to clear codes etc, older vehicles, just disconnect the battery for a few minutes for example.

[@SherKhan-b1kes]

Whilst working as a mechanic in London during the late 70‘s, we always had to PDi (pre delivery inspection) all new bikes. One of the tasks included draining the carbs of very light oil (which was there as protection for the sea journey and long storage) and flushing through with petrol prior to starting. Tip; Fill the float-bowls up with WD40 or similar for longer storage and, don’t forget to drain and flush them before starting the engine 😉

[@allanhughes7859]

Yes and Yes again I have found runing on a weak 2 stroke mix over winter also works smokes like hell for the first few minutes but soon clears !!

[@chrissmith2114]

In my experience WD-40 turns into a great glue quicker than epoxy sets, WD-40 was banned in the maintenance department of a couple of companies I worked at.

[@SherKhan-b1kes]

Thanks for the info Chris. Never new of those effects as my experiences and usage has always yielded positive results, even after 6months. I use that stuff to loosen nuts and bolts 🔩

[@chrissmith2114]

@@SherKhan-b1kes The WD-40 is a metal protection spray, it was designed to disperse any moisture present on the metal ( WD = Water Dispersent ) and the '40' is just recipe 40 of all the mixtures they tested. WD leave a sticky film behind that stops water getting through but attracts dirt better than a vacuum cleaner, and it you spray WD into a bearing all it does is wash out any existing lubricant and replace it with a fantastic dirt magnet. Use penetrating oil to loosen nuts and bolts, the clue is in the name. Also WD is petroleum based so will affect seals in brake systems by first making them swell and then dissolve.

[@SherKhan-b1kes]

Appreciate that Chris 😉 Obviously there’s better more (expensive!) up to date products and I guess back in its time WD40 was ok. It’s cheap available in the supermarkets and has kept the float-bowls of my carbs (where there’s not a lot of dust) happy and functional for years. Even nowadays there’s garages still using that stuff over here in Germany. Anyway, outside of carbs I only use WD40 in a short (15-20mins) application of time thus not allowing all that much of dust to either have a chance or settle. „Hey! This is fun!!! What town are you from?“

[@kokilimonke]

Freddie, carburetor bikes is not as bad as you make it out to be. I own 2, both about 30 years old. That I use on a regular basis, and they run absolutely great, and I never had to adjust the carburetors ever, they just work. One of them ia a 1200cc naked sports tourerer and that one I drove about 6000km this year, even a trip abroad, a few days with 700km in one day. The other bike is a 600cc adv bike, that one had a issue with it pulled in false air when hot, so it backfired and acted up after 1 hour drive. But I changed the carburetor intake rubbers, and new spark plugs. After that it runs as new. Have done several long trips with it after, including two high mountain passes, and runs great even in high altitude. I also have a 40 year old cx500 that I'm repainting the tins on, and getting a new seat. That also had absolutely no problem with the carbs. If the seat pan was not rusted and the paint a bit tired, I would not have had to do anything else than regular maintnaince on that one either.

[@G58]

I’ve got 16 bikes, they all have carburettors and of course they are not difficult to live with - if you’re a real biker. But Freddie is actually correct. For the most part, modern bikers are posers making a lifestyle choice to buy bikes based upon their visual and ease of use appeal. These limp wristed wet farts are useless in a real world situation. They couldn’t change a lightbulb without an instruction manual. They never service their own bikes. So expecting them to figure out how to balance a bank of carbs is unreasonable. Instead they prefer to sit on a comfortable couch drinking designer coffee, whilst a 12 year old monkey with five minutes training does it for them - following instructions on a computer screen. Darwin has a plan for them. When their electronics fail, and there are no more left, their bikes will be scrap metal. Or those of us who know how to work on bikes and modify them, can fit carbs and get them running again - reliably without a little black box wetting the bed just because the cam position or exhaust sensor hasn’t said ‘Hello’ this morning! Enough already with this nonsense. Peace

[@gerrymcivor374]

The problem with carburetted bikes isn't the carbs, it's the owners who insist on twiddling screws and making adjustments when the problem is very rarely the carb. In the early days of fuel injection, when Kugelfischer were developing the mechanical fuel injection system used in racing cars, it was believed that if cars had been developed to run on injection and the carburettor had been suddenly invented, the manufacturers would have cried "hallelujah"! Then came digital systems and programmable computer control systems got cheaper and cheaper.

[@xtc2v]

Spot on with this post. 🙂. Lets see if our 'wet fart' here realises its about him@@G58

[@kokilimonke]

It's also advised to leave the airbox and exhaust stock. Carbs usually need adjustment when you change those. So don't put on pod filters and expect the Carbs to be unaffected. They need to be jetted when you change the airflow.

[@G58]

@@gerrymcivor374 Great points. Thank you for sharing. I’m in the process of converting a BMW F650 Dakar engine from the actually quite decent BMW EFI system to either a Mikuni or SmartCarb, and mounting it in a modified CCM 604 frame, to create a lightweight adventure bike. The only negative is that the Dakar engine is liquid cooled, therefore a bit heavier than an air cooled, and needs a radiator; and lacks a kickstart. But it’s a modern DOHC Rotax, so it’s ideal.

[@reinmansmith]

Oh and intercoms are brilliant! Music while riding is great on long days and as I normally tour with a friend, the ability to chat as we ride about road conditions, what we’re seeing, when to stop for fuel/coffee etc, is worth its weight in gold. Wouldn’t be without it on tour and if you get something like a Shoei Neotec they now do a built in system so nothing ‘stuck’ on the outside 👍

[@oldgreybeard2507]

I have a fuel injected 800cc GS and I bought a 2005 non runner 600cc Honda CBF N with 4 carbs and a few hundred miles on it. The carbs were completely gummed up so a total strip down clean and rebuild. Fine for a few hundered miles and then problems again. Another less onerous clean up (one blocked emulsion tube I think) and they have been fine for 10,000 miles. Being OCD I balance them in the spring and like the mixtures just right. 56 mpg carbs and 71 mpg fuel injected. Fuel injectors block up to.

[@loddude5706]

Hi Freddie, I think your opening 'titles-alley' shot deserves a radio controlled potted plant. Something healthy, of measurably stout arboreal stature, chasing after you waving it's fronds around : )

[@MrTipusss]

I bought my Sena 10HR intercom in 2011 for £180 and it still works perfectly! It is a low profile unit, I get the music, the intercom and the occasional calls. It is still going strong after all these years, I recently bought a new battery unit and it's a no brainer of an investment. You must try one, Freddie!

[@Pete68T]

I Was a Honda Trained Tech and Worked on Honda and Suzuki,Yamaha Etc as Well,The Problem with Carbs of Any Sort is They Constantly Were Away as You open and Close the throttle The slide Wears the Bore away and the slide and any other moving parts. A Carb does not know the incoming air pressure or temp of the air and can not adjust fuel to compensate for anything. When i Worked on Fi Engines all those problems Went No Bad running or due to over or under Fuelling and they never went wrong apart from if people put fuel in from a rusty tin and blocked the fuel pump filter. Carbs are a Total pain in the !!!!!!!!

[@craigmiddleton4880]

Freddie I use a petrol treatment when I winterise my bike normally used for lawnmowers it stops the ethanol separating from the fuel and clogging the carbs ,just fill the tank with petrol and add the correct amount of additive and start your bike so it gets into the carbs and it will last until summertime.

[@chrisg7704]

Love my intercom. The ability to hear satnav instructions, listen to the radio or music and make/take phone calls. All voice controlled with Siri. We are living the Knightrider/KITT/Street Hawk dream. 😂

[@Jagshemasher]

Intercom systems are absolutely fantastic. I've very old school (62). Grew up with carburated bikes - carbs have worked great for years - they are not difficult to maintain or adjust BUT the main issue is modern fuel with its propensity for being blended with ethanol.

[@jabjab1010]

Have had Cardo for years. My wife and I crossed the USA twice with hand signals. . .We finally got an intercom, and it changed everything. We have a rule that this is not for speaking/chatting. . .it’s for communication about the ride. I’m not sure all spouses should be miked up, but mine is as quiet as me so it works great. Music does add pleasure. Well worth the (small and easily installed) contraption being one more thing we have to learn.

[@chrisdagnall8666]

Another enjoyable ramble, thank you. I think I maybe the first person to remove the helmet comms, I fitted a Sena system and never used it, probably because I usually ride alone, I prefer the sound of the engine to music and stop to use the phone. I have had the same experience with trade ins, I had a 12 month old RE Interceptor and was swapping for a new Honda, the dealer wasn’t interested in a PX and they were a RE dealer too. Sold it on FB in a week for a price we were both happy with, I got lucky, no scammers.

[@gzk6nk]

It's true that modern fuel will gum-up carbs if the bike is left un-run for a while. I used to have a Honda C90 Cub (carbureted) and my technique was, as I passed a point about 1/4 mile from home, I turned the fuel off. By the time I got home I only had to leave the engine running for a very short time before the carb was empty and the engine stopped. But fuel injected bikes are not immune - the injectors can gum-up if the bike is left un-run for a while. My bikes (fuel injected), a Triumph Speedmaster and a Honda Innova stay in the garage while during the period when the roads are salted in the winter, so about November until March. I add injector cleaner to the fuel before laying them up, run the engine to ensure the cleaner has reached the injectors, and then switch off. By the way, Leominster is pronounced 'Lemster'. 🙃

[@johngraham8052]

I left my bike sitting parked up for six months without draining the carbs (Ducati supersport). Ran like a dog and the carb jets were blocked. I have since found an American product (Seafoam) that I last used on an outboard engine. I am convinced that it works wonders at unclogging partially blocked jets given I disassembled the carbs after use and they were like new. I have since seen tests where prolonged use can pit soft metals so I would just use infrequently but for the sake of £15 for a bottle I would highly recommend to remove varnish and other problems associated with blocked jets. Given the state and availability of UK fuels, fuel injection is the way to go if you want a reliable runner.

[@knapdog]

Like some other contributors, I have a six cylinder, 1998 Honda Valkyrie. It had done 12,000 miles when I bought it two years ago and it's now done 20,000. I've given the carbs a deep clean and replaced o-rings and gaskets. I have a digital synchronised and it is running as sweet as a nut. Over the winter once the salt is down on the roads I garage it up, put a trickle charger on and add Ethanol Free additive to the petrol. To attempt to ward off the evils of Ethanol I only use E5. I can understand why Freddie is biased towards fuel injection but with all his travels and busy schedules it makes sense. I've had loads of fuel injected bikes but when you roll your sleeves up and fettle with carbs, you and the bike become closer.

[@jesterm7597]

With regard the BMW slot - once the bike is 5 years old the main dealer isn’t interested in p/x. But there is a whole world of non-franchised dealers [your old back street shop] who will be very keen to deal. A GS1200 is probably one of the most sought after used machines especially with FBMWSH. Or Try selling privately with AT & if priced sensibly it will sell.

[@markwilliamson2795]

I had one of those naked Goldwings from the 80's....Thing is they have a charging system Stator located deep within the motor when your battery won't charge and the lights and motor stop you would have to removed the motor from the bike and split the motor case open to get to the charging stator.... labor from a shop is more than the motorcycle is worth...so if your a do it yourselfer and like all that work buy one...

[@williamsmith1044]

You don't have to split the cases, yes you do have to take the engine out but then you remove the rear cover to get to the alternator next to the clutch

[@MOTOUK1]

On intercoms, I use mine to listen to podcasts including yours Freddie and Teapot One.

[@tuesdayatdobbs]

I love listening to podcasts in the car, so I really should try on a bike!

[@thebikegeekandmore2448]

Freddie, I bought a Honda cbf 500 model 2007 brand new in 2008 in Sweden. The bike has carbs with a of electronics. Drive 80000 km with it and had never problem with the carbs or the rest of the bike, eventough we have to rough Winters in Sweden with temperatures around -30 C. Modern Fuel can indeed crystalize it self and cause problem but you can out in chemicals that prevent it. However carbs are a pain in the ass, when you are riding in the mountains. Due to lack of oxygen they run porley. However when their is a lack of oxygen even a Fuel injection can not compensate that.. It is just less jerkey ride. By the way, fuel injection where already back in the 50th available in Mercedes Benz cars. When it comes to police bikes, it comes down to where you buy them. In a country where it is close to 50 celcius and a lot sand and where they bikes run 50 0000 km per year or in europé where the traffic is not dense, the climate is Cold and the bikes water cooled? My dad is a ex policebiker and have ridden electra glide 1200 with foot clutch and hand shift and two duo glides with foot clutch and hand shift. He advised never to buy a police bike. The shops don't want to deal with carbs because they can not charge you a lot of money. The guy with suzuki got ripped of.

[@peterwilson8039]

There is a Yamalube product, it’s actually a solvent. It costs about $15 (Canadian)for about two ounces. The dealer’s instructions were to pour it in my tank an run the bike hard for a few days. (He;s a big believer in running bikes hard.) It worked! There is another product called Seafoam that will also help to clean out your carbs.

[@horspiste]

Back in my Norton Atlas days (you may guess who I am Freddie!) we used a system of plastic tubes for rider - pillion communication. A step up (but not very far) from 2 tin cans and a piece of string. People knocking modern comms don't know they're born 🤣

[@davemonday5381]

I own a Harley. It’s a DYNA. I’m not a topical Harley rider at all. I ride a fireblade a Ducati Diavel I ride enduro motocross and supermoto. I own a overland bike. And my garage is full of Twinshock and old superbikes all in perfect condition and ready to ride. Back to the Harley it is fantastic ABS brakes low centre of gravity make it handle brilliant, 2” fork stations wide bars and comfortable seat twin shocks and spoke wheels. It is probably the best all around bike I’ve owned. I still don’t really like Harleys but I love mine. And nothing is faster up to about 80 mph. If you buying a Harley buy a late model DYNA. Probably the only good Harley ever made. Ho I bought mine well before sons of anarchy. Just saying.

[@SAM-zt2uy]

The only bike I have with fuel injection is a 2020 Honda Dax copy… I converted it to have a carb didn’t want to be relying on needing a perfect battery for the fuel pump to prime the injection.

[@jezza1421]

Freddie, you have first hand experience of how reliable carbs can be; your Bonnie has them. Carbs are easy enough for DIY servicing (which would be little more than cleaning out the float bowls, should dirt or water get in there). I'm okay with carbs or EFI. For modified/tuned engines, I've found EFI to be easier to tweak (if a tuner is available), but if something goes wrong with a fuel system, carbs are easier to sort

[@timboharty7325]

I have 16 bikes ,including many 70s Hondas and Suzukis and a 60 year 9d MV and I live in Southern Austria ,so winter riding is out of the question, so when they’re stood up over winter I use a fuel preserver or use an alkylate fuel such as Aspen ( hideously expensive at 25 euros for 5 litres😳) and run them up to temperature once a month , it’s better than having to rebuild carbs every spring On the old bike front , I don’t see many oldies here but old Puch bikes and mopeds are highly regarded and valuable

[@phensriwood8081]

Owned a ST1100 for thirty years, never seen the carbs. Alternator died (28amp) and steering head bearings. That’s all in thirty years!

[@russthebiker]

Honda build quality,legend

[@chrissmith2114]

Modern bikes need EFI for same reason modern cars do, for emissions...cannot use a CAT with carbs, if excess fuel gets into the CAT it makes a great bomb. . also I love the start and ride off ease of EFI, compared to fiddling with choke on carbied bikes, trying to avoid the inevitable stalling and bad running if you get the choke wrong.

[@reinmansmith]

No problem with my carbed bike a 1983 R100RS which has done over 103,000mls currently. I happily go touring in both the UK and Europe without a care 😊The simple answer is use E5 fuel and don’t touch this eco crap E10 fuel. I personally run both my bikes, (the 2nd is a 1990 BMW K1 with fuel injection) along with my classic car on Shell V Power or equivalent and have had no problem even when not used so much during the winter month. It may cost more but you get noticeably better fuel economy so the costs balance out and with no issues of things getting bunged up ….

[@JLOSTAFF1]

Due to retirement I have decided to do more DIY servicing. Got myself a Haynes manual. A few specialist tools and I'm away! Changed the fork oil and springs in my Bonnie and Suzuki GSX1400 - jobs I thought I could never do. Changed brake pads - easy. Saved a fortune I reckon. Carbs are easier to fix than fuel injection I reckon.

[@chrissmith2114]

In both carbied and EFI engines be sure to put some Redex into the tank a few times a year, it genuinely does dissolve the gunk that dinosaur juice leaves behind in jets and injectors. It is also great for cleaning up carbs, the gunk just melts away like snow in July... ( in Northern hemisphere anyway ).

[@davemonday5381]

Hi Freddy I bought a 1987 Gpz1000rx. It has carbs. I rode it back from Switzerland over the Alps and home to England it hasn’t missed a beat and I love the carbs. And bike with carbs are fast. I have plenty new bikes in my garage so I fuel injection bike too.

[@pauldickinson2764]

Freddie very interesting chat, I too had a CBF 600 a brillant all rounder, I paid £1100, did 14000 miles in all weathers did most servicing myself, i only had to replace bits broken from the odd drop, sold last year after 7 years for £500 with 60000 miles, my friend also had one with 81000 miles!. Fuel, I also have a 27 year old Triumph Thunderbird which i run on E5 and always run the carbs empty before parking in my garage. Maybe you should consider a motorcycle maintainance course OR find an old school mechanic to teach you some basics, it might also make interesting video short series.

[@rufysufy]

After mentioning the GL1100 Iast week I've been lusting after one since. I never knew they came without any fairings and always thought the touring models looked silly. Never seen one in the flesh where I live. Their current prices are still attainable. I've always wanted a classic honda CB750 or something similar but they go for at least 16000 euros. Can't bring myself to spend that much on a vehicle I will ride once a while.

[@russthebiker]

lots of companies like Pantera supplied excellent fairing for them

[@markwilliamson2795]

@markwilliamson2795 1 second ago I had one of those naked Goldwings from the 80's....Thing is they have a charging system Stator located deep within the motor when your battery won't charge and the lights and motor stop you would have to removed the motor from the bike and split the motor case open to get to the charging stator.... labor from a shop is more than the motorcycle is worth...so if your a do it yourselfer and like all that work buy one...

[@roystonvehicles9129]

I built a bit of a virago bobber in the summer, kept messing with the carbs due to St pipes, dynojet kit, float heights, balancing, still spitting back, anyway sold it.

[@richardahola692]

I have never owned an injected bike. I'm ready to buy one. They seem to start better after sitting for long periods. My bike in the US sits for 8 or 9 months then I arrive and hope it starts.

[@motorcyclemadness6006]

Use only e5 fuel with carbed engines … e10 has more ethanol which is the problem.. if left for any time ..

[@GreyManGamingGMG]

The way you took that first comment in stride 😂 love it 🤣

[@DanielCool-p2i]

As a lifetime resident of Pennsylvania, I have heard of the west coast BDR but oddly not the PA Wilds BDR!

[@jan22309]

I also own a Cardo, good piece of Equipment. Especially when riding together with a friend and if you need navigation. The old Honda Goldwings look great, much better then these newer models. I also ride an old Honda CB500 Four regulary. For me it does not make a lot of sense to have a motorcycle and not ride it.

[@spency787]

Turning off the fuel tap and allowing a carb fed bike to empty the fuel bowl is a good tip but be warned, most carbs won’t fully empty thus running the risk of the remaining fuel turning to jelly. A better option (and one that many seem to have forgotten even exists) is to crack the float bowl drain screw(s). Absolutely no fuel remains and you can even collect the fuel and put it back in the tank. 👍

[@richardahola692]

I bought an 1100 anout 15 years ago and rode it for a long time. Now have a 1200 that I paid $1500 for. It took me a few hours to get it running.

[@S2000Y]

For carbed bikes only use premium fuel, E5, 98/99 octane. Never had an issue on my KTM 950 adventure that I've had for 17 years.

[@TringmotionCoUk]

I buy from copart. I got an AJS Modena scooter with 2500 miles for £325 plus fees which I could put on the road with one bolt and washer. I have also bought bikes that have fractures in the high pressure fuel lines. You have to have a level of skill to be safe.

[@daveco1270]

All three of my bikes are carbureted (two vintage bikes and an 07 Bonneville.) I find them easier to live with then EFI bikes. You can learn to work on carbs. They're not complicated...for the most part. And I never have to run my carbs dry to insure the bike will start next time, even with E10 gas. As far as Chris's email, I think if you're going to get a vintage bike you should learn to work on it yourself, which isn't hard with the internet forums and youtube...if you're willing to put the time into it. With a little knowledge Chris probably could have diagnosed why his bike dropped 2 cylinders and replaced a coil or some spark plug wires and fixed it himself.

[@brianhulse100]

Freddie, reference to second hand GS prices, I am in the UK and this year put my 2016 BMW R1200GS TE spec up for sale, I either got chancers offering ridiculously low money without seeing it or low offers from some dealers or like one of your other commenter stated BMW were not interested. My bike only had 2,600 miles and was in show room condition. It got to the stage that I thought I would either have to sell it ludicrously cheap or keep it. Thankfully I was thinking of having a modern classic as my next bike and was looking at the RE interceptor or Triumph Bonneville. Again the Royal Enfield dealer only offered 6k against potentially buying an interceptor and a Himalayan. However thankfully Triumph without hesitation offered 10k, thinking this would be against the most expensive bike in their range I was assured it was on anything in the showroom! A deal done and I’m a happy biker with a new T100 and cash back in my pocket. Winner !!

[@davidcolton7167]

Thanks for featuring my question a couple of weeks ago re me struggling with a Meteor 350, rode a Honda Rebel 500 but hated the ride as the right hand engine cover being against my leg and my left boot got caught between the peg and the gear change! Thinking about a Mutt 250 sold the Hunter for a small loss anyway!

[@johnjeromson3471]

I have a bandit12, and mrs bandit 6, both are awesome lovely bikes cheap to run go like stink and a good laugh. Carbs rock.

[@longjonwhite]

Hi Freddie. I have only watched the first minute or so, so far. I just wanted to say that I think you may be forgetting that those prices are in CANADIAN Dollars, hence they are even cheaper than you think. That first one, $3,500, converts to about £2,100 !

[@leeandjancruise]

I don't understand the fear of carbs, armed with a work shop manual and KZbin links it's not too difficult to set them up if you suspect they're out of sync, jets blocked or needing the mixture setting etc, just takes time and patience.

[@russthebiker]

Spot on My mates ancient bsa keeps going,but then he is a skilled engineer, not a tinkerer

[@BrokenBackMountains]

Got a Cardo yesterday. As Stephen said, I also found it a relevation today. Listened to Spotify all day, answered a few calls (not keen on that) and also listened to traffic reports in the morning in the radio. I am a convert. You really should ride here in Ireland. Been here since 2007. As for 1966😅😅😅. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿. The only good thing was it was the year I was born.😅

[@sussexbikerpillion]

Recently bought a Honda ST 1100 lovely mechanical condition with carbs , running a bit lumpy and not as responsive as it should be added sea foam fuel additive to tank and after a couple of tanks running fine. No stripping or hassle 😊

[@jimwyer4257]

You lucked out there. Removing the carbs on a Pan is a PITA, I know, I’ve done it twice.

[@sussexbikerpillion]

I know. Was an old boy engineer was very well maintained but Ill health forced sale reckon sat around with old fuel. I imagine just some standing rubbish.

[@alexwilsonpottery3733]

I’m over here in the US, where most states don’t have any kind of MOT-type roadworthiness test, and all the petrol pumps have some percentage of ethanol in the petrol. This nasty stuff melted the tank and destroyed the petcock seals on my reliably carbureted ‘97 Buell S3.

[@spadaspares]

Theres an intercom that fits inside the shoei helmet, pricey but worth a look

[@jabjab1010]

That 250 is a Honda Rebel in the US. My longest ride on it was 250 miles from Vermont to New York City. . .NEVER AGAIN. My daughter, 30 years later, is riding a new Honda Rebel 500, and I’m a proud Daddy, but also can’t believe I rode that 250 Rebel on New York City highways and Interstates. . .I’m not that fearless any longer.

[@jimwyer4257]

Police bikes clocked? Not in my experience. I have 2 ex police bikes, both pan Europeans, 1 1100 and a 1300. Neither was bought directly from a police auction, but private sellers. BOTH came with the daily log book from the respective police forces (Avon & Somerset, and Manchester). Every entry includes the starting mileage and ending mileage for the day, right up to the day the left service. The next year the respective MOTs showed appropriate mileage compared to the last entry in the police log book. There have been no unexpected breakdowns for the model or age.

[@brattonbiker6482]

I had loads of bikes in the 90s and carbs worked fine in my experience. But then in 2020, I bought an immaculate low mileage CBR600F from 97. I have had the carbs professionally rebuilt and cleaned etc. It runs 90% right but not completely. Maybe it's modern fuels even though I only use E5 premium petrol. Not sure I have the inclination to pull the carbs off again. I've got a modern bike with FI, much better!

[@frankmarkovcijr5459]

I just had the carburetor to my 1999 Sportster for the first time in 25 years.

[@lauraiss1027]

Freddy, here's a discussion. I live in eastern Europe and when I drive with my car, when I blink the high beam it means that I allow the other car to gain privilege to turn or do any other maneuver. And now on my bike I have special button to blink hi beam to let others notice me. In Honda manual it's called passing light. It is so controversial that I do not bother even trying it. Here where I live in, blinking any beam would mean "you can go, you can go.." vs "I'm here, I'm here" and it's quite dangerous. Do you use you passing lights blinker ever? I would not suggest anyone to use those, at least in eastern Europe. Don't ever use the button, people will think you are allowing them to go.

[@roverchap]

If the Suzuki GS850 dropped out 2 cylinders it is likely to be an ignition fault, either a coil (as each coil fires a pair of cylinders) or the ignitor unit (which has two channels, each firing a pair of cylinders). After 40 years, either of these faults are a distinct possibility.

[@steve00alt70]

People really need to start to embrace technology. I love technology, it needs to be on every bike I ride. As you have to know how to fix technology now. I dont mind the bluetooth on the outside. Anything to give that futuristic look I love.

[@russthebiker]

Till it goes wrong Technology is great,and has provided us with far more efficient and longer lasting vehicles, mainly because idiot owners cannot tinker with them,I own both a modernish car,and a classic car,,so can see the benefits But so many times I have met young and some stupid older people, completely lost because their phone or satnav has either broken,been stolen,or just failed Trying to explain that using the sun,and keeping the sea on your right will get you there,brings a look of horror to their faces,especially when you point out they are going the wrong way Me I use a map,a compass,, write a route card, and a cheap phone no North African would be seen dead with to send a text home,or look up a local map Embrace it, but remember it relies on information from elsewhere And when the Chinese or the Russians have a play, you might find yourself very very lost

[@jasonk7072]

What is it with BMW owners and their expectations? The other week we had the guy who expected BMW to replace parts on a bike years out of warranty and this week there’s one getting the hump because the shiny BMW dealership don’t want his almost decade old GS. Everyone knows dealers offer low trade in, it’s the price of convenience, and you get loads more selling privately. I’m on my second BMW bike, I hope I don’t end up like this.

[@Robinbamv]

Having got my first bike in 1974 and had not seen fuel injection until 2010. Carbs have never been too much of a problem . Your blog shows a considerable amount of myth and misinformation around carbs. However if you avoid the pitfalls carbs are not a problem. The first thing to avoid is E10 fuel the ethanol in this has to issues first it absorbs water and corrodes your fuel system from the inside, second the ethanol attacks the seals in the fuel system and the third issue is the ethanol fails to burn as well as the hydrocarbon part of the fuel and gives less miles per £. Using E10 fuel is actually more expensive than using E5 in any bike or car ( MCN did a very good report using two identical bikes.). Once you move away from the E10 and burn E5 almost all carb problems go away, I currently have two bikes with carbs and during the summer when they are in regular use I have no special procedure for starting or stopping the bike but over the winter when the bikes get little use I do drain the carbs. Another way of keeping the carbs free of the small amount of ethanol in E5 fuel during winter storage is to run some AVGAS 91UL through the system for technical reasons aviation fuel is ethanol free so comes with none of the problems of motor fuels. CAUTION !!!!!! don’t use AVGAS 100LL in any modern bike.

[@franhunter4701]

There would be a market for the Honda GL’s but the import duty would be prohibitive, making it had to turn a profit. Plus the more that are introduced into the uk market, the supply and demand ratios would start to pull the sales price down. Which would make viability for the importer even harder. So I think we are where we are. Which is bloody annoying as I’m after one ☺️

[@88davidw]

I definitely agree with the crazy low trade in values offered by dealers. It’s completely not an option for me.

[@russthebiker]

Those high end audis,flash watches,and foreign holidays don't pay for themselves you know,salesmen are a special breed,only interested in theircmark up,often alpha males,and very very false, but then as a time served tradesman I am always cynical about people who do not do a real job

[@KeepItSimpleSailor]

Carby bikes are fine - we’re just not as used to cleaning and tuning them as we used to be. I know I’m not anymore 😁

[@basilwatson1]

Carbed bikes all my life 35 years as a motorcycle engineer. give me carbs every time. points and carbs can be fixed on side-of-road injectors and computers call the AA btw Me 1980s enfield ( daily driver) is STILL going no problem, to the point of boredom

[@andyhewitt7588]

It’s not so easy to import a US or Canadian bike to the UK. The bike will need to be modified to meet various UK/EU regulations to enable it to be registered for use, although classic bikes may be exempt in some areas.

[@russthebiker]

Chris should have chucked it back at the auction house, its a Garage Queen

[@volt8684]

That guy quoting his carb problems I can totally concur. If your carbs and fuel lines are accessible it’s doable but 4 cylinder bikes 4 carbs, V twins yuk carbs buried in the cylinders. I also maintain mowers in my family and the modern fuel is destroying stuff. This winter I will be removing my fuel tank and tipping the fuel and run bike till stops (fi) bring my bike tank indoors hoping to stop rust inside the tank. Even if the carbs are accessible do you want to strip them down every 3 months as I did on my big v twin. With a 2nd hand bike you just don’t know how long it’s been stood. No more carbs ever for me as a slightly better than normal diyer taught by my dad. Also Japanese only. Am 64 bikes since 16 legally😂. Why anyone would buy a new bike beats me so many excellent 2nd hand privates giving up and in particular down sizing. I have sold my last 4 bikes on gumtree and e bay no sweat. Great talking points Fred. I had a bmw r1100r 1997 vintage the brake pipe split. I renewed it and I could not bleed the brakes. Had to have it towed and repaired only ever once in my life and guess what ££££££££. There is a vlogger on here that has exposed the clocking of Bmw X5 cars.

[@tuesdayatdobbs]

Brilliant insight, thank you Volt!

[@gothere-itis3339]

Is Triumph going to stop the production of the Thruxton? This is what I read in an article. Why is that?

[@ashleyritchie4948]

I am a 60's child and a fully qualified mechanic(5yr app) and I love carbs, once set they are fine, then the sound the feel just brilliant, injection just means it is f..ked if it breaksdown! Carbs for me everytime! Talking about rare GL's in the uk against the USA, just look at suzuki kettles, kwaka KH series, plentiful and cheap even free over there, here, ££££££££££££££££

[@thomascharnock]

I've owned many carbed bikes...never had an issue personally

[@stephengrange5300]

MY 2003 BANDIT 6000S HAS BEEN REFUSED TO WORK ON SAYING IT WAS TO MUCH TROUBLE TO TUNE

[@peterholthoffman]

I've not had an significant trouble with carb except one time when the computer died... Oh wait. That didn't happen! If you keep your fuel system clean, carbs are set and forget.

[@MrUled]

The UK loves glorifying the past. Not just motorbikes, also architecture, art, literature. Germany simply has their feet more planted in the present

[@tbillington]

Lol at the opening comment about the interrogation room 😂

[@motorcyclemadness6006]

Freddy particularly in Europe- Robert Bosch GmbH pioneered (electronic) fuel injection in 1967 .. initially in German cars mostly.. Triumph had a mechanical petrol injection around that time .. Obviously fuel injection in Aviation goes a lot further…back.. Mercedes being the first diesel injecting road cars before WW2..

[@sundarmg6532]

hey freddie! just wondering with all the fuel injection talk, can you speak about ecu flashes, commander modules and other do dads? I have just traded my SV650s for an MT03 660 and they general rumour is that I will have to add a do dad to it in order to make it run smoothly. Any ideas ?

[@gerrymcivor374]

I think you may have miscalculated you Goldwing price. $3500 Canadian, is only £2100. Most of us have a relative or two in Canada, I wonder if we could encourage them to buy one and arrange to have it shipped.

[@markwilliamson2795]

@markwilliamson2795 1 second ago I had one of those naked Goldwings from the 80's....Thing is they have a charging system Stator located deep within the motor when your battery won't charge and the lights and motor stop you would have to removed the motor from the bike and split the motor case open to get to the charging stator.... labor from a shop is more than the motorcycle is worth...so if your a do it yourselfer and like all that work buy one...

[@tuesdayatdobbs]

Ahhhhh Gerry- thank you! I totally overlooked the Canadian dollar exchange rate. So the Gold Wings are even better value than I thought!

[@chrisbarron5861]

Book an MOT 3 miles away ? I have booked an MOT in Edinburgh (where I lived) ,for a bike I was picking up from Newcastle :) Is it illegal ?

[@matthewharmer1656]

Love carbs,easy to fix and service,

[@alistairrobinson3865]

There’s a podcast………YES!!!! 😂

[@walt7518]

Hi Freddie, you say old carb'd bikes are less reliable than newer injected bikes. OK, but is it the age or the fueling? All my bikes until last year have been carb'd, they were mainly reliable, now one is 21 yrs old and is having problems, but my injected car, that was bought new in the same year as the bike, had injector problems when it was 16 and became uneconomical to repair so it went. I draw no conclusions from this.😉 There is no doubt that I feel more comfortable with carbs because they have been tech that I've known well for over 40 years. My fuel injection bike threw up an engine management light within the first few hundred miles, ooh err. With fuel injection comes fuel pumps and all the high pressure sensors etc, I suspect when some of these bikes are old they too will suffer reliability issues and might be difficult for us home mechanics to fix?

[@RebelCowboysRVs]

Your not wrong about carbs being the simpler tech for a home mechanic. Assuming its where you can get to it. Its also less common tech. The issue is not wiring or carbs, its fuel. Today's fuels are garbage. Carburetors were never designed to run ethanol. They do it but with problems. If you have access to pure fuel, a carburetor is still great. But thats twice the price where I live. Todays fuel injection is built to keep ethanol problems in check. But it still damages it. And fuel injection on bikes today are nowhere near what cars have. If you understand carburetors an the problem ethanol causes, a carburetor is still easier to fix. It needs fixed more often though. But people like that are in a middle ground that is getting rare. Most people just know how to put fuel in it an call someone else if it has problems. And a growing majority of mechanically inclined people have had more experience with fuel injection than carburetors. They grew up with computers. So for people on either side of where you are, fuel injection is better. Its more reliable for the person that does not know how any of it works an the fact that it is simpler is meaningless to the mechanically inclined people growing up in the electronic age having never touched a carburetor.

[@ColinCarFan]

Ex police cars/bikes are not clocked by them, the people who buy them and sell on (and potentially less reputable auctioneers) are the problem. By the way, that ZG1400 had a full MOT history but as I write this 3 weeks after the auction its MOT has not been renewed.

[@markwood9755]

Hi Freddie I was very interested in your police bike auction content, years ago in a previous life as a youth I bought a Honda CB200 from an auction (ex police) I can not remember the details, however it was cheap, high mileage and lasted years, one of life’s good experiences. So you have me thinking I might give that ago again, however in one breath you say police bikes do not have MOT’s and in the next you say the police Kawasaki has an expired MOT ??? I note the BMW also has a MOT ??? As an aside my green CB200 had a huge white fairing, I would wear a white helmet with high Viz. It was quite uncanny how no one ever pulled out on me, they even slowed to the speed limit as I come up behind them to allow me to pass 😂😂😂😂😂😂 I must say I might have to relive that part of life again 😀 That great big white BMW might just be the ticket 🤔🤔 Thanks for the info.

[@moriwaki1105]

Just been all over Europe on my 1985 750 Suzuki GSXR....not one problem....mates Injected bike was nothing but bother.

[@PDCRed]

Never had a carb problem on any motorbike I've had since 1991.

[@richardsalsman1069]

Good point about today's fuel

[@paulhumphrey3402]

Great video so interesting

[@raymorris952]

As an old mechanic, I would suggest that you learn to spanner your bike if you want a classic, it's not exactly brain surgery, you only need common sense, and with a workshop manual and you tube, anyone but a complete idiot can learn to maintain and repair a motorcycle, and the sense of achievement is pricless, its the new bikes that can be a problem, yes they are generally more reliable, but when they do go wrong! Well now you need expensive diagnostic tools, an electronics degree and deep pockets for part's. The most reliable and best build quality of cars and bikes 1995 to 2005, safety emissions and cost cutting ruined vehicles after that.