Stock Carbs are GONE now.

[Single Carb Vision]

    It was a  longer project for the guys at Factory Pro to get this worked out BUT it is done!

   My 1983 Vision no longer has the stock carburetors. It is now using a single down draft carburetor. The mechanics told me the  top speed may no longer be 105 MPH (I know, the specs say 113. I bought a brand new 1983,  in 1983 and I could not get it past the 105 on the speedometer). I just got the bike back a couple of days ago and only had time for a quick test ride going home. On that ride, 75 MPH was the fastest I went (no sure what top end is yet).  I guess anyone interested in this modification would have to ask themselves, what is the fasted I have ridden the bike in the last year or two and is that 100 MPH something they really need or could you live without that to have a bike that does what you want it to do when you want it done without any quirks or idiosyncrasies.
 
    I was in my thirty's when I need to see how fast the bike could go, now I'm not in as big of a hurry to get to the end of the line anymore.
   
   Along with giving up some top end, you'll also give up al;l those things you hate about the bike! The carburetors that everyone likes to say just need a little cleaning or adjustment or whatever they use for their excuse as to way the bike doesn't run properly. You will also lose the stock air cleaner, the  Airbox and all of it non adjustable variables.
   
   What you will gain is a bike that starts right up cold or hot. A bike that does NOT have a stumble or a lag when you twist the throttle. You will also have parts that are available to keep it running like this for years to come.
 
   I had put up a post on this back in May 2013 but being the conversion took longer that expected the info for a kit was never worked out at that time but the mechanics had estimated it would be about $1,500.00. They are now trying to get that all worked out so that a complete ready to install kit could be purchased.

    I will do a follow up post as soon as I have that information. I will also try to get a video made so that you would be able to hear it on the road..

[The Prophet of Doom]

Sounds interesting, but if you don't post pics and juicy details (like the type of carb) then it didn't happen.

[jefferson]

A lot of variables in that top speed thing, but it would still be interesting to see how it does now. Keep some tabs on your mileage and let us know how that works out.
Kudos on a job well done. A modification of this sort is rare as much as for the work involved, but also the cost. Quite some dedication there.

Jeff

[dingleberry]

Is it still a downdraught type carby?

[pullshocks]

Very cool.  Want to sell your '83 carbs?

[Single Carb Vision]

I'll have two sets of 83s and an 82 set for sale. Would you be interested in an air box also? Make me a reasonable offer and it can all be yours. wayneweb22@hot mail.com

[QBS]

Factory speedo accuracy may be suspect.  Better indicator is what is max rpm available in top gear.  My '83 has red lined 5th gear more than once.  Each time it was showing 114mph.

[Rikugun]

It sounds like a compromise and one you are willing to live with so that's all that counts.  :) Depending on how the bike is used I can see where the positives may out weigh the negative. Please keep us updated with riding impression feedback and some pics and details too.

On the reduced power thing...  I rarely operate at the ton but it's more than top speed - it's the HP required to get there. Just this weekend I was following my friend on his Tiger Explorer (130+ HP) on one of his "hooligan" rides through the back roads. He was being kind to me but still he was using moderate throttle and maybe 2 gears where I was working the Vision hard through several gears to keep pace. My new braking components got a thorough work-out too BTW. My brother was behind me on his 800 Tiger and later told me he just "used a gear lower than normal" to maintain the pace. If it had been me back there, it would have been much more work to keep up as there seems to be an exponential factor for each position back you are.  :)

I don't feel the need to go 100 often but don't like the idea of giving up the HP that makes it possible. Just my 2 cents...   :)

[Single Carb Vision]

The way it looks now. Will supply a video soon (days, not minutes). There are still people that don't believe a tree falling in the forest makes noise if they don't hear it! Listen up.

[dingleberry]

If there is no eardrum to convert the sound waves into perceived noise then maybe not

[Single Carb Vision]

 This is a good time for a name change. Single downdraft slide carburetor. Went to take my daughter to school this morning and after I dropped her off and returned home I figured I'd see how the bike is starting today being the temperature got a little cool last night. The bike has been parked in the street for the last several days. It was 42 degrees out this morning. I pulled out the choke, turned the key to on and pushed the start button. The engine fired immediately, it didn't even have time to go r r, r r. It just started, period, done, ready to go. 

[Single Carb Vision]

A little horse power info I do have. If I remember what I was told correctly, (I didn't write it down) the dyno horse power showed 45 HP, but that is at the rear wheel. The mechanics at Factory Pro said that the rear wheel horse power is figured at about 20% less than crank horse power.  I think  the Vision specs show the bike as having 60 HP but that is at the crank. So if you take 20% off of 60 you will get 48 HP at the rear wheel. Figuring things out in reverse to have 45 HP at the rear wheel, you would have 56 HP at the crank. If all those numbers are 100% correct (and they can't be as we have an @20% in there) then the bike would have 4 less HP than stock. While we are down to splitting hairs, I guess we should also consider that we lost the weight of the stock carburetors and the air box. I'll work on getting more info and a video.

[fret not]

So, what kind of carb is the new single carb kit?  Mikuni, DelLorto, Amal, Weber, SU, ?

[Single Carb Vision]

Mikuni is what they ended up with.

   Pullshocks had asked if I would sell  the 83 carbs. I replied to him make an offer. He has not replied yet. I have two sets of 83s (one set of the 83s has a bracket or some other small external part missing but the other set has it and if you already have carbs, you already have it also.) I also have a set for an 82. All are for sale along with air box. Make a reasonable offer, plus shipping and pay me with paypal and they will be on the way to you. Thanks.

[dingleberry]

Have you noticed an increase in torque at lower revs? I'm pretty interested in this, could you please provide more details?

[fret not]

Venturi size of the new carb?

[Single Carb Vision]

I don't have all of the specifics of the new carbs. I do know it had to be reworked as it wasn't something that just came out of the box and all was good. Once they decided on a carb that would fit the bike without having to change the look they then spent weeks/ maybe months getting it where it is now. I can't give you any torque info right now. The bike ran like crap when I got it and I didn't feel safe riding it as it was like some other guy said you had to give it gas very s l o o o w w  or it would just cough and die. I like to know that when I twist the throttle, I'm going right now. That is the way it runs now, there is never any lag or stumble. I do know that I left a stop sign a little quicker than I actually planned on leaving and the front wheel was suddenly not in contact with the ground any longer. All I can say right now is that as soon as the guys at Factory Pro get a complete kit all worked out including price, I'll post the info.

[Single Carb Vision]

Excuse me, I meant to say new carb (singular ).  I guess I'll have to get used to that.

[The Prophet of Doom]

Are your Factory Pro guys the same ones who wrote about finding casting sand in the vision carbs?
http://www.factorypro.com/prod_pages/prodyXZ550.htm

[Single Carb Vision]

Yes, they are all in the same shop. The guys that took on this carbureator project were not involved in the early racing days of the Vision but the guy that found that sand problem mostly runs the dyno part of the business now.