Results of modifing a Baghira, long post

[harold]

This will be a long post, but maybe some of you will find something that you can use. I have tried to read everything on this forum relating to the Baghira, and the other 660's. Feeling like it just didn't have enough snap, I have been working on adjusting and modifying things. Here is the results:
Started off, 2002 Baghira with 1,500 miles, looked like new except for loud D&D muffler. It wouldn't power wheelie 1st gear. Whether you like to wheelie or not, they are a good seat of the pants way to tell power differences when you change things.

1st change. After an unsuccessful attempt at removing carbs to check jetting, I ended up checking the pilot screw. It was around 3 turns. I ended up taking it to 7 turns, or there abouts. It is quite hard to tell exacting with primitive tools for a screw you can't see.
Result: Power wheelies in 1st. It never stood straight up, but it seemed like I could if I tried real hard and jerked the bars, which I didn't. Big improvement for just turning a screw.

2nd change. This weekend I tore into it. I checked the valves, expecting MAYBE the exhaust to be tight, but with only 1,500 miles, nothing should need adjustment. Well the intakes were all tight, no gap at all, and the exhaust were around .003 too tight. Adjusted them. I also lost about 2" of the end of a plastic ball point pen in the spark plug hole trying to see when TDC was getting close. If you ever do something as dumb as that, don't even think about removing the head. Just crank it up.
Then I ground down the welds on the header pipes. I have heard on a Honda XR650 forum than this didn't make any noticeable difference on a stock motor, but I had them off to make life easier on the carbs, and was able after about 15 minutes to get the same size socket to go in the inlet as went in the other end with no welds. One size smaller socket wouldn't go in when I started. I also ground off the weld splatter. I have heard of people using a dremel and going through many stones. I used an air die grinder, and only used one cheap stone from a parts store.

I also checked the intakes. The oval right side just needed a little rubber trim to match the head port, but I found that someone had already did some grinding on the left one, but it still was too small. 5 minutes with the die grinder and the same somewhat worn stone, and that was fixed.

The Carb: I had ordered a 50 pilot, the largest I could find above the stock 48, and a 135 main and a 170 main. Only the 50 and 135 came in, and hearing that the right carb could be too rich to start off with, I raised its needle one clip. I was going to raise the needle on the left carb, but couldn't see how it was going to come out without taking a whole bunch of stuff apart I didn't want to do. I also cut 2 coils off the right carbs spring, drilled the hole out to 5/32", and turned the screw that sets when it comes on about 2 more turns. It takes a couple of turns to see any difference as to when it starts to move compared to the right carb. But I got the round plate inside to be horizontal. I also read about the throttle stop screw and set it further.

I put in the 50 pilot, but then took it out to see how much larger it was than the old 48 using my welding tip cleaners. Low and behold, someone had drilled it already, and it was 2 sizes larger than the 48. These are the smallest wires on the tip cleaner pack, and I have no idea what their actual measurements would be. I took the largest one that just wouldn't go through, and spent 5 minutes going in and out with pliers until it did. Since I wanted a larger pilot, I figured I got it, but what size it is now I have no idea, except it is I would think several larger than a 50. After that I checked the 135 and it was larger than the 130 so I put it in. I guess they didn't drill that one.

The result:
Well not as much as I thought. I think it sounds a little louder. I now have the pilot screw at around 4 turns. Having it at 6 made it idle slower, but it ran about the same either way. NO popping at all on deceleration, but it still won't wheelie 2nd. But it does 1st much easier, MUCH higher, and my seat of the pants dyno says I have more power. Also after setting the throttle stop screw, the throttle seems to turn another 1/8 turn, a larger difference than I thought it would make. Full twist, upper midrange, and backing off a little doesn't make a difference, so I think the main jets are about the same as before. The 135 therefore didn't seem to make a seat of the pants difference, but it does take off now a little better and for the 1st time I hit the limiter in 3rd, playing with this throttle difference. It goes to 80 mph, still in 4th, with close to the same acceleration as getting to 60. Having cars around, I never put it in 5th, YET.

In short, it has more power, how much only a real dyno would tell. What made the difference? Well I changed way too many things at once to tell. My plug does show it was running a little lean before I think. But my fans have kicked on for the 1st time after wringing it's neck, and it is cooler today then the last time I rode it. I could have kinked a hose a little and need to check that. Whoever designed where oil hoses, wire loams, and radiator hoses all end up at the carbs, should be shot. If I ever tear into this thing again, I am buying longer hoses and moving stuff out of the way. In the next week or so I will play around with right carbs adjustment screw I changed, just to see if that makes a difference in snap. Those adjustments are easy.

I think I have done all the easy stuff you can do without getting into the motor. I would be willing to buy another ignition module if it made a low to mid range difference. Raising the rev limit I don't need, I am not racing. I am more satisfied now, will change the oil, and ride it a while. I would still like it to wheelie 2nd.

Here is a picture of the plug, and headers.

[angustoyou]

That makes for good reading. Nice one.

Mine pops and farts on the overrun, with a loud carbon can co tailpipe on, no other changes that I'm aware of, and it certainly doesn't want to lift the front in first on acceleration. (Running standard 15:45 sprockets).

It needs the valve clearances checking, so I'll reset them, and see where the pilot jet is set to see of I get such a big difference.