I pulled the 48 pilot jets (this time without pulling the tank, seat, carbs, et al., after modifying a screwdriver to fit the limited clearance on the port side); good news...the #77 drill bit shaft didn't fit inside the bore of the 48 pilot jet!
Soooooo...,I drilled out the 45 pilot jets with the #77 drill bit, & created pilot jets somewhere north of a 45, but south of a 48. What are they specifically? Dunno. Let's call 'em 46.5's
I set the pilot screws at 2.25 turns out for the preliminary test. Weather conditions were not ideal, with temps about 50F, low pressure, very damp, high humidity, variable winds.
This combo is definitely better, with light throttle cruise AFR heading in the right direction.
Under power the bike is generally in the 12-14 AFR range on the road. Highway cruise AFR is north of 13 but not yet where I want it. Very light throttle low-RPM cruise has improved to the low 12's. Warm motor idle is in the mid-12's AFR, so there is room to lean out the pilot screws and increase the AFR a bit at cruise. WOT is where I want it, about 13 AFR.
Overall this is a good mod and the overall driveability is excellent.
Given that I also changed from N3RF needles to NBZT needles that involves another variable, so it is quite possible had I kept the N3RF's the low-end cruise may have been even better with them.
No matter. I've decided to keep the NBZT's in for now, & tune the low end to match them.
It is also quite possible with the NBZT's that the bike would do OK with 45 pilots. Given that I just drilled my only set of 45 pilots, I'm going to get another set and test those as well.
Changing pilot jets without removing the carbs is much quicker & less hassle, however it is a little rougher on the hands.
I'm after optimizing performance and maximizing driveability, without sacrificing fuel economy to do it. Things are heading in the right direction.
While I'm waiting for the new 45 pilot jets to come in, I'll lean out those pilot screws a bit more & recheck those cruise AFR's.
