I've been following the threads (novels?) on the APT vs Lectron vs JD Jetting kit for the 125. I would have been interested in an APT but the wait until May seemed a little long for me. I didn't want to spend more $ for the billet version, and I didn't want to keep chasing jetting even with a JD kit to improve things on a stock Mikuni (I have an 08 CR125 with the TMX carb). With my weather and elevation in WY, I was simply getting tired of tweaking the jetting seemingly every ride. 40-90 degree temp changes throughout the riding season, 3500-9000+ feet elevation changes riding in the mountains. My biggest issue was the circuit between idle and 1/3 throttle... perhaps a different slide would have helped, maybe fiddle with the needle, but that still required the carb on and off and on and off again. Reading the positive reviews of the Lectron, its list price being right around $300, and with it supposedly being a metering carb (meaning no more constant fiddling with jetting)?... sign me up! I got the carb from Motorsportz a week ago, but we were in a 20 degree high, -15 degree overnight cold front for several days. So I didn't want to try it right away... my mind was still convinced all I'd be doing is getting it to run right for 0 degrees, then have to rejet again. Maybe not? Anyways, I just waited until now to give it a go. And I give it 2 thumbs up! I'll try to be brief: Installation was no harder than the stock carb. Again, I have the "old" TMX Mikuni that is on the pre 2009 125's. Granted, I installed it my my unheated garage and had to use a hair dryer to soften the air boots to get it installed since it was 5 degrees the night I put it on, but other than that, no issues. I had to remove the metal 45 degree elbow on the throttle cable where the cable goes into the carb. But the included cable boot covered everything up fine. Even with an IMS 3+ gallon fuel tank, there is plenty of clearance for the cable to exit the carb straight up and then bend slowly to angle up along the underside of the tank to head toward the handlebars. No binding, and the throttle cable length was good enough (OEM cable, stock handlebars... no bar risers). Today I have run the bike two times, about 20 minutes each. When I ordered the carb, I simply filled out the few data fields requested on the Motosportz website about my bike: stock 08 CR125. When the carb arrived 4 days later, I was skeptical about it being jetted correctly from the get-go. So anyways, its time to light the fire today! I poured in about 1 gallon of 2 month old 91 octane pump gas with ethanol, premixed at 32:1. I normally ride with ethanol free gas, but why not get rid of the last batch of emergency stash premix I had and really see if this carb will work. Could only get better, right? 1st kick, a hint of fire. 2nd kick... combustion! I had the choke on (it was 25 degrees outside), and it idled at about 3800 rpm. After a short moment, I shut off the choke, and it still idled. The revs started to come down a little, hovering around 3000 rpm after about 30 seconds. I would open the throttle very little just to gauge response. No bog, no stutter, no hesitation. It was blubbery when I twisted the throttle further (revved past 5000 rpm or more), but my bike is very cold blooded. After about 2 minutes I got on and slowly rode around in 1st gear. Anything past maybe 1/2 throttle was blubbery. Oh boy, gotta change the jetting, no? But I was patient, and as more time went by and the bike got warmer, the throttle response cleaned up. After about 6-8 minutes, it was running just fine. I stopped the bike to let it idle, and it was idling about 2000 rpms (I have a Tiny Tach mounted to keep an eye on rpm, as I also run a Rekluse so I like knowing my revs for clutch tuning). So I turned the idle knob out 1/4 turn and got the idle where I liked it, and it would respond immediately to blips of the throttle. Nice! That was all it took to get it running right at idle (which is the basis of setting up the Lectron: set your idle right, and you're good-to-go aside from the high speed jet). Wow. If my Mikuni was on instead, from my last jetting set up I'd be fiddling with the air screw, probably the pilot, and would likely still have a gargle at 1/8-1/3 throttle. Off I go for some high speed runs. The bike is completely warmed up, idle is set, and... holy schmoly! So smooth a transition from idle to WFO! It felt completely metered. Meaning a seemless throttle response. No in-between circuit stumbles, no blubbering or hesitation. Just twist and go. Riding a few passes from 1st up to 5th (not enough space for 6th), was just like sitting in a plane on take off... power builds (gear change), power builds (gear change), power builds... very nice. Again, no dips or surges. Almost electric. Metered is a good way to describe it (perhaps calling the carb a metering rod carb really is the truth of it). Nice bit of over rev, and a little bit of spooge, but nothing like what I'd see on the Mikuni. I am impressed that the carb ran great right out of the box. One minor adjustment on the idle knob and I was done. The spark plug (I put in a new one, but didn't do a plug chop per se) looked good. Maybe go a little richer on the high speed knob, but the color was still mocha goodness. Throttle response was crisp and throttle pull was a smooth, electric power surge all the way through. If all I have to do is move the idle knob in or out a 1/4 turn, or maybe in summer turn the metering rod a little this way or that, this carb is perfect for me. No more constant jetting adjustments. No more spilling gas removing the carb. This carb is a keeper! Anyways, take from this little novella what you will. But I like the Lectron. Thanks to Vinduro-san for the heads up on the carb. Thanks to Kelly-san for being the guinea pig running the carb on his bike for comparison. Thanks to Wallybean-san for giving it a good review. I'm sure the APT is as good as the Lectron. Maybe even in some ways better. But for $315 from Motosportz, arriving on my doorstep in 4 days, with an easy install and immediate performance and no rejetting... Lectron wins in my book.
Thanks for the awesome report edmoto. This just arrived the other day too -22 deg. tonight, no heat in my garage either, so I'll hold off on the install, but not for long.
Ya it's cold.. dammit.. but my garage is about -5 deg. in side. -5 deg. Celsius.. 22 deg. Fahrenheit.
Buy a little space heater,they work great,just remember to turn them off when you go for the big test ride,great report on the Electron.
Sounds good - does it feel any faster or stronger in any particular range? BTW its about 85 degrees here and Ive been at the beach
Yer killin me! I am amazed at your weather down there this season. With all those grass fires, too? I think for now I'll stay a chilly hillbilly! The power was seamless from bottom to top. Whereas the stock Mikuni had steps, or little surges as it transitioned from circuit to circuit in the carb, the Lectron is just a constant power surge. In all my wisdom, I think the Mikuni needed a different shaped slide, a different needle (I tried the Suzuki RM needle mentioned on this site), and a intake divider (like the powernow thingy). The Lectron in comparison just starts pulling from the get go. It reminds me of a scooter with a CVT tranny. Twist and go. And I feel the powervalve opening now much more distinctly than I did before. I suspect if I was really into the classic "125 light-switch powerband" I could tune for that with different PV springs and adjustments. But I bought the CR125 to have the zippier ignition, slightly lighter bike, and to use it as a trail bike. Plus it was on sale and available when I was shopping for a Husky 125 way back when I didn't have much room to wind the bike out all the way to 6th gear and keep it singing at top speed. But if there is any bit of the power range that seems stronger than before, maybe on top? I've read that the Lectron started out life as a drag race carb, so maybe it likes the wide open throttle openings more than say the APT. That little bit of extra power is a more like a whoooshh than a brr--AAP! (go ahead, make those sounds with your mouth. Its only when you start talking to yourself that I'd worry). But again, I think that is just me feeling the PV opening because the metering the fuel/air is so seemless now. After fooling around with the jetting for a year with the Mikuni, I think I became hyper sensitive to all the gargles, burps, farts, spooge and blubbering of that carb. All those sounds and behaviors are things I should worry about my body making as an old man in the old folks home. Not on the bike.
Awesome and exactly what I felt and what everyone is reporting. Kevin and crew did a fantastic job on the newer rods and these carbs are fantastic. Everyone explains it as electric or jet like, continuous, glitch free pulling power. Thanks man. I have done so much research in the last 3-4 weeks and spoke to Kevin a million times I am glad all my efforts are providing insight to these carbs and fantastic running they offer our bikes. I also am offering these at a discount at $315 shipped (about $25 off overall cost) because I really want to get these out there. More so now that everyone else feels the same way I do about them. BTW you will love it more and more as you ride with it and experience all the great things like throttle response, glitch free metering, more power, WAY more top end, better MPG, and pretty much never having to deal with jetting again. The worst that can happen is you might have to turn the metering rod a 1/4 turn at some point. Brilliant.
IMHO it makes more power everywhere, way more lugging power (pulling a gear high and big throttle openings), more throttle response, WAY more top end (seems endless).
2 years ago when I bought my 300 I found the stock gearing slightly to high for some of the steep single track slow climbing hills so I changed the rear sprocket from a 48 to a 50 tooth (just the nature of our riding) This proved to be good and bad, it was good for lugging up those rooty, snotty hills but lost a lot on top when we hit the forestry roads. I suspect I will be able to go back to the 48 and still lug. I'm also plated so you can imagine. Whats your thoughts on this Kelly and crew? Man I can't wait to dial in my 3honey even more , HURRY UP SPRING! Cheers
If its If its any consolation it has been a bit too hot to ride - yeh weve had a hot dry summer The Lectron looks and sounds great - it looks a bit like the old flat side TMX too which is good. I think there will be a good market for them and Ive brought them to the attention of a few guys down here. I want one too but need to lay off the spending for a while - I like the sound of the metered adjustment. With the power curve its interesting about the delivery - After installing a CR ignition on my WR 144 08 on saturday I was testing my Mikuni back to back with a PWK 36mm . I thought that I could ditch the 36mm PWK with the CR igniition as I thought the top end is slightly better on the Mikuni. The mikuni seemed to work really well and better than the WR did with the Keihin but when I swapped back to the PWK (and fixed a float height issue that seemed to have happened buy itself) I noticed a definite hit/surge in the power band in the mid range. So I will be keeping the Keihin on for a while.
How does this carburetor compare dimension wise to a PWK A/S? I'm wondering if it's any harder or easier to squeeze it between the carb boots.
No because I wanted to have the option of returning to the Mikuni. It fits fine without cutting the boot, it's just kinda snug.
I haven't trimmed mine either just in case I had to put the mikuni back on.Once I get a good ride to prove the lectron, I will trim mine as it is very close to the shock spring. Did you have to lean out the metering rod from the delivered setting? Mine ran better when I leaned it out a bit.
Nope. No changes at all. Out of the box and bolted on. It did ping just a little under load but my gas was a couple of months old and I think I might mix some race gas the next time. My race today was pretty close to sea level.
I am keeping mine and wouldn't cut it so when you get a new Husky you can put the Lectron on the new bike
