edmoto
Husqvarna
AA Class
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.
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.
-22 deg. tonight, no heat in my garage either, so I'll hold off on the install, but not for long.
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.
, HURRY UP SPRING!
