[JAD]

Update... (2007 EC250)

Firstly thanks to all for the useful and relevant advice, it is much appreciated.

My new needle arrived today and I now have the following set up...

178/40 (nearest I could get locally) N3EH (clip in the middle) - note: NEDJ is on order as well. (thanks Gasser Nate)

Yabadabadoo... unbounded joy! How can this bike have been ridden since 2007 with the original needle in it? It is transformed...truly transformed beyond all belief! I am delighted and amazed.

Firstly...it now has a steady tickover (hurray!) with (I think...) 1.4 turns out and the idle screw is not "spring bound" anymore. It is screwed in most of the way so maybe I need to try the bigger idle jet when my new ones arrive?
The revs hang slightly but after a few seconds things slow down to "sewing machine" territory.

The engine sounds as sweet as a nut and revs cleanly..SO much better than before.

I had a quick ride down the farm track (the bike is not road legal yet) and it rips... this thing will catch pigeons!!!

Everything is relative and, to me, it is perfect but no doubt I will need to do some fine tuning. The bike is also quite mellow and manageable at small throttle openings and responds well to throttle input without any snatchiness or drama but when you open it up it hits warp speed as quick as you can open the throttle. Love it..

I also fitted a new throttle slide because the old one looked a bit worn and some new gaskets from a service kit I bought from Ebay.

I have a few more cosmetic jobs to do but I think this bike will be a bucketful of fun.

PS.. Whilst waiting for the needle to arrive I decided to try and cure the annoying rattles the bike has. I replaced the power valve bearings and inserted a shim to reduce end float... wow.. that annoying rattle on the over run has disappeared. It still had a metallic vibration noise which I eventually identified was due to the exhaust touching the engine. Two new rubber mounts and careful positioning has stopped that annoying rattle as well.

Overall, I am very, very pleased and wish to offer my thanks to all for the wealth of information and guidance available here...

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