The RickyD Lectron Experience

[AZRickD]

NoSiree. I bolted the Lectron as I recieved it straight from the box.

[AZRickD]

The standard Lectron 3-1 metering rod arrived a few days ago.

I screwed it in with the brass Lectron Metering Rod tool and spun it to Mr. Lectron's recommended starting point of 50.80mm. If only my Harbor Freight digital caliper was that accurate.

It started first kick. I warmed it up and out I went. This was better than the MS rod but I suspected that I needed to richen it up a jet or two. It wasn't lofting the tire off-idle and it had that staccato-too-lean idle sound and some decel pa-pa-pa-pa that annoys me greatly.

I took it in the garage and removed the carb top. With great gusto, I threw caution to the wind and screwed in the rod a half turn. No 1/4 turn stuff for me just yet. I reset the flat side of the rod to point motorward. This took me to 50.42mm.

Mo-betta. Stronger. Front wheel up. Staccato idle gone. Decel pa-pa-pa-pa mostly gone.

I went in for anothe 1/4 turn which brought it down to 50.12mm.

This was still good. Perhaps a tad rich for some of you racers, but I think I'll let it go there for now. I'll go get some new plugs for a plug chop.

If only I could get my Rekluse running seemlessly. It's okay, but not quite where I want it.

[Jakobi]

50.25 was the magic spot I hit with the Lectron 3-1 MR using Aussie fuels, mid 20C-30C and humidity of all ranges. 300M. Sounds like you're close.. I think I ran the stock Power Jet at 0.75-1.00 turn from seated.

[AZRickD]

I'm going to hammer it tomorrow morning as it sits. I might try a 1/4 turn leaner again. I didn't touch the PowerJet as the bike didn't sputter at high RPM and continued to pull. It felt like I could enrichen it a tad, tho.

[troffer88]

looks like 50.5mm on my bike

[AZRickD]

I did a mix of twisty-flowy single track with some climbs mixed in. I purposely rode a gear high at times to bring out mixture flaws.

Mid range is there, assuredly. No complaints on top, but there might be room to enrichen the Power Jet (not critical).

There is no hesitaion on bottom, but I think there could be some improvement. No sign off burble, so my guess is a 1/4 turn out to enrichen the smaller throttle openings is worth a try.

[AZRickD]

Saturday was my chance to test the Lectron at altitude.

The day before I had been tweaking the metering rod. I had done a plug chop (I haven't yet cut into it to look at the base of the insulator) which showed the apex of the insulator to be snow white.

So, I cranked the MR a full 1/2 turn richer. More power, but still white as a sheet on the plug. I took the test plug out and put in the old plug. Eventually I went another 1/4 and another 1/4 richer. The MR measured about 50mm (my Harbor Freight caliper wasn't exactly sure).

With no horribleness off-idle, I amused myself with adjusting the PowerJet which I felt was a bit lean. I tweaked it a 1/4 turn richer because another 1/4 turn caused it to burble at high throttle position unless the bike was *very* warm.

I put in the once-chopped plug in again and did a pair of 500-yard runs. It's still white on top. I'll have to cut the threads to look deeper.

With both setting being richer than I had had them before (with the PowerJet right on the edge) I felt this would be a good test for the Lectron up in Flagstaff near the "Airport Loop." This location ten miles south of the "Peaks" loop which would normally take me up to about 9,000 feet or so. I'll save that test for later.

Most have said that once set, the Lectron wouldn't need adjustment. I had my doubts based on what I thought the MR and the P-Jet were doing. My prediction was that this elevation test would see the metering rod would being okay while the PowerJet would be too rich.

I fired the bike up first kick and let it warm up. It needed a longer warm up period at altitude (no choke needed just a few seconds after the start). I did some runs up the forest service road and it was burbling on top. I let it warm up some more and started on our trail ride without adjusting anything.

As I moved the throttle, I could discern that the burble was hitting just about half throttle. I got off the bike and moved the PowerJet screw 1/4 lean. It made an improvement but the burble was still there. I stopped and did another 1/4 turn. Better, but not perfect. Another 1/4 turn had the burble almost gone unless I had been doing some low-speed sections and then opened it up. Once nice and toasty, the burble was almost gone. I did another 1/4 turn and after that, all was too my liking.

I got the bike back to Phoenix at about 1,200 feet and turned the PJet screw 1-full turn richer and fired the bike up. After warm-up, I did some speed runs. The bike burbled slightly. I did a 1/4 turn leaner and the burble was gone. So, there was a difference of 1/4 turn from one day to the next (unless I mis-counted).

[AZRickD]

I got around to doing a plug chop -- but not before I enrichened the metering rod another quarter turn. The MR is down to 49.69mm. I didn't touch the Power Jet from last week's tweaking.

I warmed it up with the original old plug (pictured below) which has 34 hours on it. It's a nice carmel brown with the last ten or more hours running with the Lectron in various stages of leaner-than-I-wanted-it.

I removed the old plug and put in the newbie. I ran four 500-yard sprints (down and back and down and back), then cut the throttle and pushed it into my garage. Yeah, I know. Longer than the proscribed method.

Notice the gray band on the insulator. Thick part is about 1mm, with an additional one-third-mm on either side.

[AZRickD]

Another race in the books. This was a twisty, rocky, torture chamber that had everyone complaining about the inadequacy of their suspensions -- I need to add some more rebound damping in those 48mm Zokes.

The Lectron, on the other hand, performed flawlessly. I left the PowerJet setting the same as the last race (5,500 feet last time, down to 3,600 feet this time with 20F warmer temps). Jetted a little fat on top for long sand washes such that I had to keep it on the pipe to keep it from minimalist burbling. There were no fast sections on this course so it was for naught. I probably should've screwed it in a 1/4 turn leaner, but I wanted to see how it behaved.

Kevin at Lectron sent me a replacement bowl and gasket as it is weeping some. It arrived the day I left for the race so I didn't install it. I'm also getting some just collecting from the reed boot. As well, I think I'm going to buy some longer vent tubes since they dribble (I've never seen the Lectron actually dribble) on the cases.

One more note - I took a bit of a slider in some doll head rocks and bent my shifter. It was tight against the case so I had to coax the shifter back to re-set to shift again. I was pretty-much relegated to 1st and 2nd most of the race with occasional balky shifts into 3rd. So, this is the second race without a full gear box (scorpion mechanism stuck in the retracted position last time leaving me in 3rd gear to climb dunes).

I think I'll heat it up and bend it out some.

Edit To Add: Tightening the Power Valve slack made a significant difference off the bottom.

[desertgasser300]

Bob Todd gave me a message to deliver to you......go faster! That is all!