needle comparison needed and spark plug wrench

[lindsey97]

hello all, just aquired a 2004 gasgas ec300. going over the bike, fixing little things, greasing everything, and have been playing with the jetting. my elevation is 850ft. and the temp is 40-72f right now. i am using yamalube mixed 32:1 with 91 octane premium.
weather is warm one day and cold the next so that hasnt helped with the jetting.

rode the bike at 50deg. f with a 40 pilot, n1ef clip 1, 172 main. have a #7 slide. was not impressed.

next i tried my JD jet kit, ran blue needle clip 3, 178 main. this combo ran pretty good at 45-50deg. f, i then lowered the clip to position 2 and the bike ran well, but was still a fuzz rich at idle.

using my laser thermometer, the bike is running 130-145 deg. f. on top of the cylinder head. the next day a buddy rode the bike and fouled a plug. it was 72f here on 1-27-13, and im guessing that's what got the plug. my buddy isnt slow either.

so on 1-28-13 i tried a 38 pilot, CEK needle clip 3, 178 main. at 72f i tried this combo out riding in the dark with a flashlight in my mouth. ran really well, bike idles better, running about 140f on the head. hard to do a wide open plug chop, but ran pretty snappy on bottom and pulls the front wheel up quick now. thinking of doing a run in the daylight, reading the plug, and determining if i can drop to a 175 main.

i also ordered a N3CJ needle to try but am still waiting for the mail.

my questions are:

1)what is the best plug wrench i can carry in a daypack to fit the gasgas properly around the water pipe near the plug?

2)would like to see a comparison of the following needles from rich to lean:
JDblue, JDred, CEK, CEL, N3EW, and NEDW.

3) my jet nozzle in my carb could be worn, this bike was bought used, who say this is the original carb, how many hours who knows, might just buy a apt carb later or send it to RB designs with my head later?

just wanting a little more prospective on how these needles compare to each other and also looking to see what needles would fall in between the JD red and blue. would like to try and leave my pilot and main the same, and just pick 2 needles to use; 1 for summer and 1 for winter. dont know if this possible.

my overall impression of the gasgas ec300 is that it is an awesome bike. i currently own a 05 yamaha wr250f, 02 rm 125, 97 banshee, and 09 trx450er. i raced xc on atvs for quite a few years, but didnt own a dirt bike until 2009. the wr250f taught me alot. i am really enjoying the gasgas, i want to buy a new ktm 300xc-w, but am waiting to pay some things off.

so buying the gasgas for $1700 cash was a good thing for me, and i am handy at refurbishing bikes. enjoy building them up as much as riding them. the gasgas steers and handles like my suzuki, and steer better than the wr250f. handles great, has alot more torque than the rm125( i weigh 200lbs.) dont know why i like the steering/handling of the gasgas better than the wr250f but i do. the ec300 transmission is perfect, i can crawl or fly, the ratios are perfect. and i am sick of four strokes.

thanks for reading my post and i look foward to hearing from you guys!

[Jakobi]

The best spark plug wrench is the one that came with the bike I haven't found an after market with clearance yet that works without taking the tank off. In saying that it would be easy enough to fab one out out of a generic hex tube one, trimmed with a handle tack welded on.

The needles. I don't have time to go into depth, but most people with the older 38mm AS1 carb will say that the richer needle diameters are the money. The N3CJ will probably be too lean for your bike unless if the nozzle is well worn. Then it could be right. The same applies for the NEDx needles. Probably too lean on the first taper.

Regrding the comparison its hard to do because you have requested a comparison of both straight taper needles, dual taper needles, and triple tapers. Then mix up the straight lengths and diameters and it makes it very hard to describe. Some will be richer in one place and leaner in another. If you can get your hands on a JD Jetting spreadsheet its probably the easiest way to get a rough idea of what falls where. Then you use seat of the pants to gauge where the JD needles fall in the grand scheme of things.

[Jakobi]

PS. Reading older posts it appears the N3EG/N3EH were the money for a nice angry setup on the older model gassers. The CCK, CEL, DDK, DEK needles seemed popular too. I've had no experience jetting one so can't provide any first hand experience.

[lindsey97]

so i just need to spend the $20 on JD software kit? i appreciate your advice and i realized the needles were all different types of taper.

i figured the spark plug wrench was a gasgas one, could someone post a picture of one? i bought the bike used so im learning. i will make one if nessacery, just hoping to find a cheap sheetmetal on on ebay.

jakobi i have been reading your posts on this forum for the past two weeks and i appreciate your hard work.

[pscook]

Spark plug wrench, this is it, hands down. Worth the entry fee.
http://www.motionpro.com/motorcycle/partno/08-0318/

I like the JD Blue in my 2002 XC300, but I'm just a simple fella with uncomplicated needs. Simple, just like me. I might bump up the pilot to a 42 just to try it out, maybe that's a good project for tomorrow. I always need something to keep me busy. Might as well be the bike.

Good luck, as I know how great these things are compared to a Yamaha, for example. I had a YZ426 that was completely set up for me, and I am much more comfortable on the gasser. Solid, easy to adjust, and easy to maintain. Plus it's wicked fast and loud, so that means it's cool, I guess.

[Jakobi]

Originally Posted by lindsey97

so i just need to spend the $20 on JD software kit? i appreciate your advice and i realized the needles were all different types of taper.

i figured the spark plug wrench was a gasgas one, could someone post a picture of one? i bought the bike used so im learning. i will make one if nessacery, just hoping to find a cheap sheetmetal on on ebay.

jakobi i have been reading your posts on this forum for the past two weeks and i appreciate your hard work.

Cheers mate.

The JD spreadsheet isn't the be all and end all. It hasn't got every single needle listed in it either. But if you're looking at a way to visually see the differences between different needles or clip positions its very good for that. Alternatively you can pull out your vernier calipers and start taking measurements yourself and plot the data to see how the needles compare.

When researching needle codes - the sudco 3 letter needles use a different code to the OEM 4 letter needles. The sizing/letters do not cross over from one coding to the next. Theres heaps of reading on the matter and you've probably touched on some already.

[bowhunter007]

Originally Posted by lindsey97

1)what is the best plug wrench i can carry in a daypack to fit the gasgas properly around the water pipe near the plug?

I carry this: inexpensive, works very well. I usually have a spare on me to give away, in event another rider is struggling with an adjustable wrench, out in the middle of nowhere. They've fit every bike I've used one on.



http://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/p/...er-cooled-head

[Jakobi]

Originally Posted by bowhunter007

I carry this: inexpensive, works very well. I usually have a spare on me to give away, in event another rider is struggling with an adjustable wrench, out in the middle of nowhere. They've fit every bike I've used one on.



http://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/p/...er-cooled-head

Funny you say that cause its the exact same one I bought when I thought I had lost my stock one. From the picture I figured it would have clearance for the water inlet but no cigar. Maybe it was just the way I tried. I didn't try hard or nuffink. Found the stock one again too! Misplaced in a ziplock bag with my rear indicator wiring harness. Haha!

[ditezz]

http://www.mainjet.com.au/index.php?...bc2af2889f8d23

this will do the spark plug , front wheel & rear wheel

[lindsey97]

bowhunter: i just bought one of those plug wrenches on ebay. if it doesnt fit then i will grind it to fit.

jakobi, i sent my head and carb to RB Designs. hopefully my squish was high and it was effecting my jetting. i feel i was very close on jetting with the 38 pilot, CEK needle, and 180 main. cant wait to get my parts back. if the temperature would not change 30 deg. F daily on the highs, then that might help too.