How does the new keihin carb perform? I LOVE the dellorto on my '99 fe400. It does everything well,. Its incredibly responsive. It is virtually immune to changes in altitude. It is remakably efficient. And, it doesnt flood on the few occasions I have laid my bike over! What more could anyone ask from a carb? Therefore, why in the hell did husaberg put that keihin carb on thier bikes? Is it as good as the dellorto? is it better? who has tried both? How do they compare? If the keihin sucks, and im thinkin it does, can i swap a dellorto onto a new berg?
dellorto vs keihin carbs...
- Thread starter burgermiester
- Start date
Hi burgermiester,
I read your last statements. Nice to hear about your experiences with the Berg.
I have already tested both carbs on the same engine. My FE 501 ´02 has got the Dellorto as standard. Now I have got the Keihin carb for 5 weeks, and the engine runs really good. The power is smoother, you have a better control. It is the way it releases its power. A very nice torque curve I would say. On the MX track, you can hold your front wheel better over ****s. And you can move the throttle much more slightly.
I haven´t bought this carb yet, because I´m in a testing phase and I don´t know if this carb is really worth to pay that much money. So I have to reequip my bike with the Dellorto to see which performance the Keihin really has.
I´m also not sure if you would feel the same difference on your 400ccm engine between both carbs. So it would be better if you also could test a Keihin before buying it. So you can´t be disappointed.
Two years ago, I got a 2000 Fe 400 engine and equipped it with a Dellorto VHSB 38 flat carb. It really runned very quick to high rpm´s. It was great, beasty, totally different to the PHM 38. But it was´n t the best performance in mid revs. It was not that smooth like a Keihin. So it may be that a Keihin FCR unites both characteristics.
Greetings
hribman
I read your last statements. Nice to hear about your experiences with the Berg.
I have already tested both carbs on the same engine. My FE 501 ´02 has got the Dellorto as standard. Now I have got the Keihin carb for 5 weeks, and the engine runs really good. The power is smoother, you have a better control. It is the way it releases its power. A very nice torque curve I would say. On the MX track, you can hold your front wheel better over ****s. And you can move the throttle much more slightly.
I haven´t bought this carb yet, because I´m in a testing phase and I don´t know if this carb is really worth to pay that much money. So I have to reequip my bike with the Dellorto to see which performance the Keihin really has.
I´m also not sure if you would feel the same difference on your 400ccm engine between both carbs. So it would be better if you also could test a Keihin before buying it. So you can´t be disappointed.
Two years ago, I got a 2000 Fe 400 engine and equipped it with a Dellorto VHSB 38 flat carb. It really runned very quick to high rpm´s. It was great, beasty, totally different to the PHM 38. But it was´n t the best performance in mid revs. It was not that smooth like a Keihin. So it may be that a Keihin FCR unites both characteristics.
Greetings
hribman
Joined Dec 2003
587 Posts | 2+
Where ever we park the motorhome, USA
I must agree with burgermiester. My 2003 FE501e runs flawlessly. I haven't needed to change the jetting when I go up 5000 from where I live. From 500 feet A.S.L. to 5500 A.S.L. It starts and runs the same. So far, from 50 degrees to 110 degrees, the engine runs the same. If there is a performance advantage to the Keihin, I doubt it would be worth the cost for me. I am very happy with my power band and the bike flat out rips as is.
It aint broke, why fix it?
It aint broke, why fix it?
Joined Jul 2001
3K Posts | 1+
El Sobrante, Ca. 94803
Hi Burgermiester,
This thread may help:
http://www.husaberg.org/modules.php?nam ... sc&start=0
Kind Regards,
Dale
This thread may help:
http://www.husaberg.org/modules.php?nam ... sc&start=0
Kind Regards,
Dale
I wanted to further detail the dellortos amazing resistance to altitude changes... I live at 7000 feet. I ride daily from between 5500 to 9000 feet. The bike runs consistantly from 5500 to 9000. And once a month, I go to vegas, and ride in the vicinity of Lake Mead, which is at 1500 feet. Despite the drastic change in altitude, the bike does not lean out. Plug readings, using leaded race gas, confirm this. My experience with keihins is that they are EXTREMELY sensitive to altitude changes. So, even if there may be some performance advantage to the keihin, the excellent altitude characteristics of the dellorto vastly outweigh any such advantage.
burgermiester said:
I'm glad somebody finally found a benefit for the Dellorto. When I get around to selling mine I'll have to remember to advertise in the high country. :lol:
Splat said:
No splat, although I certainly had thought i did. The bike wasnt lean at all, if only it had been! Upon engine disassembly, it was determine the bike was running a tad rich. What happened was, one of the exhuast valves broke, and fell into the cylinder. I posted this as an update to my "holed the piston in my berg" post. I also have some grotesque photos of the catastrophic damage, but I cant get the file size small enough to post them. I will gladly email the pics to those who have the desire to see the ****! Lastly, the shop that worked on my bike previous to my buying it is taking care of the damages. If ya want to read about a great shop, check out my update to the "holed my piston" post...
Joined Nov 2001
17K Posts | 774+
Ely, England
so when do we trust your knowledge with our bikes burgurmeister?
your bike would only have run lean down in las vegas but it sounds like it was rich or bloody rich which is what anyone can do to their bike.
you would have been better posing the question "how come my incredible spark plug can cope with rich and lean, low and high altitude?".
i used to say this on TT and i've said it here till i was blue in the face "you can't get a plug reading off aviation fuel", race gas i think is the same.
you have to look about 4" down your tailpipe, you have to chop the engine, you can also check the piston crown but don't go by the plug.
as a devotee of jetting i can tell you all that i go by is feel and by the tailpipe only. i never pull the plug out. so your comment about the fuel tells me that you didn't know this. please don't go by your plug.
when i first joined TT in March 2000 there were only 400 members, the WR/YZ were the first model the site covered. the standard jet that an owner had recommended was a #180MJ. nobody disagreed with that until i came along and weaned everyone i could down to 152-158MJ. i finished with the bike and feel that at anything above sea level the jetting could have gone a lot lower.
i did some work with the DR boys and they all lived in carolina at 10,000ft. they got their MJ's down to something like 138!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
what a difference!
your bikes ability to cope is as much governed by the plug as a balanced jetting circuit. keihin have a well thought out jetting system and it's the way to go. the dell orto is an old carb but there is lots of knowledge about on it. there is no structure to their jetting or needle codes and having used dell orto on my own roadracer for 11 of the 14 years i don't need to be told how good they are.
Taffy
your bike would only have run lean down in las vegas but it sounds like it was rich or bloody rich which is what anyone can do to their bike.
you would have been better posing the question "how come my incredible spark plug can cope with rich and lean, low and high altitude?".
i used to say this on TT and i've said it here till i was blue in the face "you can't get a plug reading off aviation fuel", race gas i think is the same.
you have to look about 4" down your tailpipe, you have to chop the engine, you can also check the piston crown but don't go by the plug.
as a devotee of jetting i can tell you all that i go by is feel and by the tailpipe only. i never pull the plug out. so your comment about the fuel tells me that you didn't know this. please don't go by your plug.
when i first joined TT in March 2000 there were only 400 members, the WR/YZ were the first model the site covered. the standard jet that an owner had recommended was a #180MJ. nobody disagreed with that until i came along and weaned everyone i could down to 152-158MJ. i finished with the bike and feel that at anything above sea level the jetting could have gone a lot lower.
i did some work with the DR boys and they all lived in carolina at 10,000ft. they got their MJ's down to something like 138!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
what a difference!
your bikes ability to cope is as much governed by the plug as a balanced jetting circuit. keihin have a well thought out jetting system and it's the way to go. the dell orto is an old carb but there is lots of knowledge about on it. there is no structure to their jetting or needle codes and having used dell orto on my own roadracer for 11 of the 14 years i don't need to be told how good they are.
Taffy
Taffy said:
Trust your bikes with my knowledge? Okay, fair enough. Read on, and determine that for yourself. I was expressing my admiration for what seems to be an incredible carburetor. My engine was recently torn down, piston crown inspected, (the motor dropped a valve while riding at 1500 feet elevation, it did NOT hole the piston as I had thought).The determination of the jetting was that it was well within the normal range, being ever so slightly rich. That was a surprise, I assure you. The same amount of tad rich as it was at 7000 feet. Sounds incredible? Of course it is..why do you think I took the time to share this unusual experience in the first place? Yes, I said unusual. My bike does not run "bloody rich" here in Ely (7000 feet). In fact, its the most crisp and responsive 4 stroke I have ever had the pleasure of riding. Certainly NOT sign of being 'bloody rich". Additionally, it did not run lean at 1500 feet. I thought it would. Hell I was sure it would. When it lost all compression suddenly, I was SURE it had. But it had not been lean. Spark plug readings were apparently an accurate measure of this seeing as how the piston crown deposits confirmed this. Despite your years of racing experience and countless posts on the forum, this simple fact remains: The dellorto carb on my 1999 fe400 meters fuel accurately with no detectable difference in mixture ratio, from above 9000 feet to as low as 1500 feet. By the way, UNLEADED fuels can not be used to determine proper mixture by spark plug readings. Thats why I mentioned leaded racing fuel, so some one who was ignorant would not try to determine mixture ratio with unleaded fuel. And RACE GAS is NOT the same as AVGAS. Avgas so full of detergents, it cleans the deposits off the plugs, making it IMPOSSIBLE to get an accurate plug reading. ONLY LEADED RACING FUELS CAN BE USED TO DETERMINE PROPER SPARK PLUG READINGS TO INDICATE MIXTURE. I suspect leaded fuels may not be available in your part of the world. If they are not, then I can understand your ignorance on the subject. For the record, I run VP c12 leaded race gas. Let me also state that I am not totally inexperienced with motorcycles and thier jetting requirments. Every single motorcycle I have brought from sea level to this mountain elevation (and back again)has required SUBSTANTIAL rejetting. These same bikes have had either mikuni or keihin carbs. What is amazing to me, and the entire purpose of the post, was to relate the experience I have had with the dellorto. It has an incredible capability to adjust itself to altitude changes. None of my keihin or mikuni -equipped bikes has ever done so. I am very impressed with the dellorto. I realise it doesnt have the organized progression of jets, needles, etc. as the keihin, but my whole point was, it doesnt need them.
O'ya..... well I like my Dellorto! 
It cracks when asked and has been flawless since I started riding a year ago. Stock 200MJ. Ride at 1500ft altitude up to 6500ft without any jetting changes and it never so much as hickups. Starts second kick everytime now that I have got the knack of the drill. Someone once mentioned that it was as technical as an anvil, and I would have to say thats an understatement. Im very impressed with the performance and simplicity of the design. Have not riden an FCR equiped bike but cannot think why I would convert as mine runs fantastic as is. Just my $.02
Regards,
Sandskipper
It cracks when asked and has been flawless since I started riding a year ago. Stock 200MJ. Ride at 1500ft altitude up to 6500ft without any jetting changes and it never so much as hickups. Starts second kick everytime now that I have got the knack of the drill. Someone once mentioned that it was as technical as an anvil, and I would have to say thats an understatement. Im very impressed with the performance and simplicity of the design. Have not riden an FCR equiped bike but cannot think why I would convert as mine runs fantastic as is. Just my $.02Regards,
Sandskipper
Settle...........Settle.
I have no doubt your love of the Dellorto is well founded Burgermiester.
Seriously, no offence.
Speaking as someone that has experienced both carbs on the same bike, personally I vastly prefer the performance of the Keihin.
With the benefit of a lot of people on this site I have played around with jetting on both carbs and I think I have got close to the best performance I can in each case.
I don't think anyone would disagree that the Keihin is sensitive to altitude but I also believe that those that have tried both carbs would agree that the performance of the Keihin for trail/enduro, etc within a reasonable altitude range is greatly superior.
I have no doubt your love of the Dellorto is well founded Burgermiester.
Seriously, no offence.
Speaking as someone that has experienced both carbs on the same bike, personally I vastly prefer the performance of the Keihin.
With the benefit of a lot of people on this site I have played around with jetting on both carbs and I think I have got close to the best performance I can in each case.
I don't think anyone would disagree that the Keihin is sensitive to altitude but I also believe that those that have tried both carbs would agree that the performance of the Keihin for trail/enduro, etc within a reasonable altitude range is greatly superior.
Sorry for the tardy response as I have not kept up to date with the Husaberg forum. I have had some experience with both the Dellorto and Keihin carbs. IMO the Keihin is far superior and no more altitude sensitive than the Dellorto. With my Dellorto equipped FE600E, it seemed like it took me years to jet it correctly. With my Keihin equipped KTM 525 EXC, jetting success was much less time consuming and simpler to accomplish. It almost seems like there is more latitude in the jetting requirements for the Keihin carb. Other than adjusting the fuel screw, I rarely need to alter jetting for different altitudes. I ride from 3000 to 10000+ feet with the same jetting. Advantages of the Keihin carb include: faster and more progressive response, more consistent idle, and absolutely no hiccups or hesitations at any rpm or altitude.
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