[JaRo]

I have read on the old board several times recommending a carb kit for the TW. I tried getting one today from a local Yamaha dealer and was told that Yamaha does not have a "kit", just the parts individually. Is there another source for carb kits other than Yamaha?



I don't know enough about what I am doing to know what parts should be replaced periodically and which parts should last the life of the bike. I went ahead and ordered the float bowl gasket (it's leaking) but would like to do it right, if I only knew what "right" was. What other parts should I need?



It's a 95 TW200 with a TK carb and 24 stamped in the throat of the carb. I cleaned it good reading lots of advice from the old board but the float bowl didn't seal when I put it back together.



Thanks for any advice.

James

 

[treybrad]

I have read on the old board several times recommending a carb kit for the TW. I tried getting one today from a local Yamaha dealer and was told that Yamaha does not have a "kit", just the parts individually. Is there another source for carb kits other than Yamaha?



I don't know enough about what I am doing to know what parts should be replaced periodically and which parts should last the life of the bike. I went ahead and ordered the float bowl gasket (it's leaking) but would like to do it right, if I only knew what "right" was. What other parts should I need?



It's a 95 TW200 with a TK carb and 24 stamped in the throat of the carb. I cleaned it good reading lots of advice from the old board but the float bowl didn't seal when I put it back together.



Thanks for any advice.

James

There is/was the 'Keyster' kit on eBay:



http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/YAMAHA-TW200-TW-200-TRAILWAY-KEYSTER-CARB-KIT-87-2000-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem5888aa6702QQitemZ380249990914QQptZMotorcyclesQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories#ht_1694wt_874



But from what I read, only about 1/2 of it was usable. Maybe try searching the old board for users first hand experiences using it, I never tried it since I read quite a few negative reviews.



Parts like the gaskets and other misc wear parts I'd do what you did and just order them from an OEM retailer like Boats.net or your local dealer.



If you're trying to tune the carb, I just tried to reconcile some of the threads from the old board, but all the links don't seem to work yet...



http://tw200forum.com/index.php?/topic/157-1987-2000-model-carb-tuning/page__pid__993#entry993



Good luck,



trey

 

[JaRo]

There is/was the 'Keyster' kit on eBay:



http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/YAMAHA-TW200-TW-200-TRAILWAY-KEYSTER-CARB-KIT-87-2000-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem5888aa6702QQitemZ380249990914QQptZMotorcyclesQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories#ht_1694wt_874



But from what I read, only about 1/2 of it was usable. Maybe try searching the old board for users first hand experiences using it,

Thanks Trey,



I haven't had any luck at searching the old board yet but I did find one post (using google) about the Keyster kit saying the same thing you did. I'm not looking to change jets or re-tune my carb, just replace the seals and any other parts that tend to deteriorate with age. Either it was running fine last summer or I don't have enough experience with motorcycles to know the difference.

Thanks for the links, A lot of that information I did not find on my own.



James

 

[elime]

Let me restate what others have said: Don't buy that carb kit of ebay. It is a POS!



I made the mistake of getting it and the only thing that turned out good was the gasket for the float bowl.



The parts in the kit are very different than the original parts. I figured it was a package deal and that if I installed all the parts it would work. I was wrong. I used every part in the kit and the TW barely ran. The only parts in the kit I ended up using were the bowl gasket, and the float needle and seat and even the needle and seat started leaking in a very short time, like about 2 weeks. It is a complete waste of money!



Changing the subject a little, one thing to replace is the main jet. Over time the hole gets larger either through corrosion or erosion and the engine slowly runs richer leading to problems. When I took the carb apart I would look at the old jet I had and it looked fine so I reused it but the problems continued. Finally in desperation and having run out of other things to do I replaced it and the motorcycle ran perfectly!



Good luck! Nothing really difficult once you have done it a couple of times.

 

[qwerty]

There is no carb kit for either TW carb. I find the notion that a "carb kit" will cure every tuning problem laughable. The shop manual gives adequate instructions on overhauling your carb. If you want to tune your carb for the best possible performance for your bike and for the conditions in which you ride there are plenty of how-to sites and videos explaining the theory of carb tuning. It isn't rocket science. In fact, it is really easy once you set your mind to learning abouit tuning.



Fact is, carb tune isn't really that critical unless you are in very competitive racing. The state of tune will change constantly with changes in atmosphere, engine temperature, chemical composition of fuel, altitude, load, ..., ad nauseum. Best one can hope for on a street bike is to get pretty close most of the time.



Tuning a carb is a simple step-by-step process:



1. Insure the bike is tuned and the carb is in good repair;

2. High speed jet first. Make a high speed run down the highway. Pull in the clutch and hit the kill switch. Allow the engine to cool. Pull the plug and compare the color to one of the zillion plug charts posted on the internet. If plug cooler indicates, change the main jet.

3. Tune mid range second. Ride the bike under midrange throttle conditions. Does the bike surge and a steady cruise anywhere between 30 and 45 mph? Raise the needle. Does the engine bog when the throttle is snapped open from a steady cruise between 30 and 45 mph? Lower the needle. Does the engine die when the throttle is snapped open from a steady cruise between 30 and 45 mph? Raise the needle.

4. Tune low speed last. Does the engine bog when the throttle is snapped open from idle? Screw the pilot screw in. Does the engine die when the throttle is snapped open from idle? Screw the pilot screw out. Does the engine surge while held at a steady slow speed just off idle? Screw the pilot screw out. Is the bike difficult to start and slow to warm? Screw the pilot screw out.



For best power and efficiency, tune a little lean. For cooler running and longer engine life, tune not quite so lean.



It's not rocket science, just a simple step-by-step process. High speed/mid range/low speed, in that order. If you have a 49-state bike you can make a noticable difference in throttle response and power throughout the rpm range with a proper carb tune.

 

[JaRo]

I finally got it going.



First I took the carb apart and cleaned it. Put it back together and it was leaking around the float bowl gasket. So I ordered a new gasket and a new float valve and seat. It's 60 miles to the nearest dealer and no chance of finding it in stock. I know now I should have ordered the parts online. I cleaned it again and put the parts in and stopped the leaking but it wouldn't idle. I took it apart a third time and drilled out the idle mixture plug. It was at 1 3/4 turns. I took out the thingamabob and cleaned it again. Set it at 2 1/4 turns and it runs better than it has since I bought it 4 years ago. I also replaced the four screws with allen head screws from Lowes, M4 x 0.7 x 12. I'm afraid to mess with it any more.



Thanks to Trey's links above and the advice here, I can now convince my wife I know something about carburetors. It yet remains to be known if anyone else will believe it, including me.

James

 

[qwerty]

Ya done good, Grasshopper Carb Ninja.

 

[jandjjobst]

Hmmm.This is interesting info. I will keep in mind for my TW.

 

[Stromper]

I did the whole deal recommended here and I think it was great

Main, pilot, needle shim, air adjust.



Thanks again Forum Mavens