Hitchcocks Forum

I have compleatly forgotten, Could you please remind me what the needle position is for 1 is it the top of the needle or is it the bottom one? Mine is position number 2 so I have goe down one notch from the top Oh I didnt want to join this seiniors club I whish I could turn the clock back thanks Big Al

The top notch, called 1 is the lowest needle position and thus weakest. Bottom notch, called 5, is highest position and richest mixture position. Hope that helps

Big Al, the way i remember is to imagine a needle going in a hole.. the more it goes in smaller the hole becomes and so less fuel passes and weak mixture !! 

Speaking of which, I read today that Redditch produced 90% of the world's needles back in the day... is that a coincidence?

Factory recommends 2nd or 3rd from the bottom.

Hi Leon ----------- how does that translate into Nos. from the top then? I do understand it's just the factory info. that you are repeating here. When they said "first from the bottom" does that mean the bottom one is the first OR is it the next one up ?? It's the same type of problem when you say-----" we go on the count of 3"---some will go on the spoken 3 whilst others will go after saying 3. My preference is to put the needle in the central position---go for a good, hot run and react according to what the plug and ride is telling me. ------------------------- Mother-in-Law gives me the needle, also gives me the Evil-eye, a cold shoulder, a hot tongue and an ear bending. !! Gives me "Nanny" advice,(asked for or not), gives the home a monthly MoT, her daughter doubt about her choice of partner, the kids bad "street-cred" and "Cowboy-builders" the urge to die. Quite a giving girl, really. 

Hi Alan: I don`t know about numbers from the top, I have never had my carburettor apart, it`s never `broke` so I never have to fix it. There appear to be five grooves. I would count the first groove---the first,  the second groove ----the second, and the third groove-----the third from the bottom; I can`t see what`s confusing about that. Now you`ve got me sucking my thumb.

Here's my solution to this problem. The bike will tell you if the needle is in the wrong position. Solution: Try the needle in differennt positions until the bike he say 'Fine'!


 Once it's right you can blissfullly forget all such thoughts!


Tony R.

Hi that's got us all thinking, I don't have a problem with my bike but the other day I was reading a book  and it said needle position number 2,thinking was number 1 at the top or was it the bottom so I checked my needle and it was one notch down from the top. so keep your ideas coming I think its great


all the best big AL