Hitchcocks Forum

I'm going to try fitting a VM28 carb to my 350 bullet (tuned head). Thanks to people on here, I've tracked down a mikuni manifold with the correct hole centres to do this. I remember someone saying a while back that if used with a pod filter, the carb has a tendancy to fall off the manifold on 500 bullets because they are no longer supported by the airbox rubber. When I look at it, it's a lot of weight and leverage to be applying to a single jubilee clip and rubber collar and I agree some sort of support bracket attaching the inlet end of the carb to the frame would be a good idea.



I was wondering if anyone has come up with an elegant solution to this? A cable tie would probably do it but that is an inelegant solution.

You can probably adapt most pod filters to take a bolt-on steel strap from either the back (nearest the engine) or the front of the filter. Then run this strap to a suitable point on the frame, either the lug for the rear petrol tank mounting/headsteady strap, or a "P" clip somewhere on the frame top tube. Bonus points for a nice neat job.



A.

Well, the carb is on and first impressions are that it works pretty well. Fired up and idled immediately and sounds very crisp on the throttle, more so than it has ever sounded. I have bought a Gucci-looking alloy clamp to replace the jubilee clip on the pod filter which I'll be able to attach a bracket to. I'll post pics when it's done.



Can't road test it though, broke my shoulder a couple of weeks back falling off a ladder. Even had to get the wife to lift the petrol tank off for me so I could fit the carb with one hand.

Ouch! Get well soon, you can let us know how well it works on the road once you've recovered enough to ride it properly. At least you didn't do this when the weather was nice...



A.

You'll need to read of the blog to see how I did it after replacing the box air filter with a conical.. here's the link:


Thumper diaries

Hi Stinkwheel



I have run a VM34 (wearing both a K&N conical filter and a pretty hefty machined aluminium bellmouth, in its time) on my, rigid framed, 612 for a few years now.



It would be true to say that Slo Poke isn't a daily rider - but when we do head out, it is often to cover some fairly serious mileages - and (while we have had other issues) a falling off, or drooping, carb hasn't been one of them.

Mikuni must fit a support spigot on their larger (heavier) carbs for a reason...

On the VM28 fitted to my 350/441 I had a pod filter and ran a bracket from the chrome end of that to the frame. I used an 8mm button head bolt and the unseen nut secured was with Locktite. Although it never did work loose I probably should have peened the bolt threads as well, an 8 mm nut is the last thing you need working its way along your inlet tract.

years ago when the mikinu kit was sold by our host, is was sold with a giant K&N filter.

of this type.




this filter was hugely over measured for its purposes, as it was about 2.5 the size of the now sold conical filter.



hence the weight of this filter tor of the rubber inlet manifold about every 10.000km.



with the smaller conical filter this problem has been resolved.

Giant mikalor clip: