Krieg
New member
Spent 4 hours with my '11 XC 300-E today. My primary goal was to get my jetting dialed-in. I also wanted to further evaluate the OEM Metzeler tires at lower inflation pressures. I also evaluated my do-it-yourself mod to lower the rear brake pedal. Here's the poop....
Jetting at the start of the day (after one ride several weeks ago):
Rode about an hour with this setting and did several throttle chops. Got a nice chestnut color on the plug. I also tried both ignition settings and the bike performed great on both settings... exactly as I expected. I ended up leaving the setting on cloudy because it was more "old man friendly". Strong, smooth, linear, predictable power!
Now the tires. Some of you probably read my post about my maiden voyage where I trashed the Metzelers. Then I discovered the rear was inflated to 28 PSI! Today I rode with both tires at 13 PSI. The terrain was a mixture of 70% damp soil (perfect, not mud, not dust) and 20% quicksand-mud. Thrown in were the usual 10% rocks, roots, and ruts. The verdict: The properly inflated Metzelers handled the good dirt and the rocks and roots admirably. They absolutely sucked in the mud. In the mud, I felt like I was riding slicks.
Finally, the brake pedal adjustment is an absolute necessity. I lowered it by cutting threads off the master cylinder rod. It made a huge difference. The pedal is now in the position that my brain thinks it should be.
I also noticed that my bike is not making the clutch noises that some others have mentioned. This may be due to the fact that I'm not pushing the bike anywhere near its limit.
The final verdict overall... HOLY CRIPES!
The bike is just like I remembered when I rode my bud's '08... awesome, predictable, confidence-inspiring handling coupled with an engine that produces smooth, linear, predictable power. Great brakes front and rear and the best clutch I've ever ridden.
A winner! I couldn't be happier.
Jetting at the start of the day (after one ride several weeks ago):
- 175 main
- 38 pilot
- N1EF (OEM) second clip
- 550 ft. elevation
- 60 degrees F
- 1.5 turns on air screw
- 170 main
- 35 pilot
- JD Blue needle 2nd clip (from the GG kit JD G001, not the YZ kit)
- 1.5 turns
- 170 main
- 35 pilot
- JD Blue needle 3rd clip
- 1 turn
Rode about an hour with this setting and did several throttle chops. Got a nice chestnut color on the plug. I also tried both ignition settings and the bike performed great on both settings... exactly as I expected. I ended up leaving the setting on cloudy because it was more "old man friendly". Strong, smooth, linear, predictable power! Now the tires. Some of you probably read my post about my maiden voyage where I trashed the Metzelers. Then I discovered the rear was inflated to 28 PSI! Today I rode with both tires at 13 PSI. The terrain was a mixture of 70% damp soil (perfect, not mud, not dust) and 20% quicksand-mud. Thrown in were the usual 10% rocks, roots, and ruts. The verdict: The properly inflated Metzelers handled the good dirt and the rocks and roots admirably. They absolutely sucked in the mud. In the mud, I felt like I was riding slicks.
Finally, the brake pedal adjustment is an absolute necessity. I lowered it by cutting threads off the master cylinder rod. It made a huge difference. The pedal is now in the position that my brain thinks it should be.
I also noticed that my bike is not making the clutch noises that some others have mentioned. This may be due to the fact that I'm not pushing the bike anywhere near its limit.
The final verdict overall... HOLY CRIPES!
The bike is just like I remembered when I rode my bud's '08... awesome, predictable, confidence-inspiring handling coupled with an engine that produces smooth, linear, predictable power. Great brakes front and rear and the best clutch I've ever ridden. A winner! I couldn't be happier
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