How do I balance the carbs on my Kawasaki ZL600B1 Eliminator?

Question

I can't find a workshop manual to tell me the order in which to balance them. Any help would be much appreciated

Answer 1

Kawasaki shows two ways to sync the carbs. If you don't have any gauges you remove the carbs and use a fine wire to make sure all the butterflys are open the same amount. This will give you an ok setting but will not compensate for any differences there may be in cylinder compression and such.

For exact tuning you will need vacuum gauges. By the way, on CV (constant velocity) carbs there are only three adjusters so it does matter which you do first. One is controlled by the idle screw and the rest adjust to this one. Good luck setting these if you don't understand that simple concept.

Other tips. If you are using the mercury gauges (commonly called carb sticks) DO NOT rev the motor and let the rpms drop fast! If your carbs are out of adjustment you can suck the mercury into your motor. I have seen this happen. When done, shut the bike off, snap the throttle open and closed a few times, then restart and double check your settings. You will need the special tool to adjust these when running. It's a very long socket with a screwdriver in the middle. Go slow. The smallest adjustment will make a big difference. Putting too much force on the wrench can actually bend the adjuster arm and toss everything way out of wack.

If this is a one time thing for you have you considered taking it to a shop? By the time you line up all the right tools you will have expended a good deal of cash. If you have more than one bike or just enjoy it, then by all means pony up for the tools.

Answer 2

Remember what you are trying to do is get each cylinder to accelerate at the same time. First, make sure all ignition is set and there are no other problems. Start by measuring how far open each carb is at the idle setting. This can be done with a dial indicator set on the shaft or the slide. Or with your finger on the throttle just back out the idle screws and count the turns until throttle is closed. Average the readings and set all carbs to the same idle opening. Next get a vacuum gage for each carb. Mount the gages as close together as possible as when you are synchronizing you will be looking for the needles to move at the same time as the throttle is opened.Connect each Gage to each intake. Loosen all the throttle adjusters on each carb. Place fan on cooling system. Start it up and warm up. Set idel speed by opening or closing each carb adjuster the same amount. At idle the gage needles will swing wildly and not tell you much. Rev up the engine and keep the revs up. Reved up the gage needles will stabalize. As you crack the throttle you may notice that the vacuum of one cylinder drops before the others. Reduce the opening of that cylinder or increase the opening of the others. Get the revs up again and recheck and re adjust until all needles drop at the same time. When all the needles drop at the same time the engine is balanced or synchronized. Good luck!
Fritz

Answer 3

Manual -
http://www.motocom.com/motorcycles/
Carb syncronizing tool -
http://www.street.parts-unlimited.com/51/617/4074882

Answer 4

you need a vacuum gauge for multi-carb tuning, they are not that expensive, but you want to work on the carbs you need the right tools, and it doesn't matter what order they are syncronized.

Answer 5

these guys made an indepth, step by step how too on the subject, its in the carb section.

basic motorcycle know-how that every rider should know:
http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/new_riders...