wallybean
Mini-Sponsor
Its a long story so I apologize in advance.
As many of you know, I am an ardent fan of the Lectron Carb. I doubt that I will ever run a conventional carb again. I was also the 2nd guy in on the early order Cast 38mm Smart Carb. I stuck it out through a year of delays that had many dropping out of the buy.
I finally got my smart carb a little over a year after I initially placed the order. APT rushed the carb to market through many manufacturing issues with several still to be resolved. My initial operation of the carb was short and over. The rod delivered with the carb was far to lean and wouldn't run above ~3/4 throttle regardless of adjustment. Corey at APT immediately shipped me 3 new rods and when I went south early this year I had it installed with the richest rod and was ready to adjust. Unfortunately 7 miles into my first ride, I had a confrontation with a barrel cactus that was in my landing zone off a little rise and so much for my effective riding. I had made a couple of adjustments to that point as the carb was too rich on the bottom. I gutted it out a couple of more tries but I just couldn't effectively work with the carb.
On to the second issue with the as delivered early release carb. The tip over valves that stop the carb from flooding the bike when tipped over(read endoed) stick closed. It is just like having the vent lines plugged on a lectron...it doesn't want to run. Corey sent me the details on the fix and a small massaging with a milling bit and problem solved. So in the last few weeks I have been using the supplied rods and still could not find the happy place where it was crisp on the bottom and still rich enough on top. Well it turns out that the rods are made long so the same rod can be used in any size carb no matter adjustment height.
Enter the third issue fix. APT sent me the shorter rod to be used with the 38mm Smart Carb. I have been using that rod and it is so damn close to perfect. I ride a lot of the time on the bottom and mid. I want my carb to work perfect in this area of 0-1/2 throttle. So much of our crappy burned trails are constantly covered in down fall from the last wind that the bike just has to run well down low. Even with the new shorter rod if I have the bottom/mid perfect the very top is still too lean and if held WO for any length of time will be lean enough to bog. Granted this isn't my priority but when you need it to fly, you need it to fly. This issue is complicated by the small bores lack of signal strength at higher rpms/at higher altitudes. The Lectron had the same issues but Kelly quickly made adjustment and Kevin created the MS-3 rod that solves the issue. Enter the massaging tool. I made a very similar re-grind to the supplied shorter Smart Carb rod that I had previously made to the Lectron rod with advice from Kelly......Bingo we have a winner. I can have the rod adjusted for the ultra crisp bottom/mid and it will still pull to the moon with no lean issues.
So I now have a Smart Carb that runs as cleanly as my perfect Lectron. How do they compare? First, I think the SC has a distinct advantage through its keyhole design for first half throttle response. This is born out through my initial impressions. Response is immediate and controllably explosive. Where the Lectron is all about smooth, consistent, rip the SC seems to just explode up obstacles with the flick of the wrist. Whether this is better for the individual is a personal decision.
Second, I think the SC produces more top end than the Lectron. This is just from my observations on the county road pulling wide open runs. The SC pulls a little further, a little more willingly. I don't know that there is an advantage to either carb in that 1/2-3/4 throttle but I just haven't been able to ride with them back to back in a real gnarly trail environment where you are rolling on and off and living on using that 1/2 to 3/4 throttle up a nasty climb.
Adjustability, while the lectron really seems to be a set and forget carb, I think you would possibly make minor adjustments at times if it was as easy as the SC. It literally is a matter of shutting the motor off, leaning over and while holding the throttle open clicking the adjuster one way or the other. Start the bike and ride off. Don't get off, don't remove any tools, 5-10 seconds and you have made your fine tuning adjustment.
So that is the story even though it is incomplete. I still need to get up into the gnarly and ride them back to back. I also need to compare fuel economy in the same way. Once I am sure that my rod grind is working in the nasty stuff as well as in the fields and bumps, I will forward it to Corey and see if he is as responsive as Kevin at Lectron.
More tales later,
Thanks for your patience
As many of you know, I am an ardent fan of the Lectron Carb. I doubt that I will ever run a conventional carb again. I was also the 2nd guy in on the early order Cast 38mm Smart Carb. I stuck it out through a year of delays that had many dropping out of the buy.
I finally got my smart carb a little over a year after I initially placed the order. APT rushed the carb to market through many manufacturing issues with several still to be resolved. My initial operation of the carb was short and over. The rod delivered with the carb was far to lean and wouldn't run above ~3/4 throttle regardless of adjustment. Corey at APT immediately shipped me 3 new rods and when I went south early this year I had it installed with the richest rod and was ready to adjust. Unfortunately 7 miles into my first ride, I had a confrontation with a barrel cactus that was in my landing zone off a little rise and so much for my effective riding. I had made a couple of adjustments to that point as the carb was too rich on the bottom. I gutted it out a couple of more tries but I just couldn't effectively work with the carb.
On to the second issue with the as delivered early release carb. The tip over valves that stop the carb from flooding the bike when tipped over(read endoed) stick closed. It is just like having the vent lines plugged on a lectron...it doesn't want to run. Corey sent me the details on the fix and a small massaging with a milling bit and problem solved. So in the last few weeks I have been using the supplied rods and still could not find the happy place where it was crisp on the bottom and still rich enough on top. Well it turns out that the rods are made long so the same rod can be used in any size carb no matter adjustment height.
Enter the third issue fix. APT sent me the shorter rod to be used with the 38mm Smart Carb. I have been using that rod and it is so damn close to perfect. I ride a lot of the time on the bottom and mid. I want my carb to work perfect in this area of 0-1/2 throttle. So much of our crappy burned trails are constantly covered in down fall from the last wind that the bike just has to run well down low. Even with the new shorter rod if I have the bottom/mid perfect the very top is still too lean and if held WO for any length of time will be lean enough to bog. Granted this isn't my priority but when you need it to fly, you need it to fly. This issue is complicated by the small bores lack of signal strength at higher rpms/at higher altitudes. The Lectron had the same issues but Kelly quickly made adjustment and Kevin created the MS-3 rod that solves the issue. Enter the massaging tool. I made a very similar re-grind to the supplied shorter Smart Carb rod that I had previously made to the Lectron rod with advice from Kelly......Bingo we have a winner. I can have the rod adjusted for the ultra crisp bottom/mid and it will still pull to the moon with no lean issues.
So I now have a Smart Carb that runs as cleanly as my perfect Lectron. How do they compare? First, I think the SC has a distinct advantage through its keyhole design for first half throttle response. This is born out through my initial impressions. Response is immediate and controllably explosive. Where the Lectron is all about smooth, consistent, rip the SC seems to just explode up obstacles with the flick of the wrist. Whether this is better for the individual is a personal decision.
Second, I think the SC produces more top end than the Lectron. This is just from my observations on the county road pulling wide open runs. The SC pulls a little further, a little more willingly. I don't know that there is an advantage to either carb in that 1/2-3/4 throttle but I just haven't been able to ride with them back to back in a real gnarly trail environment where you are rolling on and off and living on using that 1/2 to 3/4 throttle up a nasty climb.
Adjustability, while the lectron really seems to be a set and forget carb, I think you would possibly make minor adjustments at times if it was as easy as the SC. It literally is a matter of shutting the motor off, leaning over and while holding the throttle open clicking the adjuster one way or the other. Start the bike and ride off. Don't get off, don't remove any tools, 5-10 seconds and you have made your fine tuning adjustment.
So that is the story even though it is incomplete. I still need to get up into the gnarly and ride them back to back. I also need to compare fuel economy in the same way. Once I am sure that my rod grind is working in the nasty stuff as well as in the fields and bumps, I will forward it to Corey and see if he is as responsive as Kevin at Lectron.
More tales later,
Thanks for your patience
mmm … it's now the middle of June 2014 
