Motorcycle Repair: jets, air fuel mixture, 1100 vstar

Question
I just bought A Yamaha 1100 vstar.  I look in the parts catalogs and there are kits called jet kits.  They say they make your bike perform better.  Do they really work, and if so, which brand do you recommend?  Thanks.

Answer
Hi Mike,

Jet kits are for carburetor tuning when the exhaust or air intake is modified from original. Jet kits alone do not improve performance. The idea is keeping the air-fuel mixture as close to optimum as posible 15:1 is the ratio, (rounded up from 14.7:1). Example: engines need 15 breaths or air, to 1 sip of gasoline to run properly. Change the ration and the engine runs lean or rich. Requires tuning the carbs to get it right.

You MC runs best from the factory. Putting a pipe and air filters will increase flow, but if not tuned properly, will actually de-tune performance. Rejetting carbs is a difficult task. Even for experienced techs.

Visit this site for carb parts: www.crc2onlinecatalog.com/carb_kits.htm

Respectfully,
Mark Shively