acotrel said:
John, what fuel are you using and what are you permitted to use ? I'm sorry if my comments are old-fashioned, however my brother and I have been doing this stuff for a long time without the help of a dyno. I still have a problem relating throttle opening, fuel demand, and gearing for different circuits. I usually base my adjustments on improvements in performance around the three tight bends and short straights at the back of Winton Motor Raceway. If I can get around there really fast, I know I will be OK in races on that circuit even if I lose a bit at the ends of the longer straights.
Firstly I need to repeat that these days I no longer live in NZ and am not racing because I need to pay for my retirement and therefore Im working in challenging places for the money. So everything I reported about is three years old at least.
95 % of the tuning above was done with Amal Concentric Mk 1 carbs using NZ Mobil 8000 pump gas which can be bought at most large Mobil stations in NZ. (97.5 octane RON non leaded with ethanol up to 10 %) for a machine built to NZ pre 63 clubmans rules (NZCMRR)
I read many comments on this and other sites about how ethanol reduces power, causes problems, bad running etc etc.
But I tested Shell No. One race fuel bought in 20 litre drums at a huge price against Mobil 8000 pump gas and no difference whatsoever could be seen on the dyno. So I have been using it for about 8 years. (Remember I only have 10.1 :1 compression ration.
In the last two years we raced we also entered the NZ Senior TT for 500 bikes. In this race the rules allow more modification and I used methanol. All I did was buy the Mk 1 methanol conversion kit. Needles, needle jets, float bowls, float needle etc. Installed a main jet 2.6 times bigger than the petrol one (2.3 is the theoretical size but I wanted a bit of lee way - since your a chemist you will understand the 2.3 ratio. Im a geologist and my chemistry is seriously bad!!!!!). Used a chrome slide. Opened up all the flow lines to get enough fuel delivery. Backed of the ignition and raced it.
First year we got second behind Paul Dobbs and the next year second again behind Andrew Stroud. Converting to methanol was the easiest thing I ever tried !
I have never tested methanol on the dyno. I did not have time. I rode the bike myself for a few laps of Puke. Set the ignition timing using the methods described by Jennings in the papers I listed in another thread and sent the bike out for 15 racing laps of Puke.
Any possibility this could be of use to you?
http://victorylibrary.com/MIK-BT.htm