Are Amal Premiers any good?

FWIW, IMO, YMMV, WTF, ETC…

The original carbs were seriously built to a price, a really tight price.

I’m sure that anyone at Amal would have looked at you in disbelief if you’d asked them how they should be serviced in 50-60 years time!

They just weren’t designed to last that long. Period.

And they weren’t designed to sit for years / decades with stale fuel residue in them.

And they weren’t designed for ethanol fuel. At all. Ever.

What I’m really saying is, when we had no choice, then elaborate restoration and modification of clapped out original carbs was necessary.

But now we have the option of buying brand new and far superior instruments.

A pair of new carbs every 50-60 years is hardly what I’d call extravagant.

Buy a pair now and start saving for your next set !!
 
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One thing I've had on my bike since I converted to a single new Premier is it don't like to start without choke, now matter how many times I tickle the carb it's very reluctant and yes they are 19 pilot jets. It's no problem , just an observation .
 
jimbo said:
Are Amal Premiers any good? Are differences in them? (considering installation on a 850) Problems?



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They are excellent but the prices you found are too high. Also, up until about two years also, Amal just built them and sold them. Today they build, test, and sell. Since they've started that I've not found anything wrong with any of them. I install them on every bike I build unless the new owner asks for a single Mikuni. And, I won't bother making owner's old carbs work - costs too much for the results.
 
jimbo said:
Are Amal Premiers any good? Are differences in them? (considering installation on a 850) Problems?



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The disparity in price for the two samples offered is alarming. Contact Greg Marsh for a thorough discussion of these Premiers and check his
prices. Be aware that there are variations of the internal parts and must be paired with the specific Commando you own. The latest iteration of the Premier model are in aluminum rather than the older pot metal specification.
 
lazyeye6 said:
The disparity in price for the two samples offered is alarming. Contact Greg Marsh for a thorough discussion of these Premiers and check his
prices. Be aware that there are variations of the internal parts and must be paired with the specific Commando you own. The latest iteration of the Premier model are in aluminum rather than the older pot metal specification.
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So,... Are the aluminum versions better? Why is that? I'm interested if there's a reason...

I have sleeved originals that purr like a kitten. I removed the choke mechanisms too. It's easy to choke without them. Just flood the bowls and kick the bike over once or twice with the key off. Flooded!
 
yes, very good - worth the expense. But I did have to adjust the fuel level in one of of the carbs as it was different to its opposite carb. I also took the choke assemblies out and blanked off the relevant holes in the top of the carbs.
 
You save weight with the new Amal premiers. They are lighter than the zink pot metal bodies.
I bought a pair and I like them.
 
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If you are pinched for cash I found that the Wassel knockoff of the Premier functioned just as well. The finish on them is not as nice as the Amals but they will get the job done.
www.thebonnevilleshop.com

Wassell Carbs

Wassell Carburetters are an economic alternative to the original OEM Amal Carbs. Please note: Wassell 600 series carbs have been discontinued
www.thebonnevilleshop.com www.thebonnevilleshop.com
 
The aluminum bodied version are all that's produced now, AFAIK, discovered this buying a set for my A65. They seem to work well, though, and are very noticeably lighter than the zinc bodied versions
 
acadian said:
The aluminum bodied version are all that's produced now, AFAIK, discovered this buying a set for my A65. They seem to work well, though, and are very noticeably lighter than the zinc bodied ver
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14.77 oz for the new premier aluminum carb vs 27.19 oz for the old zinc assembly. I weighted them with a scale just for shytz and giggles. I have the pictures on my phone but am too lazy to post them. You loose 1.5 pounds of weight when you switch over to the new premiers for the pair.
As Fast e posted in Post # 5 They were built for a price, back then. Now they are much better IMHO.
 
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