Which carb for 1971 TR6 ???

Ok, got a 1971 TR6 that I rode REALLY hard after work yesterday :mrgreen: (Oct 17, 2012 ...70 degrees in Ohio :shock: ) Anyway, the last 2 miles home, the original Amal 930 carb slide is stuck at 1/4 throttle, ugh. Rather than fart around with it, or any other Amal (new type or used) I'd like to switch to a single Mikuni like this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Triumph-TR6-TR- ... 21&vxp=mtr

or a single Keihin/PWK:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/110933122170?ss ... 1423.l2649

All comments invited, cheers

Cant go wrong with the Mikuni, I love them, on restos,,Ill usually rebuild the stock carbs and try and work thru their issues, but i have a low opinion for Fail-mals. The sad thing was Amal tried building a good carb and the big three brit bike manuf wouldnt buy them, they wanted the crap pot metal POS you got stuck with. Instead Amal sold the design to Mikuni, and the rest is history. (the VM round slide Mik is a Amal design). The issue you will have is the Mik is a tight fit on your OIF model, you can get rid of your air boxs, or modify to suit., there is some cool side cover kits to replicate the stock 70 and earlier covers, and look great on there done right (dont forget the "Min oil level" sticker).
Some people, not into tech details or tuning, complain that the Mik is too complex, too complicated, Balderdash I say, they are wonderful feats of engineering IMHO. but it does happen. On my keepers and riders I generally go with the Mik's...

So, my friend Bill Getty of JRC Engineering decided to come up wth a good replacement to the simple Amal, but without the Fail-mals issues, and he commishioned bidding, the only company that came thru was the PWK-Keihen, its an excellent flat slide design, simple, robust, durable and without issues, however its very simple, not a lot of tuning steps on it, but good enough for the girls you might go out with, simple, easy, bolt on and go,, very simple to dial in. And CHEAP,,, most brit bike owners are Cheap Cheap Cheap,,,,,sorry,, edit that. they are ACTUALLY "Cost conscious careful consumers" and the JRC carb is a excellent value for the dollar. Cheaper than a Fail-mal replacement. And VERY well built and will outlast any Amal out there. The threaded ends are compatible with the stock air cleaners or air box adapter,or you can use a pancake or cone K&N type filter.
the JRC carbs are only availible thru a JRC dealer, Im one but i dont generally deal with the public, that seller,,,TSS is Rick Chapelle,,is a local guy and not bad to deal with, not a bad price for that kit either As i Know the wholesale, he aint making much,...
with a 1971 Trumpet,, who gives a rip about parts book correct restoration? have fun with it,, they are actually really good riders, I recomennd them as an excellent value. You will be pleased with the upgrade of either carb, but its horses for courses.. pick what works for you.

Well, I "pulled the trigger" and went with the Keihin/PWK, thanks for the input !!! I've had single Mikuni setups on MOST of the Nortons I had over the years, and they worked great. Read alot of GOOD things about the flat slides though, and your input confirmed I should buy it. Also, I had a 1971 Triumph TR6 I sold on "fleabay" two + years ago, that had THE sidecovers you wrote about. Very Kewl 8) giving an OIF one that beautiful pre-OIF look. That bike I pretty much built with parts from "fleabay"; motor, frame, and many bits and pieces here and there. Think the only things I "actually" had to start with, was the wheels and gas tank :shock: Took about a year to build. I regretting selling it so much, that I bought the one I have now. Below is a pic of the one I sold. (I'll post a pic of my current one later)



I'll post on this thread how the Keihin/PWK works when I get it sorted, cheers !

good deal, I believe you will be pleased with the conversion. I too prefer the Single Mikunis on the Nortons. Funny,, a little while ago,(30 min) Kenny Dreer was here on a Norton Commando he was test riding, and it has a single Mikuni as well. figure he knows something?

Your bike looked like it was very functional rider, good for you. I dont care for those sissy bars myself but they do work, especially if carrying bags and luggage for a trip. I have 2 more of them if interested, old dealer stock. I havent found the vertical parts to them yet, I think i have them but not sure, place is a mess while re-organizing. If you want another one let me know, cheap..

your bike looked like it had the alloy rims, very nice,, borranis? Those side covers can be painted just like the pre-oif bikes and look attractive, the Min oil level and the Bonnie script on the other side, I tend to paint the IOF bikes colors i like rather than stock, they arent worth anything more original so might as well have some fun. Kandy Brandywine, (house of Kolor) or Kandy Cobalt Blue (with cream white accents and gold leaf pinstripes) or a good one is Kandy Burple, it has different hues in different lighting.

Theres a extra vertical brace for those front fenders,,other wise they all crack, Triumph added them late in the game but all of the early ones like in that picture will crack and break on you, however I switch those cobbly fenders out,, look for a Kawasaki front fender, KZ series or the LTD, some Hondas might work, but they almost bolt on,, the rear screw mount hole has to be elongated about a 1/4" and they line right up with the 2 holes on either fork leg, look good on the bike too. KZ650, KZ750, KZ900, KZ1000,,all have that fender,, but theres others that will work. I like them painted but you can find them in chrome,, i strip the chrome off

Everytime I sell off all my OIF stuff, more shows up (maybe it has to do with the serial hoarder problem im told I have?) Since it appears im laid off again from my day job im looking forward to building some bikes this winter. I got several more OIF Triumphs and BSA's and thinking of building 2 or 3 at a time, cafe style, I have an assistant now, eager to build bikes. I also have one here in OIF that someone hardtailed, a bobber,,I used to mock that but have seen some OIF bobbers sell for big money so i guess theres a market. This one i have the extra large 71 tank and have modded it for the package rack like the 50s, and using a Royal Enfield Casquet doing the bike up like a 1951 6T Thunderbird, a hollowed out Cub oil tank to hide the electrics and the old style battery tray with the rubber lucas battery with a gell cell hidden inside, Big Lycette tractor seat. Look up the old Triumph Blackbirds and you will see the look im going for.

There is a growing segment of people who want a low fuss classic to ride, you have made a good choice with your bike, have fun with it. If you ever get into the engine i can give you some cam suggestions that will be low cost and loads of torque

The PWK is an excellent choice. I am running them on my Commando, took some fiddling to get them both right. One of the carbs was not assembled correctly and a gasket was crushed under the jet block. Take your carb apart and check that everything is hunky dorey. This flat side design does a great job and gives you very accurate throttle response. I also like that it does not get chewed up by ethanol and the enriching jet makes for easy starting. You might have to fiddle with cable length