Who's running the VM38 single?

I'm revamping my norty and am looking at retiring the Amal's for the Mikuni 38mm single. I can have the entire kit from air filter to throttle cable for $456.00. Who is running that setup and was it night and day over the Amals? I've searched for my answer but haven't found what I wanted to know. If anyone is looking for a set of Amals let me know as they will go as a pair with the cables and air filters. They are the 932's.

It's the 36MM that you want not 38. Been there done that, it's not very workable. Standard jet kits as fitted by Rocky Point Cycle will be just a tad rich to start. Check his price against yours He knows Norton's. See here:
http://tinyurl.com/339kbr

Yeah, I looked at that site. The link you posted goes to the 34mm kit. I was looking at the 36mm kit but it stated to use the 38mm kit for more top end. That's why I was looking at the 38mm. That's also why I posted the question for feedback. It looks like the 36mm kit will be it from that website as it's well over $150 cheaper for the package. Thanks norbsa.

Tried a 38 I got in a parts deal once. More air needs more fuel because of less velocity. You end up nearing 300 main jets and it's not as crisp down low. Not worth the trouble IMO.You can make anything work though. Now if you go way back in my old posts you will find some things you can do with a UFO to a 34MM to make it quite good. Still pulling 57MPG at 55MPH.

Okay, makes sense to me. I will look at the 36mm kit then.

just hijacking your forum,I have a vm34 goes well but runs out of puff at about 100mph,does a 36 go any better in the top end with no great mid range loss or will a ufo give me a noticable difference??

A UFO helps throughout the range but if you have no jet changing experience don't even go there. I ended up with a 15 idle jet and a cross drilled spray tube. At full open it doesn't change all that much, just gets there a bit quicker.A pair of mark two Amals is much more impressive at the top end.

Okay what is a UFO that your talking about here?

norbsa48503 said:

It's the 36MM that you want not 38. Been there done that, it's not very workable. Standard jet kits as fitted by Rocky Point Cycle will be just a tad rich to start. Check his price against yours He knows Norton's. See here:
http://tinyurl.com/339kbr

Click to expand...

Stan at Rocky Point is a super guy and I buy a lot from him. He's good people.

I'm also running a single 36mm on my 850.

See it here : http://www.thunderproducts.com/u_f_o.htm

Here's a link to the very old post: post833.html?hilit=norbsa48503#p833

Has anyone got a running bike with a VM38-9? I could use a bit of assistance. I just bought a '75 Norton Commando MkIII that's been beautifully restored but barely runs at the moment. It has a single VM38 on it. It will run when choked, but won't come close to idling with choke off, and will only run (roughly) if I keep it over 4000 rpm. Since I don't know the bike, have never seen it run well, and don't know Mikunis, I don't know if jetting is close or way off.

Carb: VM38-9
Main jet: 330
Pilot jet: 30
Needle jet: 159 P-2
Jet Needle: 6DH3
Slide: 1.5
Needle valve: 3.3
Air jet - I don't see one at all. I see 3 drilled passages on the intake side, one at the bottom and the other 2 to the right of that. Middle one is plugged. Bottom one is ~4mm passage with a ~1mm hole deep inside it, but no jet in it . I think there are fine threads down at the bottom of the passage, very hard to see in there.

We're in Vermont - low altitude.

I'm hanging with the guys from the Classic Bike Experience in Essex Center VT - very nice guys, pretty new shop that's starting up very well - lots of interest, customers, nice bikes. The bike's over there now, and they're pretty interested in this, as we're sure we'll see lots of Mikuni conversions come in - there a bike there now from Colorado Norton Works, but it's got a 34mm on it.

Any advice you can give me on setup and jetting of this carb would be tremendously helpful. Thanks - Peter

Another question while I'm at it. I'm looking at the float bowl and the pins that guide the 2 floats aren't vertical - they both lean a bit away from the inlet side of the carb (the top of the guide pins lean towards the business end of the carb). Are they built that way, or did some PO screw it up and bend the pins? Tnx - Peter