Checking float height - Bandit 1200

[carlson_mn]

My old love of my life is/was my bandit 1200.  I put 60k miles on her.  But she's been a little ignored the last 4 years since I've had my FJR.

I rebuilt the carbs with full new seals and o-rings from dale walker this spring.  the bike still is flooding when I try to start it, and has a seriously rough idle if/when it will start.  Sometimes the carbs will even leak fuel while running or afterwards.  I'm thinking it may be a carb float issue. 

Anyone have any experience measuring these correctly?  I've got a nice digital caliper.  I have the carbs sitting on my work bench and if anyone could swing by some evening and give me a tutorial it'd be much appreciated.  I have open pod filters and have jetted them correctly in the past and it ran great for years.  I'm in Richfield. 

[aschendel]

Did the rebuild kit include new float needles?  I'm not a carb expert, but the only gas leak i had was on a neglected SV650, the needles that seal when the floats float were shot.

a.s.

[carlson_mn]

It did include new float needles as well as the new float needles.  They were completely shot before hand.  I think I may have had issues sealing the new ones correctly, so thanks for reminding me about that.  I'll check 'em.

[Deplorable, thank you!]

Do you have the service manual? (tons of free online sites have many bikes in PDF formatt)

It shows how to measure and what the height is suggested to be at (you can vary it by about 1-2mm either way to change jetting parameters....

Service manual should always be the first purchase on any vehicle you plan on doing your own service work on...IMO

[vince]

I used last year an after market rebuild kit from Dennis Kirk for my Goldwing. It only took 30 days for the alcohol to rune the float needle and the seat. For this get OEM.

[vince]

Do you have the service manual?

Service manual should always be the first purchase on any vehicle you plan on doing your own service work on...IMO

+1 These books talk about only your bike.

[Deplorable, thank you!]

I used last year an after market rebuild kit from Dennis Kirk for my Goldwing. It only took 30 days for the alcohol to rune the float needle and the seat. For this get OEM.

You can also buy the oem parts through SUDCO in california they are the usa importer for all mikuni and kiehin parts---all parts they sell and supply are genuine mikuni and kiehin !!! which your carbs are one or the other

But the k&L and other "aftermarket" kits just don't work good enough.....vinces example I have not experienced but I have seen many leak with all brand new aftermatket orings etc and the rubber quality and fit is sub par !!

[carlson_mn]

Mine was k&l.  I'll try to get it going this year and see how it holds up next year.  Thanks for the sources on finding some good oem stuff.