I've been testing out the new harley carb for the last month.
I'll start with the bad.I think my mileage went down. but I haven't been able to verify because my wife and son kept adding gas when they borrowed it so I lost track of what I was getting and then the speedo cable broke
Temp got down to around 15 to 20 f and it was a little difficult to start because it wanted to idle really slow until the oil started flowing. Enrichment valve but no choke lever.
It has to warm up (time depends on how cold it is) but I haven't had a warm enough day to see if I can just hop in, start it and drive off. The way it has been, if I try to take off right after a start, it is super sluggish. I just let it warm up. Idles really high if you don't hang around to push in on the enrichment(choke) lever.
Petroworks wasn't the most helpful or even compassionate about the cold weather start problem.
Looks like it will be hard to put a snorkel on it in it's configuration.
Also hard to run a warm air hose too it for colder weather so I have to leave the enrichment valve lever pulled out a little bit when it's cold. It likes temps above 55 or 60.
I had to mess with the bolt behind the gas pedal to allow the connector at the carb linkage to attach properly.
The nut for the enrichment cable didn't want to thread on because a clip interfered and I almost stripped/cross-threaded it but after fighting it for an hour, I got it to thread on.
I'm not really thrilled with the air filter set-up. I think the foam that wraps around the filter is kind of cheesy. Also, the aluminum top to the filter that bolts on to hold the filter on appears to be freehand and not as precise as I would have liked. The filter is also vulnerable to water infiltration.
Now for the good.It halls ass from about 60 degrees f and above.
Throttle response is instant.
The installation was incredibly simple.
I snipped the wires because I don't plan on ever putting an hitachi on but I have the wires that I can splice back if necessary. Therefore, the engine compartment is super tidy!
Really nothing to adjust once the initial idle is set, just the fuel mixture and it was easier than the Webers.
No leaks because the carb appears to be sealed into the freshly machined intake.
My idle is smoother than it ever was with the stocker.
Lots of access around the engine now and it's easier to keep it clean.
My future plan is to fabricate a housing for it that goes over the top of the cam cover to pull warm air off the exhaust manifold for the winter months and possibly a port to allow a snorkel. It needs some protection against water just like the webers.
Over all, I'm pleased with it but think it's a little over priced. It just bolted up so quick and looks so nice. To do it again, I would try to get the other guy that makes them to do a turn key one for cheaper. I like his filter set up better. I also wonder if people in even colder climates like Denver or Minneapolis are running these. Petro works says they've sold quite a few to the colder areas and haven't heard any complaints One more thing. When my son drove it, he actually thought it was a lot of fun.
He wasn't thrilled with it when it had the stock carb.
I hope this helps someone. -Adam