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R60/2 routine carb adjustments for altitude

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Davidd321
Posts: 11
Joined: Wed Jul 20, 2022 12:42 am

R60/2 routine carb adjustments for altitude

Post by Davidd321 »

This summer I’ll be riding an R60/2 on a long tour that will go from sea-level to several high western passes, including the 11,000’ Bear Tooth Pass. Is there a routine way, perhaps even a formula, to adjust the carbs in order to optimize their performance at altitude? Many thanks.

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therealkennyboy
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Location: Scottsdale, Arizona
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Re: R60/2 routine carb adjustments for altitude

Post by therealkennyboy »

Higher altitude = thinner air, so the bike will run rich at higher elevations. You can always adjust the air screws to lean the carbs out a bit for idle/midrange, but for better full throttle performance, you'll need to drop the needle by a notch to lean it out when wide open.

In general, if you're just talking about shooting the occasional mountain pass, I personally wouldn't worry about changing anything. If you're going to be staying above maybe 6000ft elevation for more than a week, then maybe I'd consider some temporary re-adjustments. If your bike is tuned for sea level, you might be a little more incentivized to tweak it as you would likely feel a reduction in power/performance in the mountains.

Don't forget, you've only got 30HP, so even with a perfectly adjusted carb, on a bike loaded for cross-country travel, you'll be climbing those 6% grades and high elevation passes in the right lane with the semis!
Ken Walker
Scottsdale, AZ, USA
1960 R60 (currently), 1974 R75/6 (past), 1981 R100CS (currently), 1984 R100RS (past), 1989 K100RS (past)

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