sometimes it just pays to buy hd parts

[bustert]

original inlet valve lasted decades
so called original keihin valve maybe one year at tops two. started sticking when dry, then allowing fuel level to rise and mpg drop from 50 to 35.
probably a masterful con job.
what was funny the hd shop did not have not one carby in the shop. they called a woman to the desk as she was the only one that rode gravity so she knew what it was, didn't even have to look up the p/n, called it a spaceship though.

[mikeLI_77]

Stock always seems to be the best for function and longevity.
I learned the hard way from redoing my bike so many times using aftermarket parts. They all seem to look nice but they don't all work or last as long as the stock parts do. The last time I redid my bike I went back to as much stock parts as possible besides the engine. All the stock parts have lasted so far. Unfortunately the engine work only lasted 35,000 miles before the crank bearing went on me. Now I'm putting a stock engine back in the bike. It's going to be hard getting used to the stock engine coming from. A 1250 kit that was getting me almost 100hp and almost 90 tq. But I don't have the funds to spend 5-6k to have my Indy rebuild it.

[JB in NC]

I consider it a minor miracle that you got an aftermarket float needle to work AT ALL.

Jim

[bustert]

was suppose to be keihin and it did come in a bag marked keihin but probably a con job. getting keihin parts is not hard. was too lazy to drive to the next town over so i got it over the net and from a fairly known distributor.
memory fails but was the original SS?
these look to be the same material but the hd valve is a tad grams heavier, just hoping the alloy is better.

[BigMek]

The original Keihin float valve, and the one you get in the rebuild kits (even the nice James ones), has 3 lobes. Unfortunately it tends to go a little sideways in the bore and get stuck from time to time.

The 4-lobe version is for the CV carb, but thankfully Keihin didn't reinvent the wheel and used the same valve size, so it's a direct upgrade to the old 3-lobe float valve. The only place I've found to get the 4-lobe by itself is straight from HD.

Crazy that nobody at the dealer could recognize a float needle though.

[Iron Mike]

Pretty soon they won’t recognize a Sportster, just like most can’t recognize a Knuck or a Pan.

[bustert]

i think there only has 3 sportsters and they park them near the front door i guess to give presence in order to sell, however 883 units.
as i was leaving, a shop mechanic took out a water cooled unit, probably in the 500cc range and as he past, i told two baggers, man that sound like a honda, they liked to fell off the bench they were sitting on.

[ChinCactus]

Depends on the part. I was getting about a year out of OEM rear hydraulic brake switches. After about three of them, I bought a Drag Specialties knock off. Going on ten years with that one.

[bustert]

super duper +1 mr. chin
i had the same issue, but i solved mine using a auto brake switch, had a larger head but it fit.
the two hd units, the snap disk inside relaxed. you could force a closure with a pick.