I'm thinking the electrics need to be connected and the engine running. With no pulley cables connected you should see the RC valve motor cycle and move to the open position. I can't remember the revs. There are diagnostics in the manual as well
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i think I may be winning. Can anyone check out this video and tell me if the pulleys are moving in the correct manner? (Tip: turn volume down it's initially quote loud)

https://share.icloud.com/photos/07dR7W2HKLhkP3SqCsENXe3qw

or here on YouTube
https://youtube.com/shorts/p8AXqCzMM3w

I used this method from the R2J supplement and since I was using an aftermarket pulley because the pointer on my original snapped off. Note there's no hole in the T2 Racing pulley to allow you to slide something in to hold it in place...instead a handy pair of mole grips delicately held it in position.

Took it for a semi-naked test ride to my favourite coffee place and if the mini power wheelie is anything to go by then the RC mechanism and electrics are cooperating...or am I wrong? Aren't the RC Valves supposed to make it more tractable and spread that narcotic narrow power band around the dial? It's still absolutely dead and not interested in pulling until well past 7,000 rpm...would be a really hard bike to race out of hairpins without slipping the clutch like a madman..there must be a solution... methinks the jetting is still off- but where am I- too rich or too lean? I tried sliding the choke on while it was attempting to climb itself out of 5 grand but it's response was indifferent. I'm running it without the airbox top because the plugs were a little black on the last run. Today, before turning into the garage I ran it WFO for a moment then killed it which gave me this plug colour (below) which looks pretty good to be honest but it wasn't most sophisticated plug chop I've ever done.

Really wish there was someone with a dyno in town who loves two-strokes and I could drop it off with him and have the jetting magically tweaked to a reliable and safe setting. Apparently there is a chap who has one but he won't let 2-strokes near it.

I have to say though that when it kicks in at about 8 or 9 it's the fastest accelerating bike I have, apart from maybe the 998, but that's just stupid fast in an unruly insensitive way that gives you the impression it's ultimate goal is to kill you. This NSR is fun....I get it now.

I see my future as fettling, fettling, fettling ad infashitetum.

Just have to avoid to start going down the wrong path.

Jetting
Keihin TA20A
No.1
Main 130 (Now 135)
Slow 38
Needle BPD, Power Jet 70
No. 2
Main 132 (Now 138)
Slow 38S
Needle BPE, Power Jet 75

Not Rich Tea Biscuity....and perhaps on the wrong side of leanish...


Is this temperature too low? Use the less than scientific duct tape application? Will that be one or two strips sir?


It IS beautiful even without all it's clothes


Clean and mechanical. Two words that don't always go together.

Party is over as far as performance is concerned. Airbox lid back on and I went off on a test run. The bike decided to run on one cylinder past about four grand. Back home for new plugs. Went back out this morning- no difference. The excitement of the power band hit at 8k is gone and I'm not sure why. Can't be the airbox lid because it was going right up the dial with it on.

Going to re-jet back to standard and maybe in doing so will find something up with the carbs. WIll also swap out a PGM just to make sure it's not that. Why not? I have three now.


Last edited by Hudtm60 on Mon Aug 25, 2025 12:06 am; edited 1 time in total

Bloody hell! It's fighting you all the way! 🙄🙄🙄
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Apologies for spelling issues. writing this is a coffee shop having forgotten my glasses!

Long weekend over here is giving me a chance to continue the relentless quest to get this bike up to a fine running representation of this fantastic little sportbike which has spent more time on the lift than it has on the road- but I'm happy there's been no catastrophic issues...no broken rings, or circlipless wayward gudgeon pins or seizing...touch wood.

First step yesterday was to swap out a PGM and in doing so I was excited to find a disconnected wire. A yellow and blue which emanated from the PGM to the harness. Unfortunately research told me that this only affects the rev counter and would not affect the running of the bike.

Like I said a have a few.


Side panels come off again. Note just one strip of duct tape on the radiator to help get the temp gauge needle past 60. The cooling efficiency of this T2 Racing radiator is impressive- when I have been running around on this bike it's been in the high (fahrenheit) 90's...or high 30's in real money


Replaced the PGM, correctly connected all the wires. Out for a quick run and it seems like it's the rear cylinder that is failing to fire well after the 7-8k mark. Strangely, it felt better when it first started but when out on the streets- it was not interested. Later we will see this makes sense.

Straight back to the garage and I figured this would be a good time to put a new plug in to re-check it wasn't just oiling up. No difference. I should've tried a different plug cap- but I had a gut feeling it's the carbs and I'm going to have to go in there. Plus- I've never mentioned this before but the rubber carb insulators I got from Spain must be for an M16 because it took far too much encouragement to get the carbs to fit into their rubber homes so this was a chance to replace those with an MC-18 set I got from Jauce. They are in good condition. No cracks, not as flexible as you would like, so I left them in this overnight which helps restore their pliability.



I've made a few discoveries.

A bit of goo in the bottom of #1 float bowl- but probably not enough to affect performance.


The needle jet holders were in the wrong position...


I had the flat side of the holder towards the intake. In my defense that's how I found them- but you should never ever trust a previous owner has done anything correct.
How I found it back in the beginning


I don't think this is a big deal to be honest....but I found something that might be. In Carb #1 the choke plunger was practically seized in an open position...it took quite a bit of encouragement to get out and you can see it's not enjoying going in or out. Will polish both the plunger and the inside carb walls of where it should go and if that doesn't help will get a bit more aggressive with the plunger and spin it with some fine valve grinding paste.
https://youtube.com/shorts/_w3QcJkjbGU

This is quite strange because this has happened to me before on my Kawasaki H2...to the same kind of brass choke/cold start mechanism AND then, much more problematic- a throttle slide seized in place. I wonder what's happening? First thoughts are the low quality fuel with lots of modern additives but I only use non-ethanol 93 octane.

Anyway I'm excited to discover this and I'm thinking I might be on my sway to solving the issue!

Much labeling of the hoses still needed to remember to get all this plumbing correct in the reassembly




Hmm- airscrew out 2 full turns. Recommendation on this site is 2 3/8....Service Manual is 1.5 Jury's out. I'm going to go back to stock jetting and maybe go with the Serivce Manual of 1.5 since I have the Tyga pipes. No amount of reading and researching has found me anyone brave (or crazy) enough to suggest any jetting alteration to compensate for the Tyga pipes with short cans so I'm going to go back to original jetting and 1.5 turns.


I'm proud to say that I still have the special torx screw heads in the carbs requiring Honda Special Tool 07703 0010500...which CMSNL has for $53 https://www.cmsnl.com/products/driver-bit-tool_077030010100/but instead ordered some hollow point torx heads from Amazon which I'm confident should work just as well and mean I don't have to use forbidden pliers on the heads.



This took me to the coffee shop today. Hand built engine by me, as close to stock as possible, as a 1984 model it's four years older than the NSR and four hundred times less complicated....but as much fun? Almost.

I hate to be a bearer of bad news, but that translation is incorrect.

The image should show:



I suspect the stuck/sticky choke plunger could be your culprit.

As for jetting, I don't allow discussion of it on the public forums I'm afraid, due to some moron in a previous life trying to hold me legally accountable for an engine failure by using someone else's settings that they posted on the forum.
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Last edited by Andy on Sun Aug 31, 2025 6:32 pm; edited 1 time in total

Aha- thanks Andy for being so alert. No worries because I haven't changed anything yet.

The two manuals were translated best part of 15 years ago... with a JP/EN dictionary, and some help with a native speaker from time-to-time, so I'm afraid there will be some errors! Very sorry for any inconvenience.

I'd love to redo them, given the tools we have today, but as I'm sure you can imagine, it's 800 pages (to do both MC16-MC21 and MC28 manuals), and not so high on my list of priorities.
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Not a big deal at all. So happy to have had the translations or I would have been no-where.

On going back to stock jetting- I've been doing more research, and based on the theory that the richness (indicated by the plugs) has been due to sticking choke plungers I'm not going to go back to stock jetting but will keep it at 135 & 138. Completely stock airbox and the Tyga pipes.

Respecting what Andy said about jetting discussion I’m just going to report what I’m doing rather than asking questions. My power jets came blocked. I feel inclined to unplug them as it's simply allows more fuel in when the revs are up. AMENDMENT: for the power jets to function properly some electronics must be connected, which, from what I've read are not with the MC18 so.....blanking screws are going back in.

Should it then run a little rich- I have a spare air box top which I could, how you say, "drill 4 x 20mm holes in the front slope of the lid for best results."