On the one hand you have the performance of FI, especially in higher elevations, on the other hand you have the ability to repair the carb yourself in the middle of nowhere if such a need arises.

what to repair on fi,keep the fuel clean,use a good injector cleaner that is about it.

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...b-vs-efi-56238

to the HUBB by the way; a first post.

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Dave

If only my XR250 was EFI it would be near perfect! Rejetting the Carb gave me no end of headaches and the performance was awful above 2,700m stock.

FI is superior to carb until it breaks.

What bikes are you considering? There may be "other" issues relevant to this. F.I. or Carb? Both are good. Both are bad.
You choose. Know your bike, do the maintenance. All good. But the bike matters a lot more than whether it's EFI or carb.
That is a good thread and expresses most all that needs to be said on this. If a moderator comes on he'll probably tell everyone to piss off and get reading on a 5 year old thread!

Isn't it interesting just HOW FEW of the guys posting on that thread ...ARE STILL POSTING HERE ON HUBB?
Lots missing. Now why is that?
That's a pretty good summation. Sure, you can change an injector but what about a black box? Broken wire in loom? Fuel Pump? Fuel pump hose/connector or battery? EFI can be ... complex.

Thanks everyone. I currently have a 2013 KLR 650 and a 2012 KLX 250, was debating just using the KLR or selling both and buying something fuel injected for the trip. Living at sea level I was concerned about what might happen in the mountains. The internet is full of info regarding the differences, but I figured this forum was the only place to discuss which is better in the middle of a third world country.

Both good bikes ... and both are new! You are spoilt for choice!

You must be in the US or Canada as newer KLX250's (EU) are F.I. USA ones still Carb'd. No matter.

Modern Carb bikes come jetted VERY LEAN from the factory. They are good at altitude. Most can go up to round 10,000 ft. before being badly affected. They will lose power (just as ALL bikes including EFI bikes will)

Over 10k they will begin to run too rich, rough idle, hard starting ... and even weaker running.

Easy solution is to open up air box. MORE AIR! Of course you can re-jet too but that's more work/knowledge. One addition I would add before re-jetting would be an extended Fuel-Air pilot adjust screw that is accessible. Very handy as you proceed higher.

Most Carb'd bikes have a Fuel-Air Pilot screw, most hard to get to on bottom of Carb. With an EXTENDED fuel screw, you can make adjustments in seconds ... from the seat of your bike.

Use fuel filters, keep air filter clean, change oil using GOOD oil, and you'll go easily 85K miles on the KLR, 40K miles on the KLX.

I have two FI bikes, '10 Versys, '09 WR250X, and one carbed bike, '07 KLR. FI is way better. Versys makes about double the hp of the KLR same displacement. WR250X is almost as fast as the KLR with less than half the displacement and gets 70 mpg.

I wouldn't think about taking either FI bike to Ushuaia. The KLR is my second one. First one made it to 100,000 miles. I will be taking the "new" KLR to Ushuaia in November . . . and hopefully back.

Said all that needs to be said on the subject? Moving on.

Know your bike. The more you know the less hassle you will have if something goes wrong. EFI or carb .. knowledge is the thing.

Changing a black box is easy. Being certain the fault is the black box is the problem. Does not matter is the black box is for the ignition system alone or the EFI.

I hate carburettors. Full of poxy bits of rubber that swell and split and need a micrometer to diagnose if you don't want to do diagnosis using tea leaves and a ouji board. Set up is by witch craft and seeing if the engine seizes on the first run out, or consulting the spark plug colour gods to see if its a "bit" one way or the other.

FI is diagnosed using a multi meter, wiring diagram and logic. The ODB tool gives you huge clues as to what the machine thinks it is.

Parts are parts. If you can't get a microscopic brass secondary choke bypass jet for your petrol sucking can you get someone to turn down one for a different carb. If your BMW fuel pump goes you buy a Nissan one and bodge it on with cable ties.

There is no difference, only skills, tools and parts.

Andy

In passing, I have pondered on that very thought for a short while; I guess people die, or move on elsewhere etc etc.
We could all consider the HUBB to be our very own individual epitaths.

There used to be a very knowledgeable input to the Yam tech sub-forum from a contributor that I won't name herein; but that stopped a number of years ago.


Personal experience of this a while ago; the OEM low pressure diesel fuel pump for a Nissan costs over 300 GBP new (it failed at a leaking welded joint simply because the painted finish to the mild steel corroded); it was replaced with one from a JCB digger for just over 100 GBP.
The latter needed a bit of fabrication by a good vehicle mech to adapt the support bracket for the pump - OTOH, this might not have been practical if said fuel pump was built into the fuel tank. OTOH, the fuel pump would not have failed in this manner (it was leaking but still functioned as a pump).

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Dave

I think this is the nub of it to me. I am an office boy with the same mechanical knowledge and practical skills as my dog.

Changing the oil, a tyre, a sprocket or brakes pad feels ok. Beyond that lies only phd rocket science!

I figure (perhaps wrongly) that i can sort of get my head round a carb with a bit of practice and that, if i cant, someone on my travels can. Im less sold on my chances of finding a local with the right diagnostics program on his pc.

I know this is different for those of you with skills but to be honest not only could i not rig up a fuel pump, i don't even know what the diagnosis tool is you are talking about. :-)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Oh come on mate. Once set up and if kept clean most Carbs go YEARS without fiddling. I clean my Carb annually but really haven't touched it in YEARS beyond that. If you're a bodger ... then stay clear, let Mech deal with it ... but even in Bolivia, Ulan Batar or Mozambique you'll find someone to help adjust your carb. E.F.I. ??? Not so sure!

Once set up ... Carb is DONE. Set up is easy on most, especially singles.
Quiju Board? Come on! So much info available now, just not a problem.

DR650 CV Carb (and others of this type) can wear out certain internal parts after 5 to 7 years of hard use. My solution was to buy a spare (for $60), like new. I replaced whole Carb. Kept spare bits but never needed any.

I did have to clean fuel filter once in Mexico, but in 60K miles, no problems at all. You can plug up a Pilot Jet if you're not taking care of your filters. But a Pilot jet is $6 and takes 15 minutes to change on most bikes. (I carry a spare on the road ... never needed it yet)

I've only ridden 200K miles on E.F.I. bikes (VFR, Tri Tiger (2), Vstrom (2)
They all had a few issues that were EFI specific. (except the Tigers) Most problems throttle body related, servo motors, and reflash issues. Suzuki took care of the Vstrom on warranty ... Honda mech fixed the VFR.
Luckily, neither left me on side of road ... but were a PitA until solved.

On a BIG multi, I would take EFI, on a simple single, I much prefer a Carb.
It's so accessible on my DR650 and SO easy to strip if needed. Just a no brainer. Biggest positive for EFI is the much better fuel economy they provide. I only get 50 MPG on my DR650. A F650 BMW gets 60 to 65 MPG.
Trade offs!

If one keep reliability questions off - an EFI bike would use less fuel and would be better at high altitudes. Two major advantages.

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In the end everything will be fine. If its not fine its not the end....