Thanks for the answers. Now I know there is electricity happening in the synapses! ;)
CDave's site is commonly confused with this forum. While the two are hosted by the same outfit, and obviously related in subject matter, they are
not the same thing. That's largely why the 'Every kdx rider should read...' is stuck to the top of this forum...to help people get from one to the other (it's easy to get from CDave's to here..but not quite as simple the other way 'round).
A couple of things:
1. Try some searches with different words (needle and/or carburetor may be a couple) and see what you come up with.
2. If you haven't read thru
THIS THREAD , then give it a go. It's long, and not all related to what you're after, but it's got some critical carb-tuning info in it.
3. In the above thread you'll see posts from JD. While he can't tout his own stuff, I can! ;) He has a spreadsheet available (yes he charges for it) that will allow you to do what I mentioned earlier. You can enter jetting (pilot, main, needle, clip and TV cutaway) and ambient info (temp, elevation and such) for five different setups. You get graphical representation of the needle slopes and % change.
Besides that, you get some info on suggested needles for different carbs.
I use it. It's a great tool. You can check it out
HERE!
4. Look around the web for related info. Try google searches (google.com) for some carb outfits (sudco, carbparts and mxsouth are a few). You'll find some more charts, graphs and info. Mxsouth has a chart (well they used to, anyway) that shows different needles in a richer<-->leaner grid that may be of use to you.
BTW...some of the proprietary kawi needles (of the Rxxxx-x type) do
not cross directly to a keihin needle. In that case you can interpolate between known numbers to get a 1/2 way decent guess as to what the keihin # is.
JD's spreadsheet does take input like R1173L and graphs it along with keihin #'s like CEL, DDK and the like.
Have fun!
An item of considerable importance that may not be crystal clear in your reading (it should be if you read it well)....consider that the L1 value in needle geometry is a length to where the needle is 2.515mm in diameter. It is
not a length to where the taper
starts on the needle.
This becomes very important when you realize that an 'A' taper needle (1º taper) compared to a 'C' taper needle (1.5º slope) of the same L1 will start its taper
earlier because the slope is slower, so it takes more length (farther) to 'get there' (there being 2.515mm).
In real life, you'll find then (in a particular given situation) an 'A' needle much richer on the bottom (lower throttle position) than the 'C' of the same L1.
JD's sheet will show you that, too.
Interesting how it all works, 'eh?
Have fun!! Oh......I said that already........
Cheers, then!! ;)