• Introduction
• My Crash

None. :-(

• Hawk
• CBR900RR
• Virago
• Shadow VLX
• EX500
• SV650
• Magna
• Marauder
• Bandit 1200
• Concours
• Duke II

• Bad Boy

Yes, I traded the rice rocket in on a cruiser.

I was expecting to be a little disappointed with the power available from the Magna. Not so. The Magna pulls hard up to about 1000 rpm off redline. The motor is extremely smooth (especially compared to the Duke's single). The noise is a little soulless until you really start to get on it, at which point it builds a pleasant low roar.

Ownership has been uneventful, except for the persistant stumble at small throttle openings or on/off transitions. I've disassembled the carbs to look for blockage (it only had 1400 miles when I bought it three years old), and tried backing out the pilots a quarter turn. I need to try carb synch next, but I need the right angle screwdriver to reach the adjusters.

Update: Carb synch helped the transitional throttle abruptness, but the lean surge at steady-state throttle from 4-5k was still there. After getting the run-around trying to buy needle shims, I broke down and bought a Factory jet kit. The only part I needed was the adjustable needles. The needles look basically the same as stock, but about half to ²/₃rds of the conical point at the end of the needle has been ground off. At the recommended starting position for the clip, the needles are the same length up to the base of that cone, leading me to believe that you could grind off part of the cone to richen the midrange a bit.

After installation, the lean surge is GONE. Woo-hoo!