Flat Slide Manifolds?

[82ndCowboy]

Ok guys I have a set of flat slide carbs. I'm semi motivated to get them put on my VMax.
Next thing I need is the manifolds for them.
Any one got a leed on how to get some?

 

[Fire-medic]

I don't think Sean Morley has a high opinion of the flat slides. You might be better off just doing a Morley Muscle jet kit to a set of OEM carbs and save your money. The guy who took over for UFO in North Royalton Ohio may have manifolds for you if you really want to do it. I think it's now Star Rider Performance 1985-2007 Vmax - Fuel Systems - VGAS - Page 1 - Star Rider Performance
I don't see them listed separately, a call or email might get you some.

From speaking w/you at Boxenstopp's in the past, I know you would like to have the bling of the VGAS-type setup. However, there's more to-it than getting the manifolds. Then you have to configure mounting them together, whatever enrichener you need for starting, admittedly not as-much of an issue here in Florida as it would be elsewhere. But then you have the cables actuation, the cables themselves, etc. Take a look at what Star Rider lists for their Keihein system. You might be better-off sending the carbs to them, and paying the piper to have them ready to-go, as a bolt-on. Also remember that there are issues related to the air filtration as-in, if you think the piece of gauze with an elastic band is gonna adequately-protect your engine, no, it won't. The scoops which fit the VGAS system may-have some filtration, I dunno for-sure. Looks like they may-not be manufacturing them anymore, as the pair they have in the online catalog is listed as, "the last one" (pair). Ram Air Scoops (85-07 All)

These boys aren't cheap: 'Mikuni' 40mm Flat Slide Carb. Conversion (1200)

 

[82ndCowboy]

I don't think Sean Morley has a high opinion of the flat slides. You might be better off just doing a Morley Muscle jet kit to a set of OEM carbs and save your money. The guy who took over for UFO in North Royalton Ohio may have manifolds for you if you really want to do it. I think it's now Star Rider Performance 1985-2007 Vmax - Fuel Systems - VGAS - Page 1 - Star Rider Performance
I don't see them listed separately, a call or email might get you some.

Thanks FM...
But I already have the set of carbs. And I love the sound of them.
Not doing it for power. Need to get exhaust too Before I put them on. And still not sure if i want to loose the classic exhaust look.
Just toying with the idea.
Like I said.. semi motivated. My carbs got trashed sitting. Flat slides would alleviate some of that problem.

 

[Fire-medic]

Thanks FM...
But I already have the set of carbs. And I love the sound of them.
Not doing it for power. Need to get exhaust too Before I put them on. And still not sure if i want to loose the classic exhaust look.
Just toying with the idea.
Like I said.. semi motivated. My carbs got trashed sitting. Flat slides would alleviate some of that problem.

An overhaul of your carbs is gonna be less-than finding all the pieces to make your flat slides function. Are your flat-slides already set-up for a VMax, and for whatever reason, you don't have the manifolds? I'm no Sean Morley or dannymax when it comes to fettling crabs, but I wouldn't hesitate to rip-into a set for a trip to the ultrasonic bath. The things I find needing replacement are the gaskets under the jet blocks, the float needles, and that pesky tiny O-ring at the 6 o'clock position of the CV caps, which pops-off like it's a JATO-equipped item, on occasion, if it doesn't stick-around in the carb body recess for it.

 

[82ndCowboy]

An overhaul of your carbs is gonna be less-than finding all the pieces to make your flat slides function. Are your flat-slides already set-up for a VMax, and for whatever reason, you don't have the manifolds?

I got a great deal on the carb set when I was at Thunder years ago. But I never got around to putting them on.
The whole purpose of this post is to see if I can get the manifolds.
Kyle already did an overhaul of my carbs.
This is just a fun project I'd like to Maybe do.
It's my VMax, and if I want to do it, I will.
Then again. Maybe I won't.
Stop being a negative Nelly!

 

[Fire-medic]

When the most-experienced guy doing highly-modified induction to Gen. 1 VMaxes on-here posts his impressions of the flatslides, and it's not particularly-positive, like E.F. Hutton, "people listen."

At-least I did.

Sean's tried to make the Megasquirt work, and it hasn't been a particularly-rewarding job. Again, I listened.

By all-means, if you have your heart set upon the flat-slides, mount 'em, and once you're done sorting them out so they work at-least as-well as the OEM system, with a comparable level of effective filtration, inform us of what you accomplished. You may be able to provide a cottage industry of flat-slides being worked-through the bugs, to work all-around as well as the OEM system.

I will tell you, my friend who Kyle knows, who's built supercharged, turbo, big-bore, and NOS VMaxes, paid Jon Cornell close to $2K for the complete VGAS system he installed on a 1500cc+ engine he built, and that was without any filtration other-than those carburetor bellmouth 'garters' with fabric mesh for filtration. That's what the customer wanted, that's what my friend built for him. It got maybe 20 MPG, and the owner broke multiple driveshafts along the way. As Sean said, "better to break driveshafts than to destroy a pair of expensively, extensively-modified engine cases."

I suspect you're going to be putting four figures into the carbs just to get them mounted, w/little to nothing in the way of filtration, and tuning yet to-be done. Dyno time ain't cheap.

Your bike, your vision of what you want, take notes and pics, so we can learn from your efforts.

 

[Parminio]

Something tells me you're looking up the ass of a dead dog on this one, @Fire-medic.

 

[one2dmax]

I think I may have some manifolds here. BUT, not sure if you want V-Gas or PCW version? Email me!

 

[82ndCowboy]

I think I may have some manifolds here. BUT, not sure if you want V-Gas or PCW version? Email me!

Thanks Sean. Will do.

When the most-experienced guy doing highly-modified induction to Gen. 1 VMaxes on-here posts his impressions of the flatslides, and it's not particularly-positive, like E.F. Hutton, "people listen."

At-least I did.

Sean's tried to make the Megasquirt work, and it hasn't been a particularly-rewarding job. Again, I listened.

By all-means, if you have your heart set upon the flat-slides, mount 'em, and once you're done sorting them out so they work at-least as-well as the OEM system, with a comparable level of effective filtration, inform us of what you accomplished. You may be able to provide a cottage industry of flat-slides being worked-through the bugs, to work all-around as well as the OEM system.

I will tell you, my friend who Kyle knows, who's built supercharged, turbo, big-bore, and NOS VMaxes, paid Jon Cornell close to $2K for the complete VGAS system he installed on a 1500cc+ engine he built, and that was without any filtration other-than those carburetor bellmouth 'garters' with fabric mesh for filtration. That's what the customer wanted, that's what my friend built for him. It got maybe 20 MPG, and the owner broke multiple driveshafts along the way. As Sean said, "better to break driveshafts than to destroy a pair of expensively, extensively-modified engine cases."

I suspect you're going to be putting four figures into the carbs just to get them mounted, w/little to nothing in the way of filtration, and tuning yet to-be done. Dyno time ain't cheap.

Your bike, your vision of what you want, take notes and pics, so we can learn from your efforts.

Again FM. It's just a project I'm thinking about.
I happen to run with Marcus Hickman from time to time. He has a 1500 PCW chain drive that won the dyno shootout in Daytona during bike week, for that class. More than once. He rides that bike all over the place balls to the wall. And I have never seen him have ANY carb problems ever.
Has his motor been perfect? No. Has he had issues. Yes. But never with the flat slides.
Any time you change what the factory designs and builds, you will have issues. It's part Of the game.
You CHoose to do it. Or you choose not to.
Its personal freedoms of what we each have with our bikes.
I did not ask for your opinions on If its cost effective or If it will trash my motor.
I asked for leads on what I need to accomplish my project. So I can decide IF I want to do it.
I appreciate the knowledge you share. A lot of it is very good stuff. And I hope you continue to share it.
But when you reply to people's post you should share the information they are ASKING for and stop telling people why they shouldn't do it. Unless of course they are asking for an opinion on whether or not they should do it.
Just food for thought.

 

[82ndCowboy]

And what if? People like Morley, Harnish, Cornel, Warner, Gainey. Listened to other people that told them, man you shouldn't do that, your going to destroy your motor, it's a waste of money. Stick to factory, or use only this brand of parts? Only do this or it's a waste of time.
Would any of us have any VMax that is different from the others?
Diversity, Individualism, experimentation.
To boldly go where no man has gone before.
It's life man. You Live, You Learn. And If Your Lucky you look back at all you've lived through and say....
Man! What A Fuckin Ride! Let's do it again!

 

[Fire-medic]

I think you must have forgotten speaking to me multiple times at Boxenstopp's. Yes, I know Marcus Hickman, yes, I also have ridden with him. He wisely refrained from riding to my right with my UFO Dragstar 4/1 when we rode from Boxenstopp to Deland Airport for lunch: "too-loud!" He's right. I also heard his bike on the dyno when it was the Horsepower Shootout west of I-95 at AMI on I-92.

I spoke w/him about an issue he was having w/his bike, and referred him to my friend if he wanted to have the work done. This guy and one or the other of his machinists he uses can do almost anything to fix a sick engine. After-all, it's just $.

BTW, two of the four guys you named in that list are deceased. They aren't gonna be doing any more cutting-edge designs. Yes what they did was showing others the way. Citing them as examples of people going their own way, you could say the same thing about computers/software and Jobs, Gates, Ellison, Wozniak, and Dave Cutler of Microsoft. Visionaries see further, because they have-stood on the shoulders of others.

If you want to spend your time and money to get your flatslides together, I stand-by my request: take lots of pictures and share what you learn, so others won't have to repeat the mistakes you experience along your way.

You've been gone from here a long time. Many members on-here try to assist others with whatever they can, you can include me in that cohort. Sometimes the best advice given and heeded is that there's a cheaper way to do much the same thing, quicker. If someone's trying to locate rare parts and someone-else just wants to get their lightly-modded bike running properly again, many people would just as-soon ride with some $ in their pockets, on a close-to stock ride, instead of waiting on chasing-down expensive parts and then trying to get them to work, all of-which delays a return to the road. That doesn't mean I'm telling you, "don't do it," we're all interested to see how things work-out for you.

 

[Parminio]

we're all interested to see how things work-out for you.

 

[82ndCowboy]

I think you must have forgotten speaking to me multiple times at Boxenstopp's. Yes, I know Marcus Hickman, yes, I also have ridden with him. He wisely refrained from riding to my right with my UFO Dragstar 4/1 when we rode from Boxenstopp to Deland Airport for lunch: "too-loud!" He's right. I also heard his bike on the dyno when it was the Horsepower Shootout west of I-95 at AMI on I-92.

I spoke w/him about an issue he was having w/his bike, and referred him to my friend if he wanted to have the work done. This guy and one or the other of his machinists he uses can do almost anything to fix a sick engine. After-all, it's just $.

BTW, two of the four guys you named in that list are deceased. They aren't gonna be doing any more cutting-edge designs. Yes what they did was showing others the way. Citing them as examples of people going their own way, you could say the same thing about computers/software and Jobs, Gates, Ellison, Wozniak, and Dave Cutler of Microsoft. Visionaries see further, because they have-stood on the shoulders of others.

If you want to spend your time and money to get your flatslides together, I stand-by my request: take lots of pictures and share what you learn, so others won't have to repeat the mistakes you experience along your way.

You've been gone from here a long time. Many members on-here try to assist others with whatever they can, you can include me in that cohort. Sometimes the best advice given and heeded is that there's a cheaper way to do much the same thing, quicker. If someone's trying to locate rare parts and someone-else just wants to get their lightly-modded bike running properly again, many people would just as-soon ride with some $ in their pockets, on a close-to stock ride, instead of waiting on chasing-down expensive parts and then trying to get them to work, all of-which delays a return to the road. That doesn't mean I'm telling you, "don't do it," we're all interested to see how things work-out for you.

Doent Matter if they are deceased. You ignored my whole point. Which was doers dont listen to nay sayers.
They and others pioneered allot of what gets done in the Vmax community.
When people post a Question, they want an answer to their question. Not some big speech on why it's not the right thing to do.
If someone doesn't ask for your Opinion. Keep it to yourself.

 

[82ndCowboy]

And just because I havent been posting in this forum all the time. Doent mean I've been gone. I've been part of the vmax community since '06. I have just been using a different media to communicate with every one.
Even without coming in here I referred anyone who wanted Vmax Info to this forum. Because it has always been the best place for it. Because of people like you, and all the others.
But in my old age I have developed an intolerance for negative crap.
And all this corona virus bullshit has gotten me to a point where I'm not going to stand by and blow shit off anymore. I'm gonna kick in some fucking doors and give people a dose of reality.

 

[82ndCowboy]

I now have 2 leeds on manifolds. Morley and Thanks to you. Extracrep.
That is what I was looking for. Nothing more. I was also thinking maybe some one else in here had or knew of some one that might have an old set laying around.
It never hurts to ask.
And that's what this community is for.

 

[one2dmax]

The 3 worst ever grenaded engines (not including the dirt track vmax engines) I have ever had in this shop had flatslides. I had another customer bike in here for over a year before I finally got it figured out what was going on (nearly new needle and seats and I was told they needed replaced on a regular basis). They make you smell like gas when done riding it. They aren't easy to sync (unless you get the manifolds with the drilled and tapped sync ports!). And, they aren't a power gain for stock motors. I remember riding with guys who would carry fuel cans strapped to their bikes and a bad of spark plugs and tools so they could change them mid ride (in Eureka Springs). So, yes. They aren't a perfect solution.

 

[Itgoes]

The 3 worst ever grenaded engines (not including the dirt track vmax engines) I have ever had in this shop had flatslides. I had another customer bike in here for over a year before I finally got it figured out what was going on (nearly new needle and seats and I was told they needed replaced on a regular basis). They make you smell like gas when done riding it. They aren't easy to sync (unless you get the manifolds with the drilled and tapped sync ports!). And, they aren't a power gain for stock motors. I remember riding with guys who would carry fuel cans strapped to their bikes and a bad of spark plugs and tools so they could change them mid ride (in Eureka Springs). So, yes. They aren't a perfect solution.

For some reason Cornell sold the V-Gas kits with way to large main jets and incorrect instructions for needle position.
I had a bike that I bought with a set already on the motor and it was no faster than my bone stock bike even though I had a Kerker with the race baffle on the flatslide bike.
I bought it to PCW and John Gainey tuned it for me. He reduced the mains and adjusted the needles and picked up over 12 HP. The raw gas smell was gone when riding.
They can be setup correctly and work good on a Vmax with some effort. Very responsive in the midrange, better than stock.
That being said if you buy the flatslides new, they are a terrible bang for the buck when compared to your Muscle Kit that makes similar peak power with stock carbs...IMO.

 

[Fire-medic]

The 3 worst ever grenaded engines (not including the dirt track vmax engines) I have ever had in this shop had flatslides. I had another customer bike in here for over a year before I finally got it figured out what was going on (nearly new needle and seats and I was told they needed replaced on a regular basis). They make you smell like gas when done riding it. They aren't easy to sync (unless you get the manifolds with the drilled and tapped sync ports!). And, they aren't a power gain for stock motors. I remember riding with guys who would carry fuel cans strapped to their bikes and a bad of spark plugs and tools so they could change them mid ride (in Eureka Springs). So, yes. They aren't a perfect solution.

Sean's comments about the aroma of raw gasoline on your clothes after riding a flatslides-equipped motorcycle (that would specifically be a Gen 1 VMax) are what I recalled from his post. My point was that for most Gen 1 VMax owners, their powerplant doesn't undergo serious internal modifications, where there might be some advantage on going with fuel-gulpers like larger-than-stock flatslides feeding an increased-displacement engine, with headwork, due-to someone dropping probably more $ on their engine, than their stock bike is worth. In the case of a stock-powerplant being 'treated' to a set of flatslides, the unhappy owner is probably going to be very-unhappy that their bike gets crummy mileage, constantly has running issues (recall Sean's comments about drivability and flatslides) and allows 'em to leave their bottle of Axe at-home, because now they are sporting aroma d'octane instead. A well-sorted rack of OEM Mikunis, or ones sporting the Morley's Muscle (MM) jet kit, w/its modded airbox lid, is going to return an increase in performance (the MM), decent fuel mileage, and compared-to a flatslide-equipped bike, less maintenance. Sean's point of the difficulty of syncing the carbs w/o the intake manifolds being equipped-with ports specifically for-that is worthy of consideration in weighing, "do I want to go-through all-this?" Especially on a stock engine.

I'm still-interested in your attempts to make your flatslides work, please include what internal modifications your bike has to benefit from the switch-over, per Sean's observation on that being a primary consideration to realize better performance once the flatslides are installed. Have at-it, and remember we like pics, lots of pics.

Your comment about "you nay sayer, keep your opinion to yourself" is apparently an attempt to stifle free-speech. Why on-earth would you want to-do that? This is America! As-long as you're not yelling "fire!" for no-reason in a crowded theater, or espousing bigotry, racial hatred, misogny, or other comments against Constitutionally-protected categories, you get to-say what you wish. If you don't want to read something, that's your choice-don't. I've read well-thought-out comments by you on some issues, that's where we all benefit; I hope that your input one-day helps me with something I'm trying to do. Pax vobiscum.

 

[82ndCowboy]

Sean's comments about the aroma of raw gasoline on your clothes after riding a flatslides-equipped motorcycle (that would specifically be a Gen 1 VMax) are what I recalled from his post. My point was that for most Gen 1 VMax owners, their powerplant doesn't undergo serious internal modifications, where there might be some advantage on going with fuel-gulpers like larger-than-stock flatslides feeding an increased-displacement engine, with headwork, due-to someone dropping probably more $ on their engine, than their stock bike is worth. In the case of a stock-powerplant being 'treated' to a set of flatslides, the unhappy owner is probably going to be very-unhappy that their bike gets crummy mileage, constantly has running issues (recall Sean's comments about drivability and flatslides) and allows 'em to leave their bottle of Axe at-home, because now they are sporting aroma d'octane instead. A well-sorted rack of OEM Mikunis, or ones sporting the Morley's Muscle (MM) jet kit, w/its modded airbox lid, is going to return an increase in performance (the MM), decent fuel mileage, and compared-to a flatslide-equipped bike, less maintenance. Sean's point of the difficulty of syncing the carbs w/o the intake manifolds being equipped-with ports specifically for-that is worthy of consideration in weighing, "do I want to go-through all-this?" Especially on a stock engine.

I'm still-interested in your attempts to make your flatslides work, please include what internal modifications your bike has to benefit from the switch-over, per Sean's observation on that being a primary consideration to realize better performance once the flatslides are installed. Have at-it, and remember we like pics, lots of pics.

Your comment about "you nay sayer, keep your opinion to yourself" is apparently an attempt to stifle free-speech. Why on-earth would you want to-do that? This is America! As-long as you're not yelling "fire!" for no-reason in a crowded theater, or espousing bigotry, racial hatred, misogny, or other comments against Constitutionally-protected categories, you get to-say what you wish. If you don't want to read something, that's your choice-don't. I've read well-thought-out comments by you on some issues, that's where we all benefit; I hope that your input one-day helps me with something I'm trying to do. Pax vobiscum.

Apparently you have forgotten what a question is.
If some asks for info. THEY WANT THAT INFO. MOST OF US, NOTHING MORE.
Now if some one asks for OPINIONS. THEN by all means give it.
I thought the VMOA died. But apparently it is alive and well in here.
It's a shame all these opinions weren't around when Steve Jasse needed content for the VBoost Magazine.
Free speech is not forcing your opinion on others when they dont ask for it.

 

[82ndCowboy]

The 3 worst ever grenaded engines (not including the dirt track vmax engines) I have ever had in this shop had flatslides. I had another customer bike in here for over a year before I finally got it figured out what was going on (nearly new needle and seats and I was told they needed replaced on a regular basis). They make you smell like gas when done riding it. They aren't easy to sync (unless you get the manifolds with the drilled and tapped sync ports!). And, they aren't a power gain for stock motors. I remember riding with guys who would carry fuel cans strapped to their bikes and a bad of spark plugs and tools so they could change them mid ride (in Eureka Springs). So, yes. They aren't a perfect solution.

Funny I was just at Deals Gap with Marcus and Jim Piscatello all weekend and they never smelled like gas. And they both have flat slides.