As my engine rebuild progresses, I've just started thinking about buying a brand new carb.
Looked up an Amal Concentric Premier.
£181 + VAT from one place >:(
Strewth! the last new concentric I bought cost £60 all in !
I'm wondering at over £200 whether a Mikuni VM might not only be a better carb, but also cheaper into the bargain too ?
And if the purists are cringing just at the thought, I believe the VM carb was actually designed in Birmingham by Amal, but BSA wouldn't pay the extra costs.
Otherwise what about the Wassell copies ?
Are they viable or just cheap junk ?
Hi,
Personally I would go for the Amal 28mm Premier. All the jetting is the same so easy to set up. The Mikuni is probably a better carb. but you may have to mess about with jetting to get it right. Also, the standard air filter can be used with Amal whereas the Mikuni needs a thin pancake filter as it comes out further from the head as it is fitted with a spigot rather than attached directly to the manifold.
Dave.
Cheers Dave !
I want to use the original type OIF air boxes so using a Mikuni would be very difficult I'd imagine, if not impossible.
The Mikuni wont fit under the bend of the frame tube on the OIF Thunderbolt as its mounted in the centre. A Twin Carb Lightning it would be OK. To get around that, others have made a bent spigot so the carb points backwards to the left or right of the Frame Tube/Oil Res. I think that looks awful and you wouldn't be able to fit the present airbox and covers.
Thanks for that !
I think I can manage to live with an Amal Premier TBH.
I believe that the terrible arangement of having a Mazak slide running in a Mazak carb body has been addressed by the Premier carb having a slide made from a harder metal that doesn't "pick up"
I found the old type Concentrics to be good carbs when new, but I hated the cronic wear rate