Bent needle

I'm rebuilding the carbs on my C2 and I just noticed that the needle on number 1 is bend. I would have assumed that this would have effected performance or something but I never noticed anything out of the ordinary, plugs looked good as well.

Should I be concerned? Wouldn't this effect the vacuum on carb 1? Should I try to bend it straight?

If your going to bend it heat it up some first. Not red hot, just enough to make it soft.

If you look down the carb bores, you probly never get to that portion of the needle. If it runs great in the high rpm/full throttle range, then leave it.

I don't know how it happened. The sign on the motorcycle shop door said "Our experienced carb technicians will give you more bang for the buck."

Recommend you get another needle. Also it very well may have worn your Needle Jet. At the cost of these 2 parts new you can get a K&L carb kit. It should have both, and float needle & Seat, new mixture screw and gaskets/ O-rings.
www.z1enterprises.com/Carburetor-Rebuild...KZ650-197779-42.aspx

Sorry no Needle Jet in this kit, only the Jet Needle.

650ed wrote: I don't know how it happened. The sign on the motorcycle shop door said "Our experienced carb technicians will give you more bang for the buck."

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I can't imagine the person that bend it and thought it would be fine to just run it that way anyway.

Motor Head wrote: Recommend you get another needle. Also it very well may have worn your main jet. At the cost of these 2 parts new you can get a K&L carb kit. It should have both, and float needle & Seat, new mixture screw and gaskets/ O-rings.
www.z1enterprises.com/Carburetor-Rebuild...KZ650-197779-42.aspx

Hmm, I thought about the kit, but I ended up ordering a new NOS needle off ebay. I've heard the quality of the parts in the kits (ie the needle) is not as good as the Kawi part. That being said, I never even thought of have a look at the main jet to check for damage or wear.

Would the wear be on the Main jet stem? Or the Main jet itself?

Actually the wear would be in the needle jet, as this is where the needle rides. Not the Main Jet, it is below the needle. So it would not come in the kit, my mistake for thinking it would.
I don't think any of the carb kits come with the Needle Jet. Probably hard to tell if it is worn from the Bent Jet Needle.