Highly recommended and worth doing.
"Well today, my Twinmax arrived and I took the plunge on trying to balance the throttle bodies on the bike. Turns out it was ridiculously easy to do (thanks to all who posted info on this forum and also on you tube). I really have to get over my apprehension of all thing mechanical, so far they've all been easier than I thought.
Anyway, after quite a few turns of the cable (I was a long way out) I now have that smooth turbine like engine back. I thought on a few rides recently that the engine was getting a bit vibey and so that's what led me to this twin max purchase. Highly recommended and worth doing."
Result: A real clockwork.
"I inaugurated my TwinMax on my "granny" R80ST. The result: a real clockwork, with even less vibration than before. I'd managed to get good idle synchro with needle depressometers loaned by the dealer, but I was less satisfied with accelerated synchro. With the Twinmax, I had no problem doing it and the difference is noticeable."
All considered I think it's a great tool
"I've been synchronizing carbs/throttle plates for years with all different types of tools.. Gauges, homemade manometer, mercury carb sticks of various types and makes..
Finally bought a TwinMax (just curious I suppose) and I like it.. Compared to the carb sticks overall I think it's a good choice and easier to use.. No fluid or mercury, no problems with bubbles/voids in the fluid.. Can be used while driving.. It may not be quiet as accurate as the best tool you could get your hands on but it seems accurate enough..
All considered I think it's a great tool .. I did use the hoses and line restrictions from a carb stick set to cut any needle flutter, takes about 2 seconds for it to stabilize with the restrictions in but the indicator sits dead still.. My GS runs great.."
The bike will thank you.
"I received my TwinMax today, and had my 1100r checked. Result: a slight imbalance at idle and more important at opening. I reset everything, and... ah yes. Moral: if you can invest, don't hesitate, she'll thank you! The bike."
A lot easier to use than a manometer
I recently used a TwinMax balancer to calibrate my throttle bodies. I'm extremely pleased.
I've used a SyncPro in the past with good results (or so I thought), but my unit needs to have the fluid replaced again. It can evaporate if you forget to cap it off in storage (or the guy you lent it to doesn't cap it off). It's kind of a hassle to replace the fluid. And the readings are not as fine as I would really like.
So I looked into the TwinMax, which is highly recommended by a lot of other BMW wrenchers. I used it a couple of days ago to balance the throttle bodies on my '06 R1200GS.
The TwinMax is a lot easier to use than a manometer because it doesn't have to be vertical. You can hold it in your hand or set it down nearby. I set it on the under-seat storage while working, I could see it clearly while I had both hands on the cable adjusters.
The TwinMax also appears to be a lot more sensitive than a manometer, giving very fine readings in vacuum differential and being easy to calibrate before use. I was able to rough-in the adjustment on the TwinMax's medium sensitivity level, and then fine tune it until I had good readings at the highest sensitivity.
Today I took the bike for a test ride. WOW. The bike runs better than it has since I've owned it. It's never been this smooth, not even after what I thought was a really good balance on the throttle bodies using the SyncPro. I don't think it was very far out of balance before, but when you can get it JUST RIGHT, the smoothness is incredible. I highly recommend this for balancing the boxer.
Instinctive.
"Mega easy to use and ultra precise! Quasi-instinctive, in short, what happiness, I highly recommend this investment."
You can feel the difference.
"I did my little idle adjustment and the aperture adjustment at 2-3,000 rpm, and it's running like clockwork, you can really feel the difference, even if I wasn't far off synchro-wise before."
Indispensable.
"Once you've had a taste of the TwinMax, its precision and above all its ease of use (and I'm not even talking about the fact that you can carry it in your pocket to a friend's house, for example!)... there's really no need to hesitate!!! And I've had mine for a good ten years now, and you can balance a big 4-stroke twin (BM or Guzzi) as well as a 4-stroke in-line or V (my VFR) or a 2-stroke twin (my 3 1/2 RDLC), so I'd say it's (almost) indispensable for any self-respecting do-it-yourselfer."
Victory by knockout.
"The TwinMax doesn't work at all like a system with two needle dials. If the dials aren't accurate and precise enough, you set up your bike with the same display, but the measured vacuum is wrong, because the engine isn't properly synchronized.
With a TwinMax, you measure the difference in pressure between the two sides, so zero is indicated = perfect balance, especially as sensitivity is adjustable. So the TwinMax won by KO from the start of the 1st round, I'd even say, before the match had begun."
For old and new.
"And don't forget the TwinMax, which gives excellent results on all old and modern twin-cylinders (Guzzi V11, Guzzi Breva, Guzzi Calif, Buell, Harley...) I use it regularly on all my bikes without any problems."
Very easy to use.
"I've been using this (Twinmax) for about ten years, very easy to use and very accurate. I've even synched 4-cylinders with it."
On Kawas triple.
"Back when I had a triple kawa, I tuned it with this (TwinMax). I drilled the intake pipes and tapped to screw on the nipples and then, once the carbs are properly synchronized, you can drop the idle below 1000 rpm and it picks up without clogging like a bullet."
Perfect precision.
"That's what I've got, the TwinMax, and to do the 4-cylinder synchros, it takes 10 minutes including disassembly/reassembly of the saddle and tank. It's child's play to use, and irreproachably accurate compared with the needle-type depressiometers I'd used before. I really don't regret my purchase."
It works much better.
"I received my TwinMax and did the synchro on Friday. It's quite simple, but you have to do it 2 by 2 and it runs much more smoothly than before with the adjustment with a drill bit. Thanks again for the info."
Hard to do for less.
"The TwinMax? At the price of the measuring capsules sold on their own, you'll find it hard to go any cheaper. And a broken crankshaft from a poorly calibrated unit will cost you more than that. That's just my opinion."
I'm feeling much better.
"I used to use a dial depressiometer. During the last synchro on the V11 and the Corsa, it didn't work very well. I took them back with a TwinMax and had to guess one turn the synchro dial on both bikes and now it's much better."
Precise measurements.
"The only reliable depressiometer (in measurements and over time) in my eyes is the TwinMax. Its repeated use on my GT suz or on my "everyday" Guzzi has proved accurate and stable. Now it's up to you."
This device is great.
"At one time, I was planning to write a topic on this device. It's great, I bought it to do a synchro on a 550 Zephyr (4 cylinders), in 1/4 hour it was done. I can only recommend this purchase, a 5 year old child would know how to use it. Much better than vacuum columns. On the other hand, the richness has to be OK, otherwise you'll have trouble synchronizing."
Quite a saving.
"Well, I've found my next investment, it's a hell of a saving compared to the garage."
Ideal for 2 and 4 cylinders.
"On a 4-cylinder, there's always a non-adjustable vacuum carb. This is the mark. Let's say it's the 3. You set the 4 on the 3, then the 1 with the 2. Then, using the central screw, you balance the pair 1-2 with the 3 (and therefore with the 4 too). A two-input depressiometer is therefore perfectly sufficient, and the TwinMax is ideal."
Excellent synchro.
"Guzzi can give a tolerance of +- 1cm of mercury, but you have to see what equipment dealers use to do the synchro. A lot of them use needle depressiometers whose precision is much less good than that of a TwinMax (I've made the comparison and it's unquestionable). So, if with a TwinMax you have a reasonable oscillation around zero between 3000 and 4000 rpm, or even more, you can consider that you've made an excellent synchro."
Super easy.
"For my birthday, I received an electronic carburetor synchronization tool called TwinMax. Before, to synchronize the carburetors on my W650, I used mercury columns that I borrowed from a fellow motorcyclist. I found the operation cumbersome, with the liquid moving over several millimeters.
With the TwinMax, the adjustment is super easy; it's done in five minutes. The device is very simple: a rectangular box, two buttons, and a rotary dial. You connect the two hoses to the carburetors, set the zero on the dial and the sensitivity, and then adjust the carburetor synchronization screw. According to a test published in Motolégende, the settings are precise; they compared it with a SOURIAU bench (professional equipment)."
Indispensable.
"For me, the TwinMax has become essential for checking synchronization—an investment that is both useful and very practical to use."
The only reliable vacuum gauge.
"In my opinion, the only reliable vacuum gauge (in measurements and over time) is the TwinMax... Its repeated use on my Suz GT or on my everyday Guzzi has proven to be accurate and stable... Now, it's up to you to decide."
From 125CB to1000GL
"I recently purchased the TwinMax device to adjust the synchronization on my CB 125 K5, and the results are really good (easy setup and operation with good precision in adjustments). I also use it to adjust the carburetors on my 1000 GL (without any problems)."
Yamaha MT-07 injection.
"For adjusting the injection on the MT07, you will need:
- To synchronize the throttle openings and adjust the idle: a TwinMax (the top-of-the-line balancer).
- For checking and potentially adjusting the TPS (if it's a movable TPS): a simple multimeter.
- For adjusting the richness: the official Yamaha tool (among other functions, it reads fault codes, diagnoses issues, and tests sensors)."
Alfa-Roméo and Dellorto
"I happen to have one that I bought to tune motorcycle carburetor assemblies. I tried it on the Dellortos of my Alfa. For this, you need to get adapters to create a vacuum on each carburetor body. First, you adjust the two bodies of the same carburetor using the screw that you are not supposed to adjust, which is usually tightened all the way (the one with the locknut, but its name escapes me...). It's supposedly an "anti-pollution" screw that you're not supposed to touch... But it works much better after everything is synchronized!
Then, you take a vacuum on each carburetor and adjust the synchronization on the linkage, as you would with a vacuum gauge. However, in this case, you're not measuring vacuum but rather the difference in vacuum between two passages. The needle should be at the center of the dial for balance. With the "sensitivity" knob, you can achieve very fine adjustments. The advantage of this device is that it does not disrupt the airflow at all, as one might do with a vacuum synchronizer that partially blocks the intake. Therefore, it is much more precise."
Lancia and Solex.
"I also have one for several years that I use to synchronize the Solex carburetors on my Fulvia, and I must say it's easy to use, fast, and effective."
There's nothing better
"For synchronizing twin-cylinder engines, there's nothing better than the TwinMax... It connects to the injection vacuum ports, and voila! Used for years on Guzzi, BMW, Vstrom, and other KTM bikes: pure joy."