It's no secret that one of the most talked about and misunderstood subjects amongst ATV owners is proper carburetor jetting. Perfect jetting is vital for your engine, for both performance and longevity. However, getting it spot-on is often a hard, sometimes impossible task for many since conventional methods of monitoring jetting changes can be confusing. And with more and more owners modifying their motors with aftermarket parts, the need for a reliable, easy-to-use monitoring tool is long overdue.
Enter the Jet4Power unit from Jet4Power.com, an easy-to-use air/fuel ratio meter designed for the rugged environment off-road motorcycles and ATVs endure. Made for all 2 & 4-stroke motors, the Jet4Power meter is fully encapsulated in an epoxy shell, making it both water and shock-resistant. Jet4Power claims that their meter will be more sensitive, breaking down the desired air/fuel range further than other brands, to make super-fine tuning possible. Where others get you somewhat close, Jet4Power says their meter can and will get you perfect jetting. It sure does sound promising, so we placed our order in hopes to get our stubborn-running YFZ450 dialed in.
After receiving the kit and giving it a look-over, we noticed that it definitely is durable and should have no problem standing up to harsh off-road elements. The epoxy sealing looks better than expected, and it's evident that the entire meter is super-tough and should withstand the occasional drop on the garage floor with barely a scratch. The kit includes the meter, 02 sensor, a weld-in bung, and wiring harness with quality, water-proof connections. The metal bung must be welded into your exhaust pipe, and after deciding on the ideal placement for ours on the pipe, we took both pieces to a local welding shop, where they were welded together for $20. The 02 sensor then screws into this bung when using the meter. When not in use, simply remove the sensor and screw in the provided bolt. The entire system runs off of one 9-volt battery (not included).
Installation took all of 5 minutes. Simply screw the 02 sensor into the exhaust bung, find a good ground on the ATV's frame, attach the 9-volt battery, and secure the meter itself where desired. The only thing we aren't thrilled about is the way the meter was made to mount up. The flat surface doesn't really give too many options for mounting, and looks more like it should mount on the dashboard of a car rather than an ATV or motorcycle. It wouldn't be a problem if you only tune while sitting still, but the motor must be under "load" to get accurate readings, meaning it must be ridden. But nevertheless, we mounted it with zip-ties around our handlebar pad, the way Jet4Power suggests, and ran it several times at every RPM range. The meter has a total of 10 LED lights, one to show the unit is on, and the other nine to display the readings. Basically you want to be in the 3 center green LEDs at any given RPM range. If the yellow and red LEDs to the left are lighted, you are in a lean condition, meaning you need to richen the mixture. Too far to the right, and you're too rich. It's very simple, and even the most amateur wrencher will be able to understand it.
So does it work? Yes! We quickly and easily found where our jetting circuit needed tuning. You really can see the change just by replacing a single jet, so it's pretty sensitive. There's no more guesswork involved, and tearing apart your carburetors time and time again will be eliminated. Like said earlier, our only complaint is the way it's designed to mount. Something a little smaller that can clamp on to a set of handlebars would be ideal, but mounting it to our handlebar pad did work. Other than that one gripe, the entire unit is sturdy, weather-proof, and a life-saver! The price tag of $185 might seem steep to some, but when you consider how much better your engine will perform, and how much time it will save you, it really doesn't seem bad at all. There are cheaper methods out there, but when all is said and done you would be close to the price of the Jet4Power, and still won't have the sensitivity or protection that it has. Also, if you're on a tight budget, you can split the cost between 2 or 3 riding buddies. The weld-in bungs can be purchased sepparately for $15 each, so one meter can be used on many different machines (not at the same time, obviously). The Jet4Power meter kit can be purchased right in our own on-line store, the SpeedShop.
Quality: 4/5
Performance: 5/5
Installation: 4/5
Value: 4/5
Overall: 4.25/5
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Ten colored LED lights adorn the face of the Jet4Power air/fuel meter for easy reading.
The supplied O2 sensor attaches fast and easy into the headpipe when it's time to use the meter.
When not in use, simply screw and tighten the provided plug into the welded bung.
The meter is durable, water-proof, and will make proper carburetor jetting a reality.
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