Fuel injection vs carburettor: what changes in upkeep

Both systems do the same job but fail and ask for attention in different ways. Knowing the difference keeps you from poking where you shouldn't and from missing what actually needs doing.

• Carburettor: watch the synchronisation and mixture setting. If the engine idles unevenly, hesitates or sneezes, the cause is usually jets or out-of-sync carbs.
• Carburettor: before a long layup, drain the float bowls through the drain screw. Fuel evaporates there and leaves a sticky film that clogs the jets.
• Injection: the main enemy is not jets but dirty fuel. Replace the fuel filter if your bike has a serviceable one, and avoid dodgy fuel stations.
• Injection: don't take apart throttle bodies or injectors without need. They are calibrated and adapted to the ECU, so cleaning and setting them is better left to a workshop.
• On both: keep an eye on the air filter. A clogged one enriches the mixture, raises consumption and dulls the throttle response. Check the owner's manual for intervals.