TaoTao TBR7 Carburetor Upgrade – Setup.

The time has come to do the first major TBR7 upgrades for my first motorcycle. It’s no secret that TaoTao installs a stock carburetor that runs lean and under-powers the TBR7’s engine.

Because of this, many TBR7 owners’ first significant upgrade is a new carburetor or heavily modifying the stock carburetor with new jets.

For owners of the RPS Hawk 250, there are tiny body changes on the Hawk 250 compared to the TaoTao TBR7, but many internal parts are identical.

The engine, clutch, transmission, air box, and of course, the carburetor. Feel free to use my site’s TBR7 information to help you upgrade your Hawk 250’s. I know this is a fact since I followed much of the dated Hawk 250 carburetor upgrading information on the web for upgrading my TBR7.

So, for now on, when I write TBR7, feel free I am mentioning the RPS Hawk 250 as well. You will find I will often say the TBR7 as “TBR7 / Hawk 250“.

Why Do The TBR7 Carburetor Upgrade?

Two Words: MORE POWER!

An upgraded TBR7 carb allows for fine tuning the air/fuel radio to maximize the power created in the engine.

Read the motorcycle forums, and changing jets sizes is a performance improvement project necessary to fine-tune the fuel/air ratios with elevation changes.

My stock carburetor doesn’t allow any jet changes, idle and main, so I have to either modify(“hacksaw”) the stock carburetor or change the carburetor out for one I can adjust.

Why Upgrade With A New Carb Vs. Mod Stock Carb?

Buying A New TBR7 Carburetor Points:

1. Modifying the stock TBR7/Hawk 250 carburetor requires invasive steps like hack-sawing grooves into the blank body screws. Which is messy and could contaminate the carburetor. Advice was to do this around a large magnet to collect the metal shavings. I still felt buying a new carburetor was a better solution, time wise and carb safety wise.
   
2. A brand new carburetor is very low priced. The TBR7 and Hawk 250 engines are copies of an older Honda engine, which has resulted in a larger aftermarket supply of replacement parts. The ample supply has managed to keep the cost of upgrading these motorcycles reasonably low. Plus, any cost associated with buying a new carburetor is recouped from time spent on modifying the stock carburetor.
   
3. As I remove stock parts off my TBR7, I keep them, so if I ever want to reinstall them and return the motorcycle to its original state, I can.

What Size Carburetor Is On A TBR7 / Hawk 250?

Both the TBR7 and Hawk 250 use the same 30 mm-sized carburetor type. Now that size is just the opening size for the carburetor inlet/airflow, but many carburetors are different when you research the information further.

Even with the same size opening for airflow, carburetors can have other throttle bodies and mounting options.

So for the TBR7 and Hawk 250 motorcycles, I searched for terms like “VM26 Mikuni Carburetor.” This search resulted in finding carburetors that have the proper inlet size opening and engine mounting options.

What Parts Do I Need For The TBR7 Carb Upgrade?

1- The new carb. You can’t do a carburetor upgrades without upgrading a carburetor.

2- The Matching Jets for the new carburetor. With any carb there is a fine tuning of the power/throttle ranges, which is many adjusted through sizing of the carburetor jets. So having a set of carb jets of different sizes is needed to change the behavior of the carb, vs the stock jets that come with the new carb.

NOTE: Suggested TBR7 Carb Upgrade Shopping List At End Of Post.

What Tools Do I Need For The Carburetor Upgrade?

Simple shop hand tools. Many of which I have in my garage.

1. Phillips screwdriver. Example Uses Open Carburetor body.
   
2. Flathead screwdriver. Example Uses: Change Main and Pilot Jet(s).
   
3. Need-nose pliers. Example Uses: Remove fuel line clamps.
   
4. Combination wrenches. Example Uses: Removing the carburetor.
   
5. Tip: I use a magnetic parts tray to prevent small parts from being knocked around and lost in my garage. 

FYI: Building My List of Must-Have Tools For Motorcycle Owners

Safety Concerns About Swapping Out The Old Carb.

1. You are working with/around flammable fuels. Please work in a well-ventilated area with no ignition sources around and have a fire extinguisher in easy reach. Luck favors the prepared, so be prepared.
   
2. Eye safety. You only have two eyes, and safety eye ware is cheap. I have several pairs of safety glasses lying around the garage, always in rich for working safely.
   
3. The motorcycle should have electrically and mechanically safe. Have the ignition turned off and the key removed. Also, some sources recommend disconnecting the battery any chance of cranking or starting the engine while working on it.
   
4. Burn hazard. Only work on a cool-to-the-touch engine. Avoid burns.
   
5. You are draining the old carburetor. There is a small screw at the bottom, connected to a drain hose. You can open the screw, direct the drain hose into a container and return the fuel to your motorcycle’s gas tank. Special tip. Before you embark on changing the carburetor at your last ride, turn off the fuel stop, and let the bike run on the remaining fuel in the carburetor. This step means less drain and less risk of fire and exposure to fumes. Again, please work in an adequately ventilated space.
   
6. Again, there is a possible fire hazard with working around the motorcycle. I already mentioned the burn hazard from the engine that you can avoid with only a cold engine, but flammable liquids are a severe concern. Please take the time to stay safe, and a suggested site to learn from is the NFPA site, Fire Extinguishers.

My Motorcycle Garage Safety Rules.

Update: I Ordered My New TBR7 Carburetor Parts.

I shopped around and found with my membership; it was best to order the parts for this upgrade off Amazon. There are other sources(7 online and off) for upgrading my TBR7, but I admit, it’s so easy to click around on and wait the short two days for delivery.

If you have better suggestions or feedback on where you order your motorcycle parts, please leave a comment below.

TBR7 Carburetor Shopping List

1. New VM26 30 mm Carburetor.
2. New Carburetor Jets That Match The New Carburetor.
3. (Optional)The Magnetic Parts Tray I Keep Talking About.

All can be found on my TaoTao TBR7 Upgrades Page.

Once I upgrade my TBR7’s Carburetor, I will include a link to the actual post with the steps at the end of this post. In the meantime, working on a motorcycle can be dangerous; seek professional assistance in doing so. If you have tips and tricks for this upgrade project, please leave a comment below. Thank you!

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Click To See My Recommended
TBR7 Upgrades

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Post Update: TBR7 Mikuni Carburetor Upgraded