Nowadays, Carburetor float will turn the key in the ignition, jump on and speed off without a second thought – and that’s because a fuel injected engine makes cold starts much easier. Technically, though, the mechanics are far more complex.

First of all, there’s a fuel pump inside the tank, an electronic engine controller, and an assortment of sensors. The fuel injected system is controlled by a computerised fuel delivery system, while the ECU takes information from various sensors and determines how much fuel the engine receives based on this data. Other sensors deal with RPM, engine temperature, throttle position, and the crankshaft position.

Additionally, the fuel required for each RPM and engine load condition is located in the fuel map within the ECU. Once the amount of fuel is identified, the ECU will adjust the fuel mixture for the engine and air intake temperatures.

Crucially, most carburettor problems can be fixed easily at the side of the road with an assortment of basic tools. An electronic fuel injection system, though, if it goes wrong, will usually require a new part – and that’s going to cost you…

Mark Cuthill is fanatical about motorcycles and treats his ride like one of the family. He has contributed this guest post on behalf of Motorcycle News, the number one choice when you’re looking for a new or used motorcycle.

I'm often amazed at how many motorcycle people know The Way Things Are, but have little interest in understanding why things are the way they are. This article will be the first in a series of little missives in which we take a look into that issue. Today, we glimpse into the world of fuel delivery. Why do more and more motorcycles have fuel-injection systems?

Every bike in my garage (that’s a total of eight) has a carburetor. The first
Carburetor needle valve system on a streetbike debuted in 1980, but for the most part, carbs were how motorcycles mixed air and fuel right up to the turn of the century. (It got hard to ignore fuel injection around that time, anywho.)