Downeaster,
Travis has done a great job of linking back to threads in the "Tech" section.
Any posts that you think would/should be linked can be brought to his and gggGarys attention by clicking the triangle with the I(?).
For your search on "dead cylinder method"
Page 11 of the carb guide. (Thanks again to the authors)
copy and pasted from the guide:
"Turning the fuel screw clockwise (in) leans the mixture, turning counterclockwise (out)
richens. Adjustment of fuel screws is best performed using the "dead cylinder" method.
Turn the fuel screws in until they bottom lightly (overtightening will damage the screw
and/or seat), and turn them out to one of the following settings.
XS1, XS1B: 1 turn
XS2, TX650, TX650A: 0.75 turns, XS650B: 0.75 turns
XS650 C, D: 1.5 turns
XS650E, F: 2.25 turns
BS34, all: 3 turns
Warm the engine to operating temperature, then raise the idle to around 1500 rpm. On
bikes with breaker point ignitions, pull off a sparkplug cap. Electronic ignitions can be
damaged by operation with an ungrounded ignition wire. To prevent that, shut down the
engine, attach a spare sparkplug to a cap, ground the plug solidly on the engine, and
restart. Adjust the throttle stop to hold lowest steady idle, then move the fuel screw 1/4
turn each way, seeking highest idle. When you find the direction of improvement, set the
screw 1/8 turn in that direction from your starting point and again move it 1/4 turn each
way. As idle rises, lower it with the throttle stop, as changes are easiest to detect at low engine speeds. Set the screw at the inmost (leanest) position that yields highest idle
speed. (And yes, I know; some owners advocate finding the point where idle drops due
to leanness, then the point where it drops due to richness, and setting the screw at the
center point. I do not concur.) Repeat for the other cylinder."
from me on the Tech section. Never noticed that link before, and it's just what I was looking for.
