Carburettor vs Fuel Injector in Bikes: What Is the Difference?

  • Author :
  • TATA AIG Team
  • Last Updated On :
  • 10/08/2023

Technology keeps constantly rotating on the wheel of invention and innovation. Whether it is equipment that makes your household chores easier, a dishwasher, for instance, or a system that drives the air-fuel mixture entering your bike's engine, everything that can make our lives and machines more efficient is constantly being reinvented.

With the incorporation of the strict emission standards under Bharat Stage VI (BSVI), it is more important than ever for automobile manufactures to ensure the installation of the most optimal fuelling mechanism in a bike. This is why there has been a move from old-school carburettors to efficient fuel injection systems.

As important as it is to always have valid insurance for your two wheeler, you must also understand how the transition from a carburettor to a fuel injector would affect the way your bike functions. Firstly, let us understand what a carburettor is and how it works.

Bike Carburettor - The What, The How, and The Why!

A bike carburettor is the component of your bike that is responsible for mixing the fuel and the air in the required amount and feeding it into the combustion chamber of your bike's engine. Sounds complicated?! To put it simply, a bike carburettor is a tube that ensures that your bike has just the right amount of fuel to accelerate or decelerate.

With the amount of air pressure generated through your bike's throttle, its carburettor determines the volume of the fuel to be injected into the combustion chamber, thereby helping you pick speed or slow the bike down. It is a simple yet effective mechanism, which has several advantages, such as:

  • Low cost;
  • Ease of repair and replacement;
  • Ease of tuning and customisation;
  • Long life.

Despite the aforementioned advantages of the carburettor technology, there are some downsides to it, which have prompted the innovation of the fuel injector technology. Some of the disadvantages of the carburettor technology are:

  • Low fuel efficiency;
  • Time lag between throttle and fuel injection;
  • High wear and tear;
  • Susceptibility to gathering dust and malfunctioning.

Having understood how a bike carburettor works, now let us understand what a fuel injection system is and how it works.

Fuel Injection System - What It Is and How It Works

A fuel injector is a component of your bike that works through an intricate network of electronic parts and sensors to inject the right proportion of fuel and air into your bike. The primary element of a fuel injection system is a fuel pump that is installed inside your bike's fuel tank.

The fuel pump transfers the adequate amalgamation of fuel and air to the engine's combustion chamber through the directives of an Electronic Control Unit (ECU). Through a complicated algorithm that involves the calculation of several factors, including throttle pressure, engine temperature, and engine load, the ECU determines the optimal air-fuel ratio to be injected into the engine.

The advantages of the fuel injection system that have driven its selection over its predecessor, the carburettor, are as follows:

  • High fuel efficiency;

  • Optimal air-fuel mixture;

  • Swift throttle response;

  • Low maintenance.

  • As efficient as the fuel injector technology is, like all technologies, it is not without its fair share of lacunae, which include:

  • High cost;

  • Complex software and interface;

  • High repair cost;

  • High chances of your bike breaking down if the ECU malfunctions.

Bike Carburettor vs Fuel Injection - A Critical Analysis

Since the implementation of the BSVI standards has led to the transition from the bike carburettor mechanism to the fuel injection system, it is natural to wonder about the details of bike carburettor vs fuel injection.

The following table is a succinct summary of the way the bike carburettor technology and the fuel injection technology stack up against each other on various key parameters.

Fuel Injection System vs Carburettor in Bike

Sr.No. Parameter Bike Carburettor Mechanism Fuel Injection System Which is Better?
1 Cost The bike carburettor mechanism carries a cost lower than the fuel injection system. The cost of a fuel injection system is higher than that of a bike carburettor mechanism. Bike Carburettor Mechanism
2 Fuel efficiency With a bike carburettor, the fuel efficiency is lower than that achieved through a fuel injector, particularly if the air temperature (driven by the bike's throttle) and the fuel temperature keep changing. With an Electronic Control Unit (ECU), a fuel injector generates higher fuel efficiency than a bike carburettor, even if the air pressure and the fuel temperature are constantly changing. Fuel Injection System
3 Mileage Owing to low fuel efficiency, the mileage of your bike is lower under the bike carburettor technology. With the fuel injection system, your bike receives the optimal amalgamation of air and fuel, thereby resulting in higher mileage. Fuel Injection System
4 Performance With a bike carburettor, the overall performance of your bike is not as efficient and cost-effective as with a fuel injector. A fuel injector ensures a higher overall performance for your bike. Fuel Injection System
5 Frequency of repair A bike carburettor is susceptible to the gathering of dust in its body, thereby leading to blockages. Hence a carburettor may require frequent repairs A fuel injector usually does not require frequent repairs. However, you must lookout for any sign of it malfunctioning. Fuel Injection System
6 Cost of repair The cost of repairing a bike carburettor is lower as compared to the corresponding cost for a fuel injector. A fuel injector has a higher repair cost than a bike carburettor. Bike Carburettor Mechanism
7 Relevance Bike carburettors have now been phased out since they lead to a high degree of pollution. Fuel injectors are still in use and are regarded as being relatively less pollution-inducing as compared to bike carburettors. Fuel Injection System

To Sum it Up

Although bike carburettors are a popular fuel delivery mechanism for bikes, the innovation of a superior engine fuel technology, namely, the fuel injection system, has led to them being phased out. The above table clearly showcases that barring the parameters of cost of purchase and repair, the fuel injection system outperforms the bike carburettor mechanism.

You can easily check whether your bike has a carburettor or a fuel injector by starting it: if your bike has a fuel injector, it'll get ignited by the mere insertion and turning of the keys. However, if your bike has a bike carburettor, you shall have to press the accelerator a few times after the insertion and turning of the keys in order for your bike to start up.

Just as it is pivotal to keep up with the times and ensure that you purchase a bike that has components in alignment with the prevailing laws of the land as well as the applicable international standards, it is equally, if not more, important to renew your two wheeler insurance policy in time. You can now buy or renew an online two wheeler insurance policy by following a few easy steps and have a financially safeguarded driving experience with your bike.

You can buy a Tata AIG bike insurance policy by visiting our official website and following a simple process. For more information about our online insurance for bikes, get in touch with us today!

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