I've adjusted the valves 6 times now, I've lined up the mark on the compression stroke but still backfires a little when the throttle is barely on. Tried using a rod to watch tdc to make sure the mark was right, and it did appear to be a little off, but I get the same result in the end.
Any suggestions?

 

backfiring doesnt necessarily relate directly to your valves...Make sure when you adjust the valves that you get top dead center on the compression stroke (you take the spark plug out...put your finger near the hole and turn a 14MM wrench where your pull starter is to find top dead center. then unscrew the tiny nuts that are on the tappets in your motor and actually back the tappets out...and then screw them down onto your feeler gauge finger tight...make sure the feeler gauge moves with the same friction on both valves (you move it back and forth, its equally hard to move gauge in both cases knowing that you have the valves within a few hundreths of an inch of eachother.)

Next thing you check is your air filter...pull it out...clean it off with some fuel and re-oil it. Then take out your spark plug, check the gap, and also wire brush it off or replace if possible. Next you loosen the two clamps that hold your carb onto the intake boot and just turn the carb sideways and pull off the float bowl (4 screws)...inside the bowl there is a small hollow cylinder that has your air/fuel mixture ratio screw. Turn the screw clockwise (tighten) lightly until you feel the screw hit then back it out about 2 1/4 turns give or take a 1/4 turn depending on elevation (im sea level I found that 1 and 7/8 worked great for me. (stock theres a huge problem with eigers I just tuned mine it runs great now that I fixed that..no backfiring...no sputtering.)

and make sure that you do your valves when the engine is cold

-MJE-

 

Thanks. I'm starting again around lunch today....

 

The air screw is inside the bowl??? Mine is in front of the bowl and the manual says that it has a cap on it that needs to be removed and the stock setting is 2 1/4 turns. I found mine already at 1 2/3 turns and the cap removed. A lil turn in and she runs great.

Search for Eiger in this forum. Aksafari posted a very informative post on the jetting on the Eiger.