A few little issues with my RMX

[Gezza1982]

Hi All,

I've just bought a 99 model RMX250 and just have a few issues I'd really appreciate some help with. Firstly I have major difficulties starting it. I havn't ridden for about 7 years and the last bike I had was a YZ80, which I think a 5 yo could kick start. The problem with the RMX is you seem to have to have legs like Arnie to get the kick starter down. Sometimes it's not too bad, but other times the kick start just stops midway down. Are there any techniques to make it easier to kick the thing? When I was buying it, the owner hadn't started it for ages, and he majorly flooded it trying to get started. Is it possible there is still fuel in the crankcase? Secondly I just put new gearbox oil in it and the clutch seems to be behaving strangely. I stalled it twice, when I swear that I had the clutch in :think: Also I tried to coast down the hill I stalled on, by just holding in the clutch and it wouldn't move. Is that normal? Most of the time the clutch felt normal. Is it normally for the clutch to act a little stange after new oil has been put in? I left the old stuff to drain over a period of one week. Also does anyone know the best fuel to run them on? In Australia we have regular 93 octane (no lead), premium 95 octane (no lead) and ultimate 98 octane (lead replacement). Any help would be much appreciated :cool:

 

[xcracer72]

sounds like the previous owner tried to do some wrenching. Does the 99 rmx have a clutch arm on the motor? Is it adjusted properly? Is the cable in respectable shape?

As far as the kickstarter...what is arnie? and does it eventually follow through or is there firm resistence?

93 octane is perfect

 

[Gezza1982]

I think Arnie is the governor of California? He's the big muscly guy out of Kindergarden Cop :laugh: What I mean is it seems excessively hard to kick the starter down. As soon as it hits the compression stroke, it's like the lever just stops dead. I kind of new to bigger bore two strokes, so just wondering if anyone has some tricks to getting them going a bit easier.

When I checked, the RMX has a little spline that goes in the clutch cover. Then a cable mechanism ,with no lever, that connects to that spline. Seems to behave normally 98% of the time, so I believe it's adjusted properly. There was just those two episodes. What I'm really interested in is, should it coast down a hill with the clutch in, and the bike in gear? Also do clutches act a little weird after putting in some new oil? It doesn't stall or lurch forward, when I put it in gear to take off.

 

[Gezza1982]

Sorry there is a small level on the spline, which connects to the cable.

 

[placelast]

First off if it has been sitting for some time the old fuel in the carby has hardened; you would need to clean out all the petro passages before it will start, let alone run correctly as it should.

As far as starting - you don't need no stinkin' Arnie! Push the lever though slowly until you get a feel for the two compression bumps; you want to find the point in between them, and start on the top of your kick from there. Bring the lever all the way up before kicking it though, with a little throttle, say 1/8-1/4. It helps to lean over the bike first until petro is peeing out of the overflow tubes - just a wee bit.

If you have been riding it there is little to no petro in the lower part of the engine.

As far as the clutch - there is a little drag when in gear, even with the lever pulled in - that's normal. I used ATF Type F, but any good two stroke gearbox oil would do.

 

[2strokerfun]

Clutches often hang up when bikes have been sitting a long time. But normally, they either hang up or work, not just hang up sometimes. I'd check the plates for wear. If you leave the gas petcock on, sometimes you do flood the crankcase and it can be a bear to kick. Be sure and turn gas off when not running bike.

 

[Gezza1982]

On second thoughts the bike was really low on fuel at the time, so I'm hoping that it just konked out from lack of fuel. It actually ran out of fuel about 5 metres from home so I think the bike just starved when I was on an angle. I guess I'll find out this weekend.

Have also heard the petcock's can leak too, making the bike flood and a pain to start. Will have to check that out. I think I'm just not hitting the compression stroke with enough momentum. It makes sense to kick it with the piston sitting just after the compression stroke.

Is it hard to clean the carby out? Do you need a gasket kit or anything like that, or do I just spray some carby cleaner through it while it's runnning? I'm thinking carby cleaner can't be good for 2-strokes.

 

[fatboyslim]

There are no gaskets with the carburetor. Just pull it out, take the float bowl and jets out and spray everything in sight with the carb cleaner.

 

[Dizzed_Nimrod]

On my rmx i hade to take off the tank and air box to get to the carb. when you got it off wash the carb in petrol and take it all apart. I have always used a compressor or what you call it. To spray air thru the carb. The trix if i´m right is when you put it all back so that no air leaks appear :whoa: . By the way eric gorr´s book is great so you might think of picking one up.

 

[Morvo]

If you have just started to ride bigger 2-strokes then trying to start a 250cc from an 80cc will feel hard! Believe me, i'm a big chap and my KX250 is hard to start without leaning the bike against something to get a good kick all the way through. As for the clutch, some bikes need to be heated up proporly before they work correctly, some won't work well at all with the engine switched off.

 

[2strokerfun]

If you are cleaning the carb on a bike that sat a long time, I'd remove the pilot jet and soak it in carb cleaner overnight. Blow air through it and put it back in. Might help your starting.