Bike suddenly not starting easy AT ALL

K

KDX200Biker

Member

Nov 22, 2001

87

0

• Nov 3, 2002

• #1

About 3 weeks ago i went to a race, got there and the bike wouldent start, not even pop. so i replaced the plug and it fired right up, but the old plug looked pretty good and was sparking. and ive never fouled a plug before since ive had the bike. Since then it does this everytime i go to ride, but i havent changed the plug, i just jump start it down a hill, and about after 50 feet it will pop alittle and start, but then it is totally loaded up and wont rev untill about 1 min of clearing it out. Once i just skipped trying ot kick it and just jump started it, and it was all loaded up even tho i hadent kicked it. starts 1st kick warm or even cold as long as it hasent been sitting for more then a day. Could i need a top end? what compression numbers should i have and ill go check. I find it odd that it did this all of a sudden, like it usually starts 1st kick cold. i cleaned the air filter, adn it was really really dirty. but is clean now. please help, it took 2 jump starts down the hill today to start it

 

G

gooby

Member

Nov 8, 2001

497

0

• Nov 3, 2002

• #2

what do the reeds look like? have you looked at the carb...clean and chk the float control valve stuck or warn out ?just a qk thought

99klx300r
99kdx200
02exc200

if i'de put just half the effort in my work as i do riding and having fun....i'de be rich

 

KelvinKDX

LIFETIME SPONSOR

Aug 25, 2000

1,622

0

• Nov 3, 2002

• #3

The top end shouldn't cause the hard starting - it would result in loss of power when running.

Have you cleaned your carb out (set float level too) and checked your reeds? Worn reeds will cause your bike to be hard to start.

 

KelvinKDX

LIFETIME SPONSOR

Aug 25, 2000

1,622

0

• Nov 3, 2002

• #4

oops - gooby hit send before i did - but it sounds like we had the same thought.

 

D

dirt bike dave

Sponsoring Member

May 3, 2000

5,348

3

• Nov 3, 2002

• #5

Actually, a worn top end can cause difficult starting. Less compression when cold means harder starting.

In my experience, an old plug can also result in starting difficulties on a 2 stroke, even if it looks 'good'.

 

C

canyncarvr

~SPONSOR~

Oct 14, 1999

4,005

0

• Nov 4, 2002

• #6

A plug that fires out of an engine (re: but the old plug looked pretty good and was sparking) doesn't have a whole lot to do with what it's doing under combustion pressures in an A/F mix.

Do you turn your gas off when you're done riding? The petcock is usually pretty picky..requires EXACTLY a 9:00 o'clock position to be 'off'. Certainly has to be off during bike transport.

A bit of a leak could make it a hard starter. That 'leak' could come from a poor inlet seat (float needle) seat.

Taken that your problem takes some time (hot starts during the ride are ok) and the bike is loaded up even with NO kicking...gas is coming from somewhere whilst it's sitting.

Sprung reeds DO make for a hard cold start, better when warm.

Compression (lack of it) DOES make for hard cold start, too. Unfortunately, guages and method make the numbers you'll get from a test vary hugely. I'll venture a guess: no less than 120# (bike warm, WOT during test, probably several cycles to get there).

 

J

John Harris

Member

Apr 15, 2002

552

0

• Nov 4, 2002

• #7

Gas is coming from somewhere while cold. Possibly the fuel shut off petcock. Do you shut off after riding? Old school even ran to empty carb before leaving riding area. Check out fuel petcock. Easiest way to do this is to disconnect fuel line from carb and observe and learn how to precisely operate the petcock. Do cover inlet to carb so trash will not enter and compound your difficulties.

 

D

dirt bike dave

Sponsoring Member

May 3, 2000

5,348

3

• Nov 4, 2002

• #8

Another possibility is a weak electrical system. You don't say what year your bike is, but stator failure does happen on the older KDX's. When the stator went bad on my '84, at first the bike got hard to start, even though it would show a spark with the plug outside the engine. It got worse every ride until the bike wouldn't run at all.

 

L

lpracing77

~SPONSOR~

May 28, 2002

58

0

• Nov 4, 2002

• #9

With the bike being hard to start and loaded up with out trying to kick start it sounds like a leaking petcock or a petcock that is not shut off after riding. After a ride i will shut the valve and let the bike idle till it runs out of gas. There is a lot of good advise here that came before mine.

 

T

toalco-kdx

Member

May 16, 2002

282

0

• Nov 4, 2002

• #10

why is it good to let it idle till it runs out of gas?

 

J

John Harris

Member

Apr 15, 2002

552

0

• Nov 5, 2002

• #11

In old days with rich mineral oil mixtures and in hot climates (Texas and Calif) gasoline would evaporate out of carb between rides. When you started back up had ultra rich mixture which fouled plugs--sometimes even gummed up carbs to require cleaning to run. This did not happen in one days time, but some of us don't get to ride but every so often.

 

Canadian Dave

Super Power AssClown

Apr 28, 1999

1,202

0

• Nov 5, 2002

• #12

This sounds like a new problem is that right? Did the air temperature drop at about the same time the difficult starting began? Could be a lean pilot circuit that isn't delivering enough fuel to fire the engine when its cold. If you think this might be the case turn in the pilot screw and see if that helps or lean the bike over on its side until fuel runs from the overflow the stand it up and try to start. This raises the fuel level in the carb temporarily richening the jetting.

David