Dropped in deep water

[johnkdx220]

I am preparing for my first serious hare scramble seasons and I need advice on how to recover from dropping the bike in deep water.

a) After shooting OH S***, what is your first instinct when you know you'll drop the bike in the river? Open the throttle to keep the engine running, push the kill switch to prevent water sucking in through the air box?

b) How do you recover from serious engine flooding?

 

[CaptainObvious]

I dropped my bike in deep water this past summer (broke my ankle in the process). When my buddy started my bike for me (so I could ride it out of the woods) it shot water about three feet behind the bike! I was in no condition to work on the bike for several weeks but when I got around to it all was good. I guess that the one-hour ride out of the woods dried it out. I changed the oil and re-packed the silencer but couldn't find any other evidence of water. To be safe I had the lower end of the engine rebuilt this winter.

 

[TOFAS4YOU]

SOMETIMES YOU NEED TO REMOVE THE SPARK PLUG AND FRT PIPE TO REMOVE THE WATER BUT IF YOUR IN A RACE FLIP THE OVER AND TURN IT OVER BY HAND

 

[John Harris]

My experience has been that at KDX is about water proof. What you do not want to do is run it with the air filter completely under water. It will suck water through the filter and into carb and engine. However, if it is not running, a properly oiled filter will shed water and the air box will drain it away. In just a very short time, it will fire up and never look back. I have dragged them through deep crossings with a dead engine and started right up on the other side with just a few seconds to drain. If you do drown it, of course you have to turn it upside down to get the engine water out through the spark plug hole, drain the carb and flush it with some gas, then put in a new plug and go. Think before you get off in deep water. It is always easier to stay out of trouble than to get out of trouble.

 

[dirt bike dave]

If you do submerge a runnig bike in deep water, in addition to the previously mentioned items, you will have to remove the air filter and wring it out. Actually, do that first and hang it on a branch to dry. If the filter is wet, the bike will just suck water off of it and won't run.

 

[johnkdx220]

Thanks guys. Glad to see that the kdx is "water proof". Now I see another benefit of having bought a two stroke. I simply did not imagine turning my other bike over (XR600), removing the header, etc... Thanks.