Please help, KX500 idle issue and kickstart lever

[RideMore]

Well I ended up with a 88 KX500. Real clean and $500 so I couldn't resist. I typically ride a YZ250 and a TE450 Husky. I took it up to a local area for a little shakedown and it was hard to start. Once i got it going it was very hard to keep idling. I rode a short loop and came back to the truck to try and sort it out. Seems like a vacuum leak but I took the reed black out and cleaned up the carb and everything looks good.

As received the jetting set up for Oregon dunes was:

main - 175
Pilot - 60
needle - top grove (full lean)

I switched is out for 500-3000 foot woods riding and so it would run and not just load up.

Main - 170
Pilot - 50
needle middle groove

I had these jets on hand and were very close to what others reported running with success.

I fired it up and it still runs on and will not idle. I was in the process of warming it up and the idle was all over the place and hard to keep running. I went to re start it and broke off the kickstarter!!!! ****.

So what do you think my hanging idle / will not idle issue is?

What jetting should I be running? As far as I know the motor is stock other than a PC pipe and SA muffler. 500-7000 feet, 60-90 degrees.

It looks like it has the two stage Boyseen reeds and they look to be in serviceable condition although I will be switching them out.

As for the kick starter is there any aftermarket units? Slightly shorter might be good.

Thanks a lot.

K

 

[dales298]

This is a link to a jetting chart.> http://www.kxriders.com/forums/index.php?page=11
A shorter lever won't work unless you have a decompressor, or you are really strong. The mighty K5 will want all you got to crank her!

Dale

 

[elliot-cr133]

there was a topic about this before, i remember seeing. there was a good description on the best ways to kick over a beast like that. search and maybe it'll come up.

 

[j32]

well theres a slide adjust screw on the left hand side it points up wards you can use that to adjust the throttle on the carb-the lower one is the air screw
what does the plug look like?-you need a tan color
try klotz oil it is verry good oil ,great for powervalves,-it helps remove carbon build up,and burns clean
clean the air filter
try the 60 pilot again,mix the oil -40:1 ,and check the plug
make sure all the vent tubes are clear
does it run erratic at wide open? you might have a stater side crank seal going bad

kick it -just after top dead center,thats what i have to do with my cr500,-a full kick

 

[gwcrim]

Make sure ya check out the link to kxriders.com. It's full of a bunch of KX500 junkies.

 

[91kx]

And replace the kickstarter with one from an 04.They're a little beafier.