Hey all, I bought a 93 KDX200 last Sat. The previous owner had it warmed up before I bought it, so of course it started the 1st kick for me. I had also seen it start the first kick the previous weekend after the guy took it off his truck at a riding area. I started it again 1st kick after I got it home after a 45 min. trailer ride. Then I started going over it and realized the air filter was dirty and needed replacing, so I ordered a Twin-Air. It has been a week and I got the air filter today, oiled it and installed it. I started the bike, but it wouldn't take gas and stalled 40 yards into my ride? I do not have the owners manual, I have a shop manual, but it is useless on the basic stuff, like starting. The guy I bought it from is supposed to send me the manual when he locates it. This is also my first 2 stroke. I don't understand the starter/choke plunger. I assume pulled up is cold starting choke on. I also may not have a grip on the fuel switch/petcock. It looks like fuel on, is fat part of the switch down. I have also put fresh 32:1 premium fuel in the tank. I have kicked the thing with the choke and fuel lever in every possible position. Every 25 kicks or so it may start but will not rev and dies. Is it possible too have too much oil on the filter? A Twin-Air filter only would not require re-jetting would it? I took it out and squeezed as much excess oil out as I could and put it back in. I also removed the filter and tried to start it w/o but no luck and put it back in. Can anybody help? What is the normal start procedure?
Starting procedure for dummies
- Thread starter wannabe1
- Start date
First, put a new plug in it. buy a ngkb8es. turn fuel on, lever in the down position, pull up on chock plunger, hold kill switch (to keep from starting), kick over (not hard just kick thru)4 times with kill swich down, on the fith kick, kick the heck out of it without kill switch and see if it fires up. If not you will need to start trouble shooting. get back on this board and you'll get lots of help.
Hey, congrats on the new bike.
When I first start mine, I usually:
(1) shake the bike a bit to make sure that the fuel is still mixed (makes me feel better).
(2) Turn petcock down to "on".
(3) Put the choke on (and turn off after bike is started usually).
(4) Climb on and lean the bike over until the overflow line pees.
(5) Twist the throttle a couple times to put some fuel into the chamber.
(6) Kick. And when I kick, I'll make sure that I have resistance on the top of the stroke so that I get a ful kick to start. It may take a few but that's OK.
Let it warm up a bit before riding. You may need to blip the throttle a little after you turn off the choke but don't rev it up high. You should then be able to ride after a minute or so. If its colder outside, I'll let it warm for a couple minutes and then ride easy for a few minutes. If it refuses to start and you've had previous problems starting it, cleaning the spark plug may help too.
Best,
Greg
When I first start mine, I usually:
(1) shake the bike a bit to make sure that the fuel is still mixed (makes me feel better).
(2) Turn petcock down to "on".
(3) Put the choke on (and turn off after bike is started usually).
(4) Climb on and lean the bike over until the overflow line pees.
(5) Twist the throttle a couple times to put some fuel into the chamber.
(6) Kick. And when I kick, I'll make sure that I have resistance on the top of the stroke so that I get a ful kick to start. It may take a few but that's OK.
Let it warm up a bit before riding. You may need to blip the throttle a little after you turn off the choke but don't rev it up high. You should then be able to ride after a minute or so. If its colder outside, I'll let it warm for a couple minutes and then ride easy for a few minutes. If it refuses to start and you've had previous problems starting it, cleaning the spark plug may help too.
Best,
Greg
- Thread starter
- #4
The plugs the former owner has been using are NGK B9ES. I just pulled the plug to check the spark (good) and dipped it in gasoline and reinstalled. It fired right up, but as before, wouldn't really take gas and died with sort of a backfire. What is scary is when I pulled the old air filter out last week, the exterior portion was somewhat flaky/dry rotted and some fell back in the filter cavity, but I did wipe out and shop vac before putting the new filter in and starting. I guess it is possible I could have sucked up some small debris into the carb shortly after starting the first time. The big concern is the bike was fine last week with a dry rotted filthy filter and now won't start/run with a new filter. I will a new plug tomorrow and see what happens.
rickyd
Hot Sauce
- Oct 28, 2001
- 3,447
- 0
Only time i ever had a bike backfire was when i broke a reed petal.. Are you sure the bike isnt flooded?? I've never heard of dipping a spark plug in fuel too get a motor started.. If it is flooded, hold the throttle wide open(w/choke off) and kick, it should start after awhile..
Hope this helps you out..
Rick
Hope this helps you out..
Rick
not the filter...it won't start with or without it.
get a new plug.stock=ngkb8es or go one step hotter=ngkb7es
dump fuel and replace with fresh premix.there may be dirt in the tank,even though the fuel is fresh.
its nothing major,because the bike ran good recently.
you probably have a clogged pilot jet or main jet or both. pull the carb off,drop the bowl,and remove both jets and blow the dirt out of the jets.easy to do...just look at your manual.
petcock lever pointing to 9oclock=off
petcock lever pointing to 6oclock=on
petcock lever pointing to 3oclock=reserve
bike should start with choke on,no throttle applied,after 2-5 kicks.about 10 sec after it fires,turn choke off and babysit throttle for another 10 secs and it should then idle on its own.
now the funny story. I once fiddled with my kdx for an hour with symptons like yours. turned out that the fuel level was too low to start, until i switched to reserve. yah, gas tank was almost empty...duh. don't let your mind race to the complicated stuff because the bike is new to you, and you don't have a confidence level built up yet.
get a new plug.stock=ngkb8es or go one step hotter=ngkb7es
dump fuel and replace with fresh premix.there may be dirt in the tank,even though the fuel is fresh.
its nothing major,because the bike ran good recently.
you probably have a clogged pilot jet or main jet or both. pull the carb off,drop the bowl,and remove both jets and blow the dirt out of the jets.easy to do...just look at your manual.
petcock lever pointing to 9oclock=off
petcock lever pointing to 6oclock=on
petcock lever pointing to 3oclock=reserve
bike should start with choke on,no throttle applied,after 2-5 kicks.about 10 sec after it fires,turn choke off and babysit throttle for another 10 secs and it should then idle on its own.
now the funny story. I once fiddled with my kdx for an hour with symptons like yours. turned out that the fuel level was too low to start, until i switched to reserve. yah, gas tank was almost empty...duh. don't let your mind race to the complicated stuff because the bike is new to you, and you don't have a confidence level built up yet.
- Thread starter
- #10
Thanks all, we can send this post to the archives lol. MotoX, I put a new plug in 15 minutes ago, went through the "kill switch easy kick routine" and wah lah, 1st kick, runs like a 2 stroke sewing machine now! I guess the carb cleaning will have to wait the next catastrophe! I feel so much better now and my right foot is starting to feel better too.
Last edited:
wannabe1, I'm glad you got it started. Starting tricks very by bike. Even two bikes the same year will sart differently. you just have to figure your own bike out. my bike has lots of mods, so it could very easily start different than the next guys. when you modify, pistons, reeds, carbs, jet, and exhaust it can change everything. My 92 kdx was a piece of junk when I bought it. Now it is extremly strong, and super reliable. Though my experience of fixing just about everything on it, i hope to share with other riders, so they can get back to the dirt/trails quicker. By the way, how's your clutch? Send me a picture?
BR9ES is stock for a "E" series
When you are ready to tackle the carb, run down to the auto parts store and get a gallon of Berryman's Carb Dip. Careful though it's not good on rubber and plastic so take the float bowl off the carb and unscrew the choke and remove it also. Remove the o-ring on the lip of the bowl and the o-ring on the bowl drain screw. Remove the float and the needle seat.
Now put the carb and bowl in the cage supplied with the carb dip and place it in the cleaner for 15 minutes or so
Carby should come out looking spanking new!
Last edited:
domino dave
Member
- Sep 24, 2003
- 136
- 0
Sounds a lot like my 92 kdx when I got it.If it ran that day I was fine,but let it sit for a while and I had a heck of a time! Sometimes I would have to pull the plug and pour a little pre-mix in just to get it started.Pull your carb and clean it as per wibby.Worked for me. Now I pull the choke ...no throttle.. starts 3rd kick every time.