Unbelievable (your not gonna believe what the dealer says about jetting my 03 KX-125)

[Porstala F9]

Ok, so I planned to rejet the carb on my 03' KX 125 since it was fouling plugs every two 20+ minute rides, so I was ready to jet it and all. So I get the carb off no problem despite Kawasakis poor manual instructions. So I get it off from the two sides and everything and so I have it hanging on by the top throttle cable only. I wasn't sure whether or not to take it off from that throttle cable or the two bolts on the side, so I tried to unscrew the two screws and they were very tight and the screwdriver I had was very pointy, so I kinda frayed off the sides of the bolt, stripping it slightly, but not badly enough to not take it off.

But my dad was unsure about how to do this, so he calls the dealer and this is what they say:

"Those bolts are factory sealed and you can not take them off unless you have a special screwdriver. The carburetor on these bikes are not meant to be touched unless you are a highly trained professional on carb tuning. He then said that if you are not racing, to change the premix ratio to 40:1 and bring a handfull of 3-4 of the cheapest plugs each time you go riding, and every few times you stop the bike, change the plug, and he said each time you stop the bike, to take off the spark plug and check, and he said to buy a Sandblaster and when im done with these handful of plugs that i bring with me, to then clean them off with the sandblaster"

Any comments on this? I find this guys advice completely outrageous. Every time I stop the bike, I am to take out the plug and check it, and change it every other time I stop the bike, and to change the the plug every other ride? My bike will foul every other ride anyway, but my way to fix the problem was to change the jetting. This fools way is to treat the problem by buying a 100$ sandblaster and just keep changing the plugs when I foul them. I want to FIX the problem.

Please comment on this, because I want to show my father this thread to proove this guys bogus advice wrong. Thanks SO much in advance. As always, ANY input is greatly appriciated. Thanks!

 

[nectar]

Yeah, you can make carb. adjs., but if you don't know what you're doing then get someone who does to help you along. Also, call your idiot dealer and have him order you a factory service manual....if you don't have one yet....good luck with it....

 

[CaptainObvious]

Please post the name of this dealer so NO ONE from DRN ever goes there. Man, what an a-hole. Special screws my a....well you know. He gave you 100% wrong information. What a BS artist.

Those brass screws do strip easily. Most people replace them with hex head screws. That goes for the float bowl as well. To loosen the screws just give them a good tap with a hammer, then bear down on them as you turn 'em.

You don't have to remove the carb to get to the jets....just loosen the two clamps on either side of the carb and rotate it for access.

To get to the jets you needn't remove the top of the carb. In fact, to get to the main you don't even need to remove the float bowl...you can just remove the large access nut on the bottom of the bowl.

However, if you want to get to the needle you have to remove the top of the carb.

If you can't find anyone in your area to work on your bike, let me know...you can haul it up to my house. I have lots of room here for good jetting evaluation. I also have tools I know and trust. But most importantly, I'll show you and your dad how to jet a bike. This way you will feel confident about making changes.

Man I'm pissed!

 

[BEEF706]

I have never heard anything as stupid as that from a dealer, just bizzarre. If there is no other Kawasaki dealer nearby, just try ANY other dealer. That guy should get no more of your $$. Worst answer I ever heard, wonder if some smarta$$ behind a parts couter thought that was funny or they're just ignorant.

 

[holeshot]

First of all, there are plenty of threads here regarding the jetting of an '03 KX125, so you can do a search for more info. One of the responses was something like " If the jetting on your '03 KX125 is too rich, just keep riding it, cross your fingers, and hope it goes away." Hopefully, that advice wasn't taken seriously. :eek:

Stock, the KX puts out more spooge than the La Brea Tar Pits, and mine seemed worse than most, so I can see where you're coming from. You'll need to change the pilot jet first. Stock is 40, so try a 37.5 initially, and if that is not lean enough, try a 35 , 30 and so on. I've gone all the way down to a 30, and it still is a lttle rich. You can change jets (both the pilot and the main) without removing the carb, simply by twisting it in the rubber boots and removing the plug at the bottom (probably have to remove the cap and slide to turn it far enough).

You can also move the clip on the needle to the second from the top position. As you've already found out, the two brass screws on the cap were put in by a machine at the factory, and are way too tight, causing stripped heads while trying to remove them (I had to use pliers to get mine off). Order two new screws when you go to pick up jets.

Finally, we get to the float height. I decided to get the shop manual, then check the float height and adjust if necessary (in a desperate attempt to get a cleaner running bike). I spent at least an hour meticulously setting the float height (to a lower level setting), but it didn't help any, and it actually caused the bike to bog seriously when landing from jumps. As far as I can see, the service manual is wrong. In order to get the bike running properly again, I took the carb apart at the track, and "eyeballed" the float level back in place. Stock, the float should be parallel with the flange on the carb body (when the spring in the needle is compressed). To make a long story short, chances are slim that an improper float height is causing your spooging problems.

Note:
I also ordered the float level checking device shown in the shop manual, but I haven't used it yet (over $20 for a plastic tube and a plug that you screw into the bottom of your carb). I will use this device next time I check the float level.

Being able to jet your two stroke is part of owning one. Even if you jet it spot on, when you go riding in area that significantly higher or lower in elevation, there's a good chance you'll have to rejet to get your bike running right.

Your dealer is full of :moon:

 

[antsbrook]

hey tiy,sounds like the same bull that i ve been getting from a dealer or 2 round my area of jersey,do what i did buddy just give the guys on here the info on your current set up you get a lot of top advice and not at dealer prices..i am sure there is some great dealers in jersey, me and you must have just been unlucky so far,hope you sort it quickly :thumb:

 

[MikeBronn]

LOL.

Im in New Jersey too. I am also extremely interested to hear where in the world you got that rediculous advice from.

There is an old saying that goes something like this: "You can fish for a man and feed him for a day, or you can teach the man to fish, and allow him to feed himself for life" - This in a way goes along with jetting. Why just keep changing and cleaning the spark plug? That is absolutely terrible advice. A sandblaster? Pshh.. gimme a break. You can fix the problem with a couple dollars on leaner jets, and some time and work. I put the needle clip up one (which is 2 on mine, i believe 3 is stock) and swapped to leaner pilot and main by one size. I actually plan to go one leaner on the pilot, since it seems pretty rich still. But regardless, a properly jetted bike will last months on a spark plug. I jetted my kx 125 around 8 months ago or so, and I have been on the expensive plug the rm 125's run for about 4 months so far I believe. Every other ride is not normal, and the fact that your dealer is categorizing this fouling problem as "normal" is extremely questionable about the credibility, if any this dealer has. I wouldn't go back if I were you. Not to mention that leaning the premix ration from the standard 32:1 to 40:1 wont fix a thing. You could probably get away with it fine, but despite popular belief, leaning the premix ratio, actually can slightly richen the air/fuel ration. They are two seperate rations that are put out that are commonly confused.

Anyway, good luck with the jetting. It really isn't that hard to do once you get the hang of it! :)

 

[Porstala F9]

Wow. I can't begin to thank you guys enough.

I feel much better about this :)

Expecially the stripping of the carb brass screws on the top. I will get new screws when I got leaner jets, hopefully somewhere other than Toms River Kawasaki (which is where I bought it from)

Thanks again guys!! :D

 

[KX02]

Hey Tiylu,
Not going to say much about your problem, sounds like you've all the info you need from everyone here. Just going to tell you your dealer is a real $%^&&**&! Keep us posted.

PS Dont' buy a sandblaster!!! :thumb:

 

[jmics19067]

whew I was getting scared since I work in a yamaha /kawasaki dealer in NJ . I was like no freaking way did someone I work with say something like that. Chances are that any dealer can get you jets for your carb as long as you know what kind of carb it is .



And some dealers wonder why people go mail order for parts after hearing horror stories like that.Do yourself a favor and go find a good dealer with a decent parts man, and do them a favor by trying not to ask a question that recquires a fair amount of explanation when there is a lot of customers waiting in line and a beautiful business relationship will blossom into what it should be :thumb:

 

[TrackMaster]

Wow, thats crazy! I wonder if that guy actually rides a motorcycle?? My yz125 is jetted spot on, and the only time I change spark plugs is during top end rebuilds. It fouled a plug one time all season last year, and it was because I was putting around too much. (its jetted to race at wfo) Those kaws are real spooge machines, I havent jetted one, but my friends 03 kx125 is supposedly "jetted right" but it still spooges a little bit. My yamaha doesnt spit a drop of spooge since I jetted it and started racing.

 

[Porstala F9]

Well, I'm not getting that much spooge with my KX, but its just fouling an awful a lot of plugs.

Yesterday, I moved the jet needle clip up to the second position, and moved the air screw another half turn to the left (3)

I put in a BR9EIX (its all the dealer had) since I wanted to try a 9, and I rode it around for maybe 15-20 minutes, stopped the bike and checked the plug and for the first time ever, it was the light tannish brown it was supposed to be! :)

I rode it around again for another 25-30 minutes or so, and I was riding it pretty hard for around here, but I was riding on a flat land farm that I had to slow the bike down for a couple seconds to turn around, but was getting on the throttle from there after, and when I checked the plug after this time of riding, it was a lot darker than before, it was kinda a dark brown, but still not the jet black that it was before I made the jetting adjustments. I figure that this could also be because I was running a 9 instead of an 8? The dealer also told me that a 9 is a hotter plug than an 8.... (NJ dealers sheesh)

So in conclusion, I have NEVER been able to pull the plug from my bike and have it that perfect tan color. I was jumping for joy! So the jetting I did really did help. So thank you all for all your help, expecially RV6junkie! You've been a lot of help. I am thinking about going to the dealer some time this week and picking up some leaner pilots and mains to experiment with.

Thanks again for the replys guys!

 

[CRSpeedy]

You know ,that does'nt surprise me , what the dealer told you. I think some of those guys working there honestly would'nt know how to change a plug themselves, and other shops train there ppl to never give out free advice so you'll bring the bike to them, so they're $10 hr. mechanics can practice. I know this sounds cynical but I think it happens more than it should.
I always start with the main jet (the easiest part and probably the most important)and get it running good at high speed. Then use the needle for mid range and pilot/or air screw for idle and slow speed.

 

[Studboy]

Ummm...CRSpeedy you usually start jetting with the pilot jet. Thats where most of his fouling problem is coming from anyways.

 

[Porstala F9]

So should I order a few leaner pilots and mains from the internet? I really don't feel like dealing with these dealers much more :|

 

[kawdude]

I just wanted to say that you're not alone with your idiot dealer. My local dealer has made similar stupid comments so I have to use another dealer 1 hour away. One time i needed a new tube for my rear tire and my dealer told me that my flat tire could only be changed by using special Kaw tools that were only issued to Kaw mechanics! F@$%er's! They really hit the wall when told them that I switched out my 19" rear with an 18". I asked if that changed the tool needs!!! The guy over the counter was really freaking out!!! We should have a forum called "STUPID DEALER COMMENTS". DirtRider.net is your one stop shop for the correct information.

 

[j_freak]

Hmm, a few weeks ago I called a Suzuki dealer to try and find out what year an RMX250 I wanted to buy was (I found a site that said that if the 10th digit of the vin was an "n" it was a 1992, but I wanted to doublecheck). After putting me on hold for 5 minutes, he came back on and explained that he had no way of determining what year it was from the vin number. He then gave me a number that he said was for Suzuki customer service. I called the number, and got this guy who basically screamed at me for calling the number, because it was a "dealer only" number. When I explained where I got it, he told me that dealers weren't supposed to give it out, then gave me another number for Suzuki customer service. Called that number. I got a mechanical voice telling me to enter my Dealer Number, then press the pound key...

I then decided to go to suzuki's website. Got the number for Suzuki's Customer Service department, and after a record breaking short time of 1 minute on hold, explained my dillemma to the customer service rep that obviously had just immigrated here from china. (les zee, yu haf zoosuski ERMEX tu-feefety?) After repeating the vin number 4 times, she finally got it entered right. I was then on hold for 5 minutes. Then she came back on saying that she could not find any vin number like that, please hold. Two minutes later, she came back on saying that she couldn't find it, their records only went back 5 years, please hold. 3 minutes later, couldn't find it in her records. I mentioned (for the third time) that I thought it was a 92. She finally got the hint that it was over 5 years old (and thus not in their computer records) and started looking in books. Couldn't find a vin like that. Looked some more. Same thing. Then she had a flash of inspiration. She had a book that described each year of bike. "whut coler ees ARHEMHEEX?" Yellow. "Ookee, thar five years ARHEEMEX yaloo. 1990-ARHEEMHEX250L Yaloo wit charkell (charcoal) frame. Wite hadleet bket..." After going through 5 descriptions, 2 of which were identical, all of which were very similar, to the point where I could not remember what color item x was on the bike I wanted to buy, so they did me no good. I finally just thanked her politely (after spending 20 minutes of quality time with her, attempting to translate her garbled and sometimes muffled speach), and started looking at pictures of the different years online. Lo and behold, I came to a site that said the same thing I had heard, that N means it's a 1992.

 

[Porstala F9]

^Hahaha!

Good storys. Its just rediculous who they will put behind the counter these days. At any stores for that matter.

Anyway, just for an update, I put a BR8EG and actually broke a record and got THREE rides out of my bike without it fouling! :eek:

All I did so far is move the jet needle up to the second position and have the air screw 3 1/2 turns left from all the way in.

I took some pictures of the plug and attached it to this post, its kinda like a Michael Jackson spark plug. Its kinda white with a tint of tan on one side, and a toasted marshmellow black on the other:

 

[Porstala F9]

Heres another picture of the plug.

The second picture (on the right) is of a BR8EG before the jet needle and air screw adjustments.

 

[whyzee]

first off (from my limited understanding), the view you are able to see in the pic's will only show plug temp, and it looks like you are close with the 8. You'll need to cut the threads away to be able to see the main jet ring. (many posts here on DRN, do a search) as far as the air screw I understand that every time you go out 3 full turns equates to one size leaner in pilot jet, nad to never go out more than 3 1/2. I would go to the next leaner PJ and re-set your air screw to 1 1/2 turns out. Then fine tune the off throttle to 1/4 throttle with the air screw and PJ untill idle -1/4 twist response is perfect in the 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 area. Next fine tune the needle and or clip position to 1/2 throttle. next of course is your main jet to full throttle. once you're done, every circuit should run smooth and strong as you roll on the throttle. Make sure the float height is correct. Jet with the motor warm, use your choke to help you fine tune, (pull on the choke, if the bike starts running better, you have gone too lean)
All jetting is trial and error, every bike is different.

 

[Dirtbike'n man]

WEll let me just say i am planing on starting my first job at a yamaha dealer ship so im gonna try to stop RETARDED PEOPLE FROM GIVING ADVICE

 

[marcusgunby]

I think you need to run a smaller pilot as a more reasonable 2 turns out on the airscrew and also a smaller main-IMO its still rich.

 

[holeshot]

Most of your problem is with a "too rich" pilot jet.

 

[Porstala F9]

Thanks, I'm going to order maybe two or three smaller(/leaner) pilot jets and turn the airscrew back in a little. Should I do the same for main jet and buy a couple of smaller ones, or just try one or two? From what I understand, the pilot was very rich. What was your experience with the main jet? Should I just try one size smaller for now and experiment with a few pilots?

Thanks again :)

 

[marcusgunby]

2 sizes down IMO.