KDXRIDER.NET

So I finally break down and buy myself a used 220. Go to the guy who's selling it and watch him start it on third kick. Get it home and take it for a spin the next day, starts on third kick. Ride over an hour with no problems. Put it in the garage next to my dualspport for the night.

Take it out today for a ride and nada. No will run. Plenty of fresh gas in the tank, gas on, choke on, nothing. Replace plug (oily but not horrible). Now I"m getting gas from one of the carb overflow tubes.

I think it is stock except for the pipe and silencer.

Finally put tools up, thumb starter or dualsport, and go for a ride.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Additional information.

At the end of my ride, I turned the fuel valve to off and let the engine idle for a few minutes to get fuel out of carb. I've always done that on my other bikes.

Is that ok to do on two strokes or should I be boiled in premix?

I also killed the engine with the 'engine stop' button. Any experience with kill buttons sticking and preventing starting?

Tip it on it's left side and let gas dump out of the overflows..... Tip it back up and try starting her.


Next time just kill it with the kill button and turn the gas off.

Thanks Inda. Tried it, no joy. Will try again tomorrow. I know using the choke richens the mixture for starting. Is it mandatory on these bikes to use the choke?

Always... unless it is warmed up.

A new plug will proly make her fire....

There is always push starting it too!

Got it. Thanks. I'll try again tomorrow. Getting dark here now and a painting project awaits me in my daughter's room.

This seems like a pretty active site. I've ridden thumpers and sport tourers for years but have the bug to do some more trail riding. Fewer left turning cars to avoid.

First two stroke since the 70's so I've got some re-learning to do.

Ya, don't really want to do that. In the old days it was used to kinda drain the float bowl if you werent going to dire it for awhile, but it doesnt even drain it all, so it's pointless.

I put a new plug in today. If it won't kick start tomorrow, I'll try to bumpstart her.

I need to make myself a shorty 13/16ths open end wrench. Having to take off the tank to make room for a ratchet and drive is a pain.

Push start like a thumper? 2nd gear with the choke on?

On a KDX... you have to get her rollin' in neutral, choke on.... hop on side saddle... pull the clutch in and pop it into second... pop the clutch and give it some gas at the same time... not too much or you will end up on your ass!

Slick_Nick wrote:Ya, don't really want to do that. In the old days it was used to kinda drain the float bowl if you werent going to dire it for awhile, but it doesnt even drain it all, so it's pointless.

That seems to be the concensus. Thanks. I'm adding that to my list of two-stroke do's and don't's.

Bump starting this one sounds like an adventure. I'll have my wife standing by with the camera. If i wind up on my butt, i'll send pix

OK! Still no go. Fresh fuel, check. Fresh spark plug, check.

Kick, no start.

Push, no start.

Do CDI's just fail w/o warning? Any experience w/ kill switches sticking in the off position?

Ran like a champ for over an hour Saturday afternoon.

Suggestions?

I have never heard of a CDI going out on a KDX personally.

Pull the plug... put the cap back on, hold it close to the cylinder and have someone cycle the kickstarter... check for spark.

Do like Inda says. The spark should be good and healthy, not yellow but whitish blue. If no spark you can take the kill switch off the bar and check again. Mine failed once, but in a way that made it not kill the motor. I repaired the original.

I"ll check for spark after work. Spent lunch hour with it already. Disconnected the kill switch, no help..

Thanks for the input. After seeing it started from cold when i bought it, and starting it the next day w/ no probs, it has to be something simple.

I'm pretty simple, so I should be able to fix it, right?

Might try taking the plug off the bottom of the carb, let it drain out. Could be water in the gas??

Also if you take the plug off look to see if theres junk in it

I"ll drain the carb after work too. Fresh gas was put on top of old gas, so that's a possibility. Installed new plug and it looks fine after attempts to start.

A lot of times there can be just enough water in the bowl to cause this

What's the air filter status? My buddy just bought a newer bike with an air filter that looked like it was caked with black clay. Just a shot in the dark but you never know.

Anything gummed up in the silencer? I once kicked my bike 20 times til I figured out I left the wash plug in the the exhaust (dumb@ss!)