Bike died

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » 08:57 pm Jul 20 2006

Well i finally was able to bring the bike down to the dealer. I got it their after the guy said i cant work on it today but i will try to get to it. So i went and he actually tried to figure out the problem. It was idleing high and running rough. When he started it up he really was pounding the throttle. Like 3/4 to fully open. He was adjusting the carb along the way. Im not sure how good it was for the bike since i only ran the bike 10 minutes into the top end. I guess i went the quick way for a top end break in. Anyway, as he was reving it up it just died. We took out the plug and it seemed to be gas fouled which made sence since it wasnt running right. He put a new plug in and it didnt start. WE put another expensive plug in and nothing. We then tested for spark and nothing was there. Not anything.
Now he told me it was either probably the cdi or the ignition coil. When i put a new plug in my bike i always took off that small cap. I guess he told me i was not suppose to. I think it led to having a poor contact and at the high Rmp's he was running at it fried the Cdi or the Coil.

My question is am i assuming the correct problem? Also with your best guess am i probably going to need a new coil or Cdi? Or is it an equal chance?? thanks for any help.. Also if it is the Cdi does anyone know were i can get one. Thanks

m0rie · Post by **m0rie** » 09:12 pm Jul 20 2006

Ebay for a the CDI, ignition coil your best bet would be from Ricky Stator. Should be around $40 for a new one. Break out your manual and follow the steps to test for lack of spark and follow it back to either the CDI or Ignition coil if those are the cause. Could be a bad ground point or a wire that is shorting out also.

Post by **Indawoods** » 09:17 pm Jul 20 2006

Don't be so quick to 1. Take it to a dealer 2. Allow them to work on it.

By your description, I can tell the damn fool didn't know what in the hell he was doing. It sounds like he was trying to blow it up so it would cost you more in repairs.

When setting the carb you don't rev the crap out of it. The first thing he should have done is to take the carb apart and check the jetting (assuming he would even know a baseline) and float bowl height.

If he thought it was an ignition problem, then he should have checked for a good ground, and then spark.

I bought a nifty little spark checker from Harbor Freight for $6 that goes between the plug and cap. You can see any fluctuation.

Check for a good ground on your motor.

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » 09:32 pm Jul 20 2006

i know he checked the floats already as i brought him my carb a few days back. He told me he isnt great with electrical problems but he has a mechanic who does alot of electrical work that will be in on saturday.

Is my top end completly screwed by him doing what he did??

Post by **Indawoods** » 09:52 pm Jul 20 2006

Don't know that... could be... could be fine.

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » 10:50 pm Jul 20 2006

i couldnt find a Cdi on ebay unfortunately. Even worse news my cousin just called me and invited me to go riding next weekend at some awsome trails... i hope i can fix my bike by then.

m0rie · Post by **m0rie** » 10:57 pm Jul 20 2006

Ryan - Stop pidling around and break out your manual already. Follow the troubleshooting procedures and find out for sure if its the coil, cdi or something else. Just randomly trying to fix the problem isn't going to get the job done.

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » 11:05 pm Jul 20 2006

the bike is acutally at the shop. I dont have the tools to test for sure if it is the coil or Cdi. If they dont have it figured out by saturday afternoon i am going to pick it up monday and do it myself.

Just a question.
If my Cdi and/or Ignition coil is faulty would that make the bike idle high and run rough??

m0rie · Post by **m0rie** » 11:17 pm Jul 20 2006

You don't have a multimeter? Bad coil or CDI could make the bike run rough. High idle sounds more like a air leak or lean pilot jet.

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » 11:44 pm Jul 20 2006

i dont have a multimeter... they are too much money i believe. Also in the manual it says you have to use a kawasaki multi-meter. Although that is probably Bs right?

KDXer · Post by **KDXer** » 11:50 pm Jul 20 2006

Ryan wrote:i dont have a multimeter... they are too much money i believe.

Are you serious ?? LOL Take a look here and get one for less than $20 if $$$ are tight.

http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dl ... category0=

Ryan wrote:Also in the manual it says you have to use a kawasaki multi-meter. Although that is probably Bs right?

RIGHT !!! ;) Just remember the KDX is AC not DC.

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » 08:22 am Jul 21 2006

so if i get the multimeter i will be able to tell if my CDi is bad?? thanks

grump99 · Post by **grump99** » 09:00 am Jul 21 2006

This might be good to try:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/d ... mber=33499

KDXer · Post by **KDXer** » 09:48 am Jul 21 2006

http://da.harborfreight.com/cpisearch/w ... &Submit=Go

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » 10:20 am Jul 21 2006

that would work except that i need to have my bike done for next weekend, i will try my local hardware store. Thanks

canyncarvr · Post by **canyncarvr** » 04:55 pm Jul 21 2006

These threads that start out 'Ryan' are always troublesome, 'eh?

I don't see an answer or response to an obviously errant line of thinking. But...I've been known to misunderstand the obvious.

This:

Ryan wrote:When i put a new plug in my bike i always took off that small cap. I guess he told me i was not suppose to.

..didn't raise any eyebrows? He's taking the screw-on tip off the spark plug!!!

Ryan. What are you thinking? WHY do you think that tip is ON there in the first place? To protect the threads!!!???

Read and understand this: You do NOT take that piece off the plug. In fact, it's usually a good idea to make sure it's TIGHT when you replace the plug, and a bit of NoALox wouldn't hurt. That is grease that prevents oxidation common when dissimilar metals pass electricity.

No one needs to tell me what it is really used for. I know.

The OEM hi-tension cap is designed to fit onto that screwed on tip. There ARE caps that are designed to fit a plug that does not have that tip, but the OEM cap is not!! one of them.

FWIW, the caps that DO fit without the plug tips work better, IMO because they have a more positive mechanical connection.

Certainly know the difference and don't mix the two up. Look inside the cap: The 'with tip' cap will have a split (for tension) round end, the 'without tip' cap will have a sprung wire, you can here it 'click' (the wire passing the threads) as you press it on the plug.

If someone changed it, you may HAVE a 'no tip' cap. To GUESS what the mechanic TOLD you is completely insufficient.

FIND OUT!

You won't need to know about AC or DC to check the CDI. You WILL need to make resistance (ohms) measurements. In this case, do not get an analog meter (with a moving needle). Get a digital (with a readout) meter.

I can just SEE you with a 10X-100x analog meter trying to make sense of ANY circuit that has capacitance in it.

(You wouldn't see the humor in it I'm sure!)

If there are too many 'whatnots' in this for you to handle, read it over until they are gone.

AMEN!

...I've got some AC plugs I want him to take the tips off of....

No, Ryan...that is not different from a DC plug...

..Yeah. Sometimes I just kill myself!!

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » 08:48 pm Jul 21 2006

i have no problem with using a multimeter. I just took a year long course on digital electronics, so i do what i am doing in that area. As far as taking off the tip of the plug, 3 other bikes of mine required it so i figured it was the same... an honest mistake i guess. I learn things as i go and sometimes to me it seems you are a bit harsh. But that could just be me. I know sometimes i have stupid questions and i do realize this, but not everything i say is uninteligent. AS far as the problem. I guess when I had the bike at the dealer when he was riding it, a wire must have come loose. It was one right next to the Cdi. Once he put it back on it had spark again. As far as the rough riding. i had a 155 main but after the rejetting my dealer put in a 145. And my 48 pilot went to a 42 pilot. I guess the bike was running so rich it was making the bike run rough. I knew from the start it was running very rich. But i didnt really want to touch the jetting untill i got the top end broken in. Obviously i had no choice. Thanks for all your help, everyone.

marco220 · Post by **marco220** » 09:49 pm Jul 21 2006

If you're still looking for a multi-meter and you need it right away.... hit Menards or Home Depot. Just saw one the other day at my local Menards for like $12.

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » 10:09 pm Jul 21 2006

ya my brother needs one for his atv but my dad's friend has one i can borrow.

quailchaser · Post by **quailchaser** » 10:09 pm Jul 21 2006

canyncarvr wrote: ..Yeah. Sometimes I just kill myself!!

Amusing oneself is half the fun.

Ryan,

Did you ever post what jetting you had in the bike before you took it to the dealer? KDX220 stock jetting is the 145 main, 42 pilot. You should have gotten a few responses stating that your jetting was a "tad" rich with the "i had a 155 main...And my 48 pilot " had you posted this info. No wonder it ran like cr_p. Typically, even the stock jettng of 145/42 is rich for most people.

Glad the "electrical" and poor running condition were easy fixes!

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Bike died

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