Tuns out the bike has more problems that I thought. Found a few rusty bolts, missing bolts, etc. Working my way through it. Had been running, then stopped short. No gas or spark. Looked in the gas tank and saw a bunch of junk at the bottom. Took it off, dumped it out. Sticks, bugs...full of crap. Pretty sure the carb must be clogged. I'd switched it to reserve tank, prob sucked in a mouthful of crap.

I've spent a lot of time on Honda CRF carbs. Anyone know a walkthrough or video to give me a quick overview of this one? Tips on removing, cleaning, etc?

Suspension is way soft. He said it had been set for his 110 pound girlfriend. Haven't adjusted that yet. Hope he wasn't yankin my chain there.

Got this one so my son could ride with me when I head out on my KTM 450. Thought it would be a nice dual sport to have on hand. Hopefully it is, once I get it flying straight.

Any thoughts, tips, ideas on any of these topics would be great. I'll also work my way through the forum and I'm sure I'll find some great ideas there too.

-panniers/saddlebags
-larger tank
-suspension adjustment tips
-carb cleanings tips
-comments in general to make me feel better about the purchase...

Thanks!

 

Hopefully the fuel filter inside the fuel line at the carb nipple is still intact - if so, your issue goes away with 5 mins work..

Tips on engine performance will depend on the elevations you ride at and the current "state of tune"... Perhaps create a signature line with the current exhaust, airbox, etc the bike is running.. Also put in your elevation and/or location..

 

[QUOTE=Klxster;526931]Hopefully the fuel filter inside the fuel line at the carb nipple is still intact - if so your issue goes away with 5 mins work../QUOTE]

Thanks for the tip. Pulled it off, yup, still there. But now I'm baffled. It was pretty clean. One little bit of foreign matter there, not enough to stop flow. I would have sworn that was where it was clogged. It wouldn't even drain when I opened the drain screw.

Tanks off. Looks pretty easy to take the carb off. Will do that tomorrow. Any tips?

 

boil it on the stove , in water. If it looks bad inside, soak it in gasoline for 2 days first.

 

Well since the filter is intact, it is unlikely that "crap" made it past the filter and clogged the internals of the carb.... So, if it were my bike, I guess I'd make sure a good flow of filtered fresh gas gets to the carb, hook it all up and open the carb bowl drain - if no flow through the carb, tap on the bowl with a metal instrument to "unstick" a "stuck shut" needle/seat... If flow returns, shut off drain and wait to see if gas begins flowing out the bowl overflow - indicating the needle/seat is now not closing - tap some more to see if it will close.. Overall the idea is that with some hours of running, the needle/seat will begin to function properly.. Of course a "sure-fire" fix with an old needle/seat that's acting up, is to replace it..

 

Here is my thread on problems that you can create when you dis/re assemble your CVK..

https://www.kawasakiforums.com/forum...s-fixes-43146/

 

Excellent! Thanks!

I don't need to max out performance. Just want it to run. Hopefully won't have to rip it down. Will tape it, maybe the float is sticking. That does make some sense that it could be the problem.

 

Over the years there have been some hop ups that have been in the ball park for sure, this is a link to a collection of them my brother found. He used them on his 06 and when I got my 09 we did them with it too.
It uses the Keihin parts from Kawasaki or a Keihin parts vendor. For us at 900 ft elevation it was plug and play. Part numbers included.

In the process of getting images I came across an incredibly complete site someone put up that does a great job on both the cheap and the higher cost hop ups. It is included in the cheap mods document now.
One tip, when you pull the slide, put the diaphragm in a cup of very hot water. Keeps it flexible and deforming.

Another tip, when doing the valves, if you have to leave it apart for a long period while getting shims or whatever, put the cam cover back on to make sure the cover gasket keeps its shape. When I did the cam timing modification and did my valve shimming I had to wait a few days for the shims to come in. I put the cam cap back, snugged down slightly, then put on the cam cover snugly, not tight, just enough to keep everything in place. Gaskets held shape.

 

If your just trying to start it, and the float is suck. In addition to tapping, just lay the bike on it's side till gas runs out of it. If one side doesn't work, try the other.

 

Does fuel flow if you disconnect the fuel line from the carb? There are two filters IN the tank. See p/n 49019 and 49019A
http://www.bikebandit.com/oem-parts/...8849#sch579804

Ride on
Brewster