Kawaski 1989 450 LTD Gear problem
 

I am having problems with what seems to be my gears.

When I put it in 1st and let go of the clutch the bike just stalls
it is like it is in a high gear and not first. If I rev it high then let go of the clutch the back wheel will spin but you can feel the torque,
any ideas?

Welcome to KF. Are you a new rider all together? Not sure on your statement of "When I put it in 1st and let go of the clutch the bike just stalls". Try inspecting and lubing up the cable. How is the oil level in the ride? Let us know and good luck.

Sounds normal to me. Apply enough throttle to take the revs to about 2K and ease the clutch gently. If it's in a high gear, then revving and dropping the clutch is more likely to stall it than spin the wheel.

MSF course?

Or maybe you have an ignition or fuelling problem that stops your engine developing any power at low revs. That would cause stalling on take off with normal amounts of throttle.

Rob

stall
 

I am a experienced rider, just this problem seems a little strange to me
I can start the bike first try and it idles well. I can rev it and it sounds smooth. When I put it in gear and ease out the clutch it just stalls under load. If I rev the bike high and let the clutch out the wheel will spin a little and the bike will stall. It is like there is too much resistance on the wheel, but the wheel spins free in neutral. I remember with my some of my old bikes I could push the bike when it was in first, but this one does not budge if I push it in first, is that normal? Some people have told me that is could be a carb problem, but how could that be it seems to run perfect in neutral.

Any help would be great

OK.

So we have a bike that starts and idles normally, but seems to lack the power to pull away.

Start with the carb. The idle system must operate normally, but a blocked main jet or split diaphragm could cause your symptoms. Off load it could still appear to rev Ok on the pilot jet or with only partial movement of the slides- they're raised by the diaphragms when the butterflies open.

Strip and clean the carb, paying close attention to the jets. The float is probably OK as the idle is normal. Check the diaphragm for splits or tears. A temporary repair can be made by pushing the slide through a piece of cling film so that it covers the underside of the diaphragam and is trapped under the edges of the cover.

If you're uncomfortable with the idea of strippng the carb yourself, try and try to find someone local who can help you, or bite the bullet and find a dealer or professional mechanic.

It's easier to push a bike in the higher gears than in the lower ones. You wouldn't normally expect to able to push a modern(ish) bike in first with the clutch engaged.

Rob

You sure the engine is sufficiently warmed and choke is off? Sometimes this can cause your bike to stall because the engine can't build the steam to handle the load.