Just wondering if you used a gas stabalizer in the fuel at the end of last season? In my opinion, if a motor is in storage it should be left in storage until it's used regularly. Running it until it runs out of gas is probably not making the engine warm enough to evaporate any moisture that may build up in the engine and carb. (As Einfahrt mentioned).
If your going to run it in the off season I would run it for a longer time to get the engine up to full temp.
Or just leave it in storage with battery tender on.
Just my opinion.

 

thats a good point too.....i bought a bottle of suzuki brand stabilizer and basically doubled the amount they suggested figuring more might be better and the tank today was the gas (premium 94 octane) from last fall so it MAY have been bad gas or moisture or something too........i'll drain whats left in the tank and the carb, let it all evaporate and get some fresh premium in there and run a tank of that through and see if the problem crops up again.....thanks for all the suggestions though guys!!! much appreciated!

 

normal dude.

its should do that if jetted correctly. here in australia the klx250 comes standard with the 132# main jet.

and it sounds cool!

 

Too rich under the same conditions and the motor likes to die from the over-rich surge condition. Too lean (partially occluded pilot jet) and you get popping and excessive engine braking. My guess is the motor's being pulled along without enough fuel to fire but every so many power strokes, fuel builds up in the exhaust then get flamed with a pop.

Very irritating trying to maintain smooth throttle applications when that happens. More engine braking throttle off, then you come back on and have fuel from the needle jet/jet needle mid-range circuit and the bike surges forward.

If you have a choke that's not detented like the KLXs, you can dial it on a wee bit. If the above lean problem goes away, you can be pretty sure you have an occluded pilot jet. With the KLX, you can reach down to the carb and try to pull it a tiny bit on, but it's tricky as it want to go all the way to the first detented position, which is a little too much for this test.

 

In USA, most of our carbureted bikes run on the lean side of stoichiometric AFR. That's EPA mandated for emissions reasons. It robs the bike of smooth power on and right off the bottom, and power when loaded. At least on some individual bikes. I've a very few bikes that run great as is from the factory, but most need general enriching to run strongly and not take f o r e v e r to warm up.

I do up to three things to CV-carb bikes when I buy them. I liberate the fuel screw by popping off the tamper-proof cap, which allows me to play with the low-speed fuel setting. Sometimes I go one up on the pilot jet. Kawasaki KL250 Sherpa with Mikuni, for example, but not the KLR250 or KLX250S. I'll shim the needle up to provide a little more fuel relative to slide position. This is typically .035" to .050". I should try that optional 1NTC or whatever needle I've seen in posts. I sometimes also go up a little on the main jet, but again, that depends on that particular bike.

I have found too that riding at high altitude only requires a change to the main jet. The bikes like to keep the enriched bottom and mid at altitude, but like going down on the main jet at 5,000 feet, then down several steps if used above 8,000 feet.

Hey in Australia, do your carbs come with that infernal fuel or air screw cap?

 

Mentioned the problem to one of the guys at work and what he said makes perfect sense.....since it was only about 40 degrees or so the day I went out riding and it was a bit on the damp side from all the snow melt and everything.....he suggested it may have been carb icing that caused my problems.......I know it's possible on anything with a carb but has anyone had carb icing before?

 

I seriously doubt that carb icing is the problem. the conditions have to be just right, temperature, moisture in the air (humidity) and the icing really only occurs when you are at higher rpm's. It has happened to me a couple of times. All I did was pull over, let the bike sit for 30 seconds as the engine heat warms the carb back up, and then its fine for the rest of the day. I had an old Dodge Power Wagon with a 2 barrel carb do it, same thing shut it off, let it warm and off you go. If you start the bike and all it will do is idle, then chances are it has nothing to do with icing.

 

sounds good!

 

hopefully all it was was a cranky jet. I took the airbox lid off and ran it for the afternoon yesterday with fresh gas and I had zero problems......other than dropping it and bending my clutch lever but that's just an excuse for handguards right?

so whatever the problem was seems to have cured itself and I'm back to being content with my little KLX.....thanks for everything guys!

 

No.
Stock settings are #132 main, #35 pilot and N1RX needle.
We do get some nice holes in the carb' slide that need to be filled though! (Noise regs.)
No smog crap though , thank god. Oh! And we get a carb' de-ice circuit cause it gets so cold over here. WTF...