I have an 06 KLX and it doesnt want to start. Any advice would be greatly appreciated...

When I try to start the bike, it turns over but just wont fire. Last year I had a similar issue and although I got the bike running, I never figured out what the problem was and it was a reoccuring issue all year. It will just crank and crank and crank, but nothing.

A few times las year when near a hill, when the bike didnt want to start, I would bump start it. When I did this it would generally fire right up.

I put a brand new battery in it last year thinking it may not be holding enough charge. But that was not the problem. Even with a full charge it just doesnt seem like it wants to start.

I am thinking this is an electrical issue somewhere but I am not sure and I have no idea how to figure this out. Any advice? Can anyone point me in the right direction or give me some advice on what to check?

Thanks again!!!

MAXX

 

There are many posts on this subject and many different theories and solutions. It's a widespead issue on stock bikes and even some with pipe, airbox, and rejet mods. My theory is on the starter jet being too small...especially when temps are low. I've drilled mine out by a small percentage, but I'm also installing a 300 kit, so I won't have a true comparison when it's done.

 

Check the clearance on the intake valves.

Ride on
Brewster

 

check spark plug

 

I know there have been a ton of different opinions and a lot of people have had issues with this.

The bike always started fine until I did all of the reccomended mods. I did the crank breather mod, I gutted the screen out of the air box, i am running no lid on my airbox, and an HMF Exhaust. I had the bike jetted and tuned at a local shop that is VERY reputable.

I will replace my plug as the current one is the original and ive got close to 2600 miles on it. Then ill charge up the battery and give her a try. Hopefully this will be the fix.

The intake valve clearance ma be a little more in depth than I am comfortable with.

ANY OTHER OPINIONS???

THANKS,
MAXX

 

I'd be interested in knowing what "rejetting" was done by the shop.

- is the right main jet installed based on your intake and exhaust mods?
- what setting did they put the fuel/air screw at?

I would try this;
- take the air box cover and remove the air filter.
- squirt a small amount of gas into the air inlet and crank the engine.

If it is only a lack of fuel then the engine should fire up and then stall once the fuel is used up. If it fires up then you have a carb problem. If it doesn't then I would take the spark plug out, attach the plug wire, place the plug end onto the engine block and crank the engine. Watch for spark on the plug.

Try those out. Good luck.

 

Sounds to be a carb problem like what most KLX suffer from. Try leaning the bike to one side with the choke out and start it up. This allows the carb to spill fuel out and richens the A/F during the start (also works when the KLX doesn't want to start in the winter). Re-jetting doesn't normally fix the issue, but may help lessen it.

An engine doesn't need much to run. Air, Fuel, and Spark. As long as you didn't mess with the timing chain and it was running last time. Start with those three basics first. If all three of those basics are good, then start checking IGN timing, Cam timing, and valve clearances.

 

Just run the gas out next time, and I guarantee then next time you go to start it will fire faster than Rosie O'Donnell running to an all you can eat buffet. I really am puzzled that anyone even questions this procedure. Not one person that has tried this way of making sure the bike will start has ever been disappointed. Oh well, to each his own I guess. But don't knock it till you try it.

Here is the basic information.

Shut down procedure.

1. After riding as you are pulling into your driveway, or to speed things up you can do this a block from your house, turn off the gas.
2. Let the bike run until it actually dies from gas starvation, (this may take 2-5 minutes) But that's ok it will give you time to put away your gear.
3. Park it and now you're ready for the next time you ride whether that be in a day, or a month.

Start up procedure.

1. Turn on the gas
2. Wait for 10 seconds
3. Start the bike as you always do

 

deej, while I honor your opinion on the old KLX hard start issue, people shouldn't have to go through a procedure like this to get their bike to start up cold the next time they want to ride it. There's a fix to this that doesn't require unusual hoopla. Kawasaki obviously isn't going to fix it, but I think we should. I still think this whole issue involves a too small starter jet, though I could be wrong. As I was preparing to drill my starter jet to test that theory out, I obtained a good deal on a complete 300 kit, so I won't get to see how the starter jet mod alone would affect it. I used to work part time at a local shop, and we had to drill the starter jets on the 4 carb setup on the KZ650 in about '78 or '79 as I recall. They had the same symptoms as the KLX experiences on cold start. A lot of ideas as to what's going on have been thrown out, but I do feel pretty sure it's not ignition, valves, or engine vacuum...at least on properly tuned bikes. I think it's fuel delivery on cold start up. That is primarily controlled by the starter jet. Those with richer jetting seem to experience this less, and I believe that also points to cold startup fuel delivery. Those with larger pilot jets probably have less issue. I wish we could get a true test of this by drilling the starter jet on a bike having this problem, and then see if this mod alone fixes it. I think it would. This is what I was going to do, but while the carb was off and I received the 300 kit, I couldn't bring myself to go through the extra steps to test it. Drilling the starter jet won't affect performance at any other point in engine operation except when the choke **** is opened.

 

Yes I agree that we shouldn't have to do this, but its free, it works, and I've moved on. Good luck.