I wonder what would happen if you treated the fuel with stabil or a gas guard and left it for a week? Also i wonder what is different between a bike and a lawnmower. My mower can sit for weeks and fire right up, same gas.I just read your other thread nix the stabil comment.

 

since i have gotten mine back it hasnt sat for more than 2 days before i was on it! If you shut the gas off and let it die from lack of fuel would that avoid having to drain the carb ?

 

i parked mine for the winter with the gas on but stabilizer in the mix....
guess ill find out what happens the next time i start it (prob in a month or so after puttin the pipe on it)

 

Re-read the post, you monkey what I said is that I had two different situations. My wife's bike I already ran the gas out, and it started after turning it on. But if you already have a bike that won't start, then drain the bowl. then try the fresh gas method. So there are two methods of draining the gas. One letting the engine do it which is simple. Or having to do it after you realized you forgot to do it last time you rode the bike. One thing to keep in mind is that the Yamaha XT 225 has known hard starting issues. Both of the 225's I have are identical except I opened up the air/fuel screw out to three turns. But it didn't really help it with the hard starting. Sorry if I confused anyone in the first post. My wife thought I was draining all of the gas out of the gas tank, so I have to explain it again.[8D]

Hey on related note, do we have a fuel filter on our bikes? If not,....why not, and if not,.....has anyone put one on? And finally where? Pics? Oh and one final question, I have run into a road block in trying to teach her how the fuel petcock works, or what each direction means. On the 225 there is no label or anything that says ON-OFF-RES So I was trying to come up with a label???? or a sticker, or maybe even a permanent black marker. But I want it to look good too, any ideas?

 

I don't know what the XT configuration would be but here's a sticker design for the KLX:



"ON" could be changed for "Open", "Running", "Normal", etc.
"OFF" could be changed for "Closed", "Stopped", etc.
"RES" could be changed for "Reserve", "Low Fuel", "Empty", "Feed Me", "Get Gas Now!!!", "HELP!", etc.

 

Monkey? lol... yea i do monkey around alot..... i was just wondering... So draining the bowl and running it out after turning it off is different?

 

by theory, yes.when you shut off the gas and run er dry you are simply running of the 30seconds or so of fuel in the lines. so after a couple seconds the lines get empty and then you have the carb making up another batch of spray, it sprays it and then waits for moere fuel to come and replace the prevous but it never comes, then you bike dies out.

 

So that begs the question:

What's the differencebetween gas sitting in the bowl for a week (i.e. "stale gas") vs. gas sitting in the tank for a week (i.e. "fresh gas")?

The temperature of the two would be identical. The volume is certainly different. Is the venting in the carb significant that it would let the volatile components evaporate off? If jelling in the carb is a problem, why isn't it a problem in the tank? Could there be some longer term interaction between the gas and the material the carb is made of? Will I ever stop asking these questions? Why is France so far away? [sm=insomnia.gif]

 

lets see, gas sitting in the bowl vs gas in tank?:i dont really see a prob, i just wouldn't do it but that is because on my machines(older vehicles) they will slowly flood and drain my tank if i leave the petcock open. Jelling in the carb vs jelling in the tank?: the tank holds a greater mass, therefore retaining its liquid composure much longer than the small amount in the bowl, it is like a race of which evaportes first, the water droplet or the cup of water. Gas erotion in carb?: This would less likely be a problem with the actual carb itself as it would with say the seals and gaskets. this is VERY minor as everything the gas comes in contact with has been made to be able to withstand the high violotility of the Gas. will you ever cease to question?: not until you die. you see you have a sever case commonly know as Atention Deficit Disorder, However you are better described as ADD's skinier cousin, atention deficit hyperactive disorder,. Why is France so far away: we dont like France so we made them go far far away.lol

 

I copied this and pasted it here for more information.

The topic of hard starting has been revisited several times on this board and other XT225 sites. The problem, more often than not, is attributable to extended periods of non use and less than fresh fuel in the carburetor on startup. The theory behind this problem is that the most volatile vapors escape from the fuel sitting in the carburetor bowl, leading to difficult starting(especially after extended time in storage). To prevent this, I highly recommend always running the carburetor dry after each use by shutting off the fuel at the petcock and then letting the engine run until it stops. I always use 93 Octane fuel, try to top off the tank before storing and use a fuel stabilizer during colder months. Keeping the gas tank full and using fuel stabilizer during the cycles of warm to cold temperature changes should also minimize the chance of water forming inside your tank through condensation, and may protect your tank from premature internal rust and corrosion. Water in the gas is an obvious problem. A rusty tank could lead to a clogged fuel screen or bits paint or rust blocking the passages in the carburetor.

I've followed these simple procedures and have been running my 2004 XT225 (with about 5,000 miles on it) since July 2004 without any starting issues. I have not made any carburetor mods. This bike likes regular use and fresh fuel dumped into the carburetor before starting. Once started, it likes an extended warmup period because of it's lean factory carburetor settings. Give it what it wants and it should reciprocate.