General Dirt Bike Questions

did you ever get the accelerator pump working?

Did you try pop starting it instead of the push button?

And now for the d'oh questions.

- is the gas on?
- is there gas in the tank?
- is the fuel line connected to the carb?
- is the spark plug wire attached?

The bike needs 3 things to run: air, spark, and fuel. Checking the spark is easy. You pull the spark plug out of the head, reconnect the spark plug wire, then touch the spark plug threads to the metal of the engine, and have someone push the kick starter by hand while you look for sparks in the tip of the plug.

If that's good, then you know you don't have an electrical problem.
 
Last edited:
Only problem is I've only got about 5k to spend including the trade in. If trade in my yfz too but my wife says no for once. I think she secretly liked riding it. If I could trade both in I could get whatever I wanted.
 
I think your bike is great. Just get it jetted and ride it. Even if you bought a brand new one you'd still have to get the carb tuned.
 
Yes got the pump working. I think it was probably working before but not enough fuel in it to get a spray. So I just had an idea. I went out, took the air filter off and sprayed starting fluid in while hitting the e start. It would start and I could hit the throttle and rev it for a second, it wouldn't bog, but as soon as it would run out of that starting fluid it would die and wouldn't start again without more starting fluid. What's up? Also, when I took the filter off, there was fluid in the bottom of the filter housing. Really thick and light brownish, kinda like new oil looks. What would this be from and what would it be? Gas that wasn't burned off?
 
Could it be water from washing it?

This is good news that you got it started. Its not a spark problem. Its either a fuel or air problem. How is your air screw? Any chance you swapped the two jets on accident (just trying to think of anything here). Is the idle jet screwed down all the way, along with the main?

Maybe its the starter jet?
 
The float bowl has to fill back up with gas, which takes a minute. Stick with it, we'll get it running tonight. Does the service manual help at all? Maybe it'll remind you of something you forgot to reinstall?
 
Could it be water from washing it?

This is good news that you got it started. Its not a spark problem. Its either a fuel or air problem. How is your air screw? Any chance you swapped the two jets on accident (just trying to think of anything here). Is the idle jet screwed down all the way, along with the main?

Maybe its the starter jet?
I don't have an air screw, I have a fuel screw. I have tried it in half turn increments all the way from 3/4 out to 6 turns out. The bowl is full of gas now, I tried starting it forever earlier today. I even have the charger on my battery so the battery doesn't die. I didn't swap the jets because I remembered that the long jet (pilot) went in my carb with a metal housing around it. The others didn't have that. I had zero parts left over after it was all back together. Not even an extra screw or washer, which is pretty good for me.:eek2:
 
I don't think any 2T bikes are...yet. They actually use Direct Injection on the 2T sleds and such, I imagine that's the same thing we'll see on bikes in the very near future.

I know the OSSA Explorer Trials bike is a 2T FI bike. Pretty cool to hear that it'll be a possibility soon. That's a game changer.
 
Plug was fouled pretty bad. Lots of black and some dark red. So I got a new plug earlier. Same results. The plugs are $11 a piece. Pretty pricey for just a plug.
 
Im Going to guess it has something to do with the starting jet. When you removed it, did you count how many turns it took to take out? I'd check the manual for advice tweaking the starting jet.

Which jet did you change? What number was it and what number is it now?

Does the float move up and down with tension on that spring?
 
Im Going to guess it has something to do with the starting jet. When you removed it, did you count how many turns it took to take out? I'd check the manual for advice tweaking the starting jet.

Which jet did you change? What number was it and what number is it now?

Does the float move up and down with tension on that spring?
I didn't change any jets. I just took the 3 out from the bottom that are accessible. I cleaned them and put the same ones back in. They were all tight when I took them out so I put them back in tight. There is no tension on the float at all. It can move up and down how it wants, there is no spring visible anywhere on the float that I noticed. Just a pin holding it in.
 
. There is no tension on the float at all. It can move up and down how it wants, there is no spring visible anywhere on the float that I noticed. Just a pin holding it in.

When you hold the carb upside down with the bowl off is the float all the way down or does it sit level and if you push on it lightly it goes down and springs back to its original position? There should be a spring associated with the float needle that keeps tension on it.
 
Back
Top