So, your carb overflow is pouring out gas...

So, you have just finished a great day at the off-road park. You pull up to your truck, throw down your kickstand, and notice gas streaming out the bottom of your bike with a trail leading all the way back through the parking area. Flip the petcock "off" and resolve to deal with the problem later. It could be a number of things, but in my case it was simply a large chunk of something keeping the float from seating. The bike ran fine, but the gas mileage was less than ideal, lol.

This problem was easy to fix with just an evening's worth of time. I took of the front fairings, back fairings, seat, and tank off. Finally, I removed the carb itself. Gently, I took the carb apart after cleaning the outside so no loose debris would fall inside. I removed the hoses, added a new fuel line and inline filter, and then removed the bowl itself. I removed the float gently and set everything on a clean cloth. With carb cleaner, I sprayed it in both directions through every port and jet on the carb. When I sprayed it where the float valve seats it forced a big glob of gunk out the fuel intake. Focused on this area now I used a q-tip to be certain it was spotless and free of any debris. With the problem solved, I reassembled everything. Working slowly and deliberately it took maybe an hour and a half at the most.

I also re-tapped the threads on the kdx kickstand in the swingarm nuts. Then applied loctite to both NEW bolts and reassembled the kickstand. Didn't actually alter the size when I tapped the threads, just cleared the existing threads. This seemed to work very well. Hopefully the kickstand will remain attached this time around, lol. It vibrated off while riding in Disney, OK.

The crud on this cloth is what I pulled out of the fuel intake! Having an inline fuel filter, I am not certain how this got in but I am glad that it was an easy problem to fix.

Cracked KDX 200 Engine Case

My wife's kdx 200 has a crack in the clutch side engine case. At first, I thought that it had happened on some rocks at the ORV park in Disney, OK. Come to find out though, on closer inspection it was actually a result of the kick start lever striking the case at the end of the kick start stroke. I was very surprised but it doesn't change the dripping oil from the case. I removed the cover and applied jb weld to the crack. I heated up the cover with a blow torch so the the cover would take a little more of the jb weld into the crack and allowed the cover to dry. I applied gasket sealant to the cover and replaced the cover on the engine. I let the bike sit over night without oil in it and added oil this morning. So far the repair is holding but obviously I need to run the bike around to fully test it. A new engine cover runs about 66 dollars and with everything going on next Spring I would really like to save any money that I can. The crack was very small but it allowed the case to drip just a bit of oil once the bike was warmed up. You need to be sure to drain the oil form the bike before you open up the case though, or else you will have a mess. This should be obvious though to anyone looking at venturing into their engine. I hope...

Tomorrow, Jessie wants to head out again and get some more riding in. I would love to try somewhere else but School Creek is just so far to haul for one day's worth of riding. I think that we are most likely going to go out to Oakland again but I am going to let her decide. It is going to be a good time no matter what!

Follow Up: JB weld and gasket sealer have solved the case crack problem. An impact Saturday though jarred some gunk loose in the garb though and now the overflow hose on the carb bowl is pouring a steady stream of fuel out. Not a good thing. I will be tearing into the carb to clean it out in the next couple days and hopefully it just needs to be cleaned and there is nothing worn out. Either way, should be an easy repair once I isolate the issue.

KDX 200 Coming Right Along

Last night, I worked some more on Jessie's KDX. I installed a new chain and sprocket set, a new exhaust seal that she is very excited about, and did an oil change. The front sprocket I pulled, was missing numerous teeth after this weekend's fun. I have returned the bike to stock gearing, which should help Jessie with her riding. I am installing a new clutch perch, lever, and cable tonight in the hopes of making the clutch a much easier pull. It is a very hard pull currently and would wear out a beginner rider's forearm very quickly! The bike should be ready to go again after tonight. I am hoping to get Jessie on some very simple trails this weekend for some extra practice. She has the basics down and just needs an opportunity to practice the skills in a situation where it is not her only focus. Going in circles in a big grass lot, while safe, gives a little to much time to consider every aspect of what you are doing and not really enjoy your ride. Teach her to ride has been an exercise in patience. I am a moto-addict and want to get out and practice ALL the time and she is much more of a recreational rider. I am extremely happy that the first lesson was not the last. Hopefully she will enjoy riding in the ORV parks even more than I hope she will and we can get out together more often.

So far she has practiced braking, getting the bike going, switching gears, kick starting, wide radius turns, and swerving around a series of obstacles. It has gone extremely well but presents a variety of challenges. I need to get her self confidence up and that means making sure she is successful. Slow and steady seems to be the biggest help for her personally with just an occasional nudge from me to get her to try something new. I really wish that I had looked into teaching the MSF classes more than I did. I would really enjoy helping new riders and sharing some of the many lessons I learned "the hard way,"

http://www.dirtbikeschool.org/Curriculum.aspx

http://msf-usa.org/CurriculumMaterials/BRCHandbook2011.pdf


The next morning:
So, everything went in smoothly! That new clutch lever is butter smooth!!! It is fantastic and looks great. It is longer than the stock lever but it was a great upgrade. I highly recommend this to anyone who is tired of a sore forearm or just wants an easier pull. I have never had a clutch lever this smooth and that includes the brand new bikes that I have ridden!! I think that this is going to be a wonderful upgrade for my wife.

Also, I throw Rotella in just about every bike I own. I swear by the stuff normally. I have to say though, that I switched to Castrol 10W-40 full synthetic in the kdx and it has made a world of difference. No more fighting to find neutral or fighting to find a gear while. It shifts smoothly in and out of each gear. I will still use Rotella in a lot of things but, as far as my wife's KDX, I will be using a moto full synthetic oil from now on.