Post Ride Repairs/Maint.

[Dewlap]

After drowning out my bike TWICE yesterday, once in chest high water I was told It'd be a good idea to clean out the carb today.

Sounds like good advise, but with out a manual and never having even taken the tank off my bike am I asking for trouble? Maybe I should get a manual first, or wait 'til someone who knows shows me what's what (doubtful) or forget about it since it ran fine afterwards anyway? (Except for E-start). Basicaly, is this easy (1-2 hours) with no "don't forget..."

Is an auto carb cleaner the right cleaner?

Also, my battery lead was giving me alot of trouble. I'd have power to LED (Brakes), but not to head light. I have a master toggle instead of ignition that has never given me a problem before. If I took off the battery/frame panel I could sometime get it to turn over by hitting the terminal and wiggling the lead. Could this be caused from the couple of times the bike went for a swim? I've not done anything to the wiring since the time everything worked fine. How would I tell if there is a short?

[Fullborewhore]

From now on i will call you DUCK DEWLAP ? Prolly a good idea to clean up the bike! The carb just needs the bowl drained ! There is a drain screw on the bottom just uncrew it with the gas off and then turn the gas on and off a few times and it should flush her out. Water and electricity have never been good companions thats for sure. I've had plenty of troubles with my two kodiaks' switches after a good power wash or long ride in rain. Compressed air and contact grease usually help the switches. ?

[Dewlap]

Thanks! Any chance of getting a picture of the drain screw your referring to?

Duck Dewlap (AKA Fishy for having my rear tire all over the place, last name [Fisher] and now swimming with the DRZ) ?

[10guy]

Ducky, I've turned my bike into a submarine once. If you ran it some after words than the carb is probably clean of water. I'd be A LOT more concerned about your oil ?. Here is what I did, which may or may not be over kill. I drained the oil and replaced the filter. Installed fresh dino, ran the bike at idle to circulate the oil. Drained oil, it still had a little water in it so I went ahead and replaced the filter again. Repeated again and didn't notice any water. Replaced oil with dino again and repeated through a case (six changes total and three new filters). At the end put in a new filter and synth and it was as good as new. Since then I have replaced my oil filter with a Scott's so I will not have to buy another again.

You should also go through all of the bearings, clean and relube them. And for the electrical connections, open them up and dry them out. You can use WD40 here for its intended purpose ?, add di-electric grease to them and reconnect. These last two things should be done to all new bikes by the way.

[Dewlap]

Sounds good. Now I can't get it to turn over. I have power to lights and starter is kicking, just won't catch.

Thoughts?

[10guy]

Can't get it to turn over or can't get it to start? Two very different things.

[Dewlap]

Not sure diff.? It sounds like it wants to start. I was thinking if it were completely dead then wouldn't be turning over i.e. just not "catching."

[10guy]

Turn over means to move the piston through it's stroke one way or another, be it electric starter or kick starter. If you can't get a kicker to turn over you generally have real problems, engine seized, hydrolocked, kick start gear broken etc. Electric start not turning over could be just no juice.

[10guy]

It sounds like you must be lacking either fuel or spark, have you checked your plug? Made sure your ignition system is working? DON'T TEST BY PLACING ELECTRODE TO VALVE COVER ?, use the side of the cylinder or head. Is your plug fouled with either carbon, oil, or gas?

[malachi]

DON'T TEST BY PLACING ELECTRODE TO VALVE COVER ?

I second that ?

[Dewlap]

Drained carb, seemed like all fuel. E-start. Dried all ignition wires ( key ignition removed- main toggle). Turns over, good juice. Brand new ($110) battery. Something is definately wrong with the neg. (-) post, terminal or connection. I'm not sure what, but it sometimes won't even turn over unless I move (-) connection around.

Good idea on spark plug. I've heard the gas tank has to be removed in order to get to it? If so, does that valve (petcock?) prevent fuel from spilling on my floor?

[10guy]

It does as long as you turn it to the "off" position ?