This is really making me mad

[Thirty_Four]

Okay so as you all know already i was used to a Crf150f and Xr80r where you start the bike and let it idle for like 5-7 minutes while you get dressed or what not and then it would be warmed up. So i just got a CRF250R this year and for the first month, about, of riding thats what ive been doing. But one day we got old, stale, or contaminated gas and its all been down hill from there. After we filled the tank with the bad gas, the bike was alot, ALOT, harder to start (20 kicks min. but before it was only 1-2 kicks) and then the bike would not idle unless you messed with the idle screw until it was high enough. Then we drained the tank and put fresh gas in and i kept the bike running while messing with the idle screw and then rode hardcore for like 7 minutes and after that the bike would idle a lil more properly but still not like when i first got the bike. So at the next races we set it so it would idle and then while warming up at the line, the radiators would get really hot and it would start dripping anti-freeze from the overfill drain. So after those races we took it to the shop cuz we checked the valves and the exhaust valves were 2 thousandths too tight after minus a thousandth. So we thought that was part of the problem. The mechanics said the valves were fine but decided to clean the carb anyways. They said they found dirt in the bottom but that was it. So before we brought the bike back home, I rode it around the shop and the power was there, it idle'd better than before and started in the first few kicks. So we thought great its better. So after we got home took it to the track and the bike ran just like at the shop, which was way better than before but only a little bit off from feeling "brand new". But just today, which is two days after bringing it home and last riding it, it was once again alot harder to start and it wouldnt idle as well....but i thought "hay this is a race bike, its not meant to idle, its meant to be raced" so i kept it running using the throttle and then took it around the track slowly to "warm it up" then rode hardcore or what i call hardcore. But it would still die if say i pulled in the clutch and coasted to a stop occasionally it would die...but not always. My question is should i just expect this always from my bike or is there a problem? I mean its fine other than hard starting and the occasional die just when coasting to a stop with no throttle and the clutch pulled in. Sorry from the long post..i just want my bike to be running to its fullest and i needed to explain everything that been going on.

P.S. the other post in the CRF250X forums is my bro using my account.

[723onYZ250f]

there's alot wrong with this post. antifreeze leaks out of any bike after idling on the start that long. well most bikes. one of my bikes used to have that idle problem when the bike got hot so I jsut turned it up when it was hot to where it would idle well. If it doesn't work after that you might still have a problem.

[Crazyced]

Letting your CRF250 idle for 5-7 minutes in not a good idea. On the starting gate, I start the bike only when the 30 board is there (it's already warmed up). I don't wait till anti freeze is dropping. To warm it up I put the back of my fingers on the left rad and wait till I can't keep em on a second more (about 1min). Then I'm ready to put around a little before letting it rip.

[ndekens]

check the valves again. If the moved again then your vavles were not fine like the mechanic said. If the valves are good then you got some fuel issues.

[specialized169]

it sounds like your timeing could be off that would make your bike hard to start and pretty sure it would cause it to overheat to becuase of detonation is happening when its not suppose to

[berudd]

I am assuming that you tried a fresh plug...

[Tuner]

I'd check the pilot jet first......it doesn't take much to clog it, and it would act as you describe.

[AHerm87]

Just dropping by, no expert here, but I would think that letting the bike idle for so long is what is causing it to overheat and die when you let off the gas. Radiators need air to pass over them.

Maybe adding some water wetter or other coolant additives could help keep the temperature down.

Also, my XR250 was having an overheating problem until I adjusted the idle and rejetted.

[wheelz]

You definitely have some jetting issues.

[BigIvyI]

Summertime makes your jetting richer. Have you played with the fuel screw?

Also, if you overheated the bike to much, your rings or cylinder could be damaged or maybe glazed over.

Definitely never idle these bikes for more than a minute or two maximum.

[Thirty_Four]

Hay thanks for the replies everyone. I know it sounds like im a goon for letting the bike idle that long, but like i said this is my first race bike and i had no clue how to warm it up properly. By the way the bike only has less than 30 hrs., hopefully that might eliminate some possibilities. I definately agree about when to start the bike on the line. Me and everyone else lined up start our bikes when the white flag goes up. But even then it stills overheats in that little of time. And i sorta start the bike early like that because im afraid of it not starting or atleast taking longer to start. I really like the replies about the pilot screw, timeing, and piston and rings, those definately sound like possibilities, but i will definately keep the others in my mind. Ive got races on saturday, so ill only have time to check the pilot jet and play with the fuel screw, and ill get back to you after i do that. Keep the replies coming and ill let ya know whats going on. Thanks again.

[Thirty_Four]

Well, we took the bike upto the shop this morning thinking they could tune it up a little bit so that atleast it would start, and we could take it back home. But they couldnt get it to fire, and there was hardly no compression, so they pulled off the valve cover and low and behold, the intake valves were no clearance. They said that it was so unusual to see a new 06' bike with only 27.5 hrs (thanks to my sendec hour meter) have the valves go bad that quickly because i had only ridden it for 3 hours after they had last checked the valves. They said that the intake valves were staying partly open and thats why there was hardly no compression. So they are gonna call Honda and see what they say, and hopefully they will help out with this one, but probably not since it is a race bike. That dashed my hopes of bringing the bike back with us and being able to race tomorrow.

[thor_386]

Bummer

[Crazyced]

They said that the intake valves were staying partly open and thats why there was hardly no compression. So they are gonna call Honda and see what they say, and hopefully they will help out with this one, but probably not since it is a race bike. That dashed my hopes of bringing the bike back with us and being able to race tomorrow.

Changes your valves (intake at least) and have someone recut your valves seats (important). Do a search on valves seats if you don't know what it is. ?

[Dan CRF250]

They said that it was so unusual to see a new 06' bike with only 27.5 hrs (thanks to my sendec hour meter) have the valves go bad that quickly because i had only ridden it for 3 hours after they had last checked the valves. They said that the intake valves were staying partly open and thats why there was hardly no compression. So they are gonna call Honda and see what they say, and hopefully they will help out with this one, but probably not since it is a race bike. That dashed my hopes of bringing the bike back with us and being able to race tomorrow.

i know im no pro mechanic, nor do i get payed to work on bikes, but i work on over 7 bikes in the neighbor hood 3 of witch are crf's, 2 06's and my 04'

the 06's have been coming back from the dealer with tight valves, , im always fixing this problem but last week it went bad, one of the 06's had no compression, and the honda shop said he needed a new piston and rings (since he was there for a valve adjustment) but it ended up when i took his motor apart, that one of his intakes were tight and mushroomed the valve, causing ti to leak excessively, maybe its just this one shop but i would like to take a look at more crf's coming back from a valve check from a honda shop to see whats really going on.

also, for your starting problems, try putting in the next size main jet and piolet jet, it worked good for me, also this new pump gas that is going around with the 10% ethenol is tending to make all of my bikes run lean ?

[Thirty_Four]

Alright thanks again everyone. Dan CRF250R: i think the starting problem was because of the bike having such low compression due to the valves, atleast thats what i heard the mechanics saying. Yea i know its kinda rediculous (sp?) to have this brand new bike, with only 27.5 hrs of riding time and 2 races under its belt, have the valves go bad. Well the bike is currently still up in the shop, and we are still waiting for a call from them to find out what Honda had to say about it. And then well find out what all needs to be done.

[Crazyced]

If you simply shim or only change the valves without re cutting the seat, they will get out of spec really quickly.