major problem with dr650

[projectmrod]

04 dr650 1500ish miles

my roomates bike and he's not so tech savvy, well either am i with dirtbikes but i have a bit more mechanical sense than he does.. anyways

2 days ago me and him went out for a ride, not more than 1/2 a mile down the road he rolled to a stop at a stop sign.. put in neutral and when he released the throttle to idle, the engine cut.. and we couldnt start the engine.. plenty of gas, almost seemed like a battery problem the way it was trying to turn over.. ended up pushing it back up the street, we figured we may have flooded it trying to start it... and looking in the owners manual, i realized he left it in the PRI position for at least a day or 2, he thought it was an OFF switch like my bike (def should have read his owners manual).. so i figured he must have majorly flooded the engine.. but then why would the engine even start in the first place??

1 day ago (yesterday) - we engaged the starter, and it started right up, let it idle, it idled perfectly, i told him to do a test drive, come back to the house when it was warmed up, and cut the engine and see if it would start again, (figuring we just weirdly flooded it) anyways, i went with him in-trail, and got 3/4 mile down the block and same thing, he came to a stop, dropped it to idle, engine cut and wouldnt start, then the starter realllyyy wouldnt turn over, so we had to push it back to the house.. anyways we replaced the battery with my battery (honda xr650) and it still wouldnt turn over, but we could tell it was getting a helluva lot more charge, toook his battery to autozone, they said the battery was bad after their charge test and he bought a new battery..

today - started right up this morning, he went around the block, rode fine, went to 2 stop signs, let it idle, idled fine until he came to our driveway, and the engine cut out.. ? sooo

conclusion, when the engine gets warmed up, the fuel either gets cut off somehow, or it gets no spark, but we did the spark test and it looks like its sparking fine, we did the drain the carb test to see if fuel would fill back the carb.. and that worked fine also.. im thinking about taking apart the carb and cleaning it.. or maybe the idle screw is really jacked up and when it gets warmed up it somehow restricts fuel.. completely? any ideas? help would be greatly appreciated.. thanks!!

[Andyinhilo]

Is the choke stuck on?

[projectmrod]

the choke lever can be pulled back and set to full on and to the front, .. but to know if it actually is engaging and disengaging im not so sure, i know how to unscrew the choke but not really sure how else to check if its engaged or disengaged if the lever is saying otherwise

[NVDESERTKID]

Just for kicks, try the wire connections behind the headlight cowling. Those little connectors are becomming notorious for looking connected but not actually being connected. Just the right bump or the a certain RPM vibration might be enough to upset one of the connections involving the: clutch kill, kickstand kill, or kill kill switches. When it loses connection for a second the "kill" function happens and the motor dies. Then during the course of kicking it and cursing at it, the connection makes contact again and now the bike mysteriously runs perfect... until you hit the perfect bump again.

[projectmrod]

hm' ill take a look at it, but i dont know why it would run perfectly and then just cut out at idle when it starts to warm up.. when i had my honda started up, and i just was able to start his up ,but im sure once it gets warmed up its going to cut out.. anyways, while the suzuki was idling.. it almost sounds like its kinda struggling to keep going.. almost like its missing or something, with the honda, its like a predictive idle, that sounds fine, but with the suzuki.. it sounds like the idle is all jumpy, i tried opening the idle screw 1/2 turn in both directions and i didnt really hear a change at all.. so i just put it back to where it was.. i really wanna see if theres a fix that im totally missing before i take out the carb and pull it apart..

[kliffsbuggy]

Exactamundo! While I've been working on my DR, I was in the process of removing the clutch safety switch. Well after pulling the headlight cowl, and openning the little weather guard around the gang plugs, I traced out the wires for the CSS, and one connector fell apart. That would have been fun, first time I hit the trails.

Removed the switch, plugged in the appropriate wires with OEM terminals.... then heat shrinked the little beggars! They ain't coming unplugged, till I want them unplugged.?

[Tweety Bird]

Fuel filter? Low flow would allow the bowl to fill over a long time (while it sits) but wouldn't allow enough fuel to run for very long.

Just a guess...

[newfiebullet]

im with Andyinhilo sounds like choke sticking open....i left mine a little open one day and bike stalled every time i stopped...i figure if was all the way open maybe it wouldnt start again for a while

[Andyinhilo]

Generally speaking, if the choke is sticking open, it would run above an idle, and quit when it is idled down. The enrichener valve type chokes are not really effective when the throttle is open to any degree. Your saying that the idle screw (mixture, right?) adjustment makes no difference would also be a symptom of an open choke valve. Try removing the choke plunger, and make sure that it is all clean, and operate the choke lever when the plunger is out. You should see it moving in and out. Look in the plunger hole and use a swab or similar to clean it out. when you re-assemble, make sure that there is plenty of slack in the cable adjustment. If not enough slack, it could be holding it slightly open.

Good luck, Andy

[Braaaaap]

Maybe the needle is cocked sideways causing fuel to leak past at idle. If so, the idle is too rich and when the engine heats up it's too rich to continue running. I think this can be caused by the needle shim or clip hanging up on the little shelf inside the slide.

Mike

[greer]

If it hasn't been mentioned already, remove that fuel filter in the carb elbow. That seems to clog up on a lot of folks.

Sarah

[projectmrod]

tore out the carb, took it apart, it was dirty.. like mudwater had gotten in and i could see dirt and grime buildup all around the carb, took a few hours of cleaning and scraping dirt and gunk off the carb/needle/ sidewalls and piston valve, definately not the best carb around in cleanliness.. anyways i put it back on.. anddd almost back to square one. it took a few min to start up again, and when it did, a huge kaboom of black smoke came out the tailpipe.. but now it can start pretty well.. until its warmed up.. then the idle issue comes back.. for some reason when it gets warmed up, the ignition system is stopping or the fuel isnt getting delivered.. and im sure theres nothing wrong with the carb cuz why would it start ok, but not when its warmed up?

[nhoteach]

Let me get this straight ---- 1500 miles during FOUR years? ?

Carb is most likely varnished up. Choke may not be engaging/releasing properly. I would pull carb and do a good cleaning. Check choke and trottle cables for free travel.

[Braaaaap]

and im sure theres nothing wrong with the carb cuz why would it start ok, but not when its warmed up?

You are sure there's nothing wrong with the carb?

Sounds like it's running rich at idle. As I mentioned earlier, I think the main jet can leak fuel at idle if the needle is not shimmed properly. Another possible cause could be too much fuel in the float bowl.

Mike

[Thumpzuki]

While I agree this is most likely to be fuel related, I note you haven't yet eliminated the ignition system. Why I'm not sure as it's quite simple-: next time it won't start just pull the plug & cap, rest against the head & crank over, fat blue spark= all good, no spark/weak yellow spark= ignition fault (most likely duff coil)

That said it does sound likely a carb issue, especially given the lack of use. Best thing for the carb is an ultrasonic cleaning bath, even if the ignition does prove bad also. (then check/set float height & double check every last bit of muck has been removed)

[Wybs]

Is it a california bike? they have a charcoal canister vent for the fuel tank. if that gets wet from overfilling or otherwise, it will only run til the tank starts to make a vaccum then no more fuel. let it sit and air slowly leaks back in the tank and it will run again. Quick check is to open the gas cap when it won't run, that will let air in and it should start

I would also worry about the carb, most issues are in areas that can't be cleaned w/o soaking/compressed air or ultrasonic cleaning as mentioned. No guarantee you are only chasing 1 problem

[Thumpzuki]

That's interesting to note about the carbon canister. I suppose it would be worth checking the fuel tank vent (usually in the cap) even if it doesn't have the emissions reducing carbon filter as they can get blocked with dirt/wax sometimes & cause the same symptoms. (except it usually results in cutting out whilst on the move, unless it was coincidence that you were at tickover each time...)

Worth a look in any case, as suggested just release the cap when it next cuts out & see if it starts then. If not then check the spark purely to eliminate the ignition as a possible cause, as then you only have the carb to worry about. ?

[NomadicDR650]

Chck oil level and viscosity as well as everything else mentioned above. Sounds to me like it's shutting down like a self-preservation mode. I wonder if the oil pressure is dropping once it's hot. Check the filter too. Without idiot lights, you'd never know it's doing this. Good luck!

[beemerwolf]

DO THIS:

place the bike on a level stand or just hold it level & start it up (no choke) using a few throttle blips to keep it running

do this til it is good & warmed up, maybe 5-10 minutes or so

now......does it cut out like before???

if ok, blip the throttle a few times & see what happens

do not turn the bars & do not lean the bike or bounce on it, nice & stable is what you want

if okay, maybe a short ride is in order....find a straight street (no turns or leans) and shift up thru the gears.....slow down coasting & stop

if okay, find the twists & turns to turn the bars & add in the lean.....how's it go now???

it sounds like your choke might be hanging up, or maybe the floats are sticking, but as you described the carb internals were a mess, so serious is how you attack this problem

clean that fuel filter in the tank petcock & replace any other fuel filters in the lines

you might also want to buy some NEW JETS & install them....with so few miles run the last 4 yrs, those small openings inside the jets get so gummed up that even a good cleaning cannot save them:eek:

if you haven't followed the last recommendation, go & buy the jets!!!!

seriously, they are dirty/gummed and they need replacing

you might also want to consider a complete carb rebuild

clean everything associated with the choke from the handlebar lever....cable....attachment to the carb.....and the brass components inside the carb

let us know how this works out:thumbsup:

HappyRiding !!

?

[frednic]

I had to replace my choke cable because it hung up so bad I couldn't even lube it up enough to make it work. Then you have the cheap plastic nut that the cable connects to the carb with gets all tore up too. This can let air in when the rubber gasket tears. Jesse sells the choke for the DR350 that replaces the cable one that comes with the 650.