07 sm wont idle without choke on

[schoonover74]

Hi guys 1st post. I have an 07 drz400sm with 800 miles on it. I left for vacation 1 week ago and bike was running fine. I came back today and the battery was a little weak and would not let the bike start. I charged the battery and put some gas in it. It was almost out if not completely out of fuel. I tried starting it and nothing. I put the petcock to prime and it started only with the choke on. As soon as the choke is pushed either half way or all the way in it dies unless you have the throttle cracked about 1/4 way open. The bike idles high with the choke on. Also it seems to run fine when your riding unless you come to a stop or clutch it then it will die and will have to be choked to restart. The bike is completely stock. Should I be looking at getting a jet kit to fix possibly a clogged pilot jet. Thanks for any help.

[bumtarder]

you're on the right track.you need to take a look at the pilot jet as it is most likely clogged.it needs to be sqeeky clean and clear.if it stays varnished replace it with a new one. it's a good idea to drain and clean the float bowl at the same time to ensure there is no water or debris that can get sucked up into the jets.

next time the bikes sits idle for more than a few days the battery should be put on a battery maintainer/float charger.and the gas tank should be filled full with fresh fuel and the appropriate amount of sta-bil fuel stabilizer.modern reformulated gasoline does not store very well untreated for more than a few weeks without causing problems in many areas of the country.

a jet kit will not fix your problem with the pilot jet but it will make it run better performance-wise along with the 3x3 airbox mod.see the drz faq forum at the top of the page for all the details.lots of good reading in there for the new guys.

btw,welcome to tt.

[jefbystereo]

Sounds like your carb is dirty. If you go through the trouble of cleaning it out, you should def look into getting a jetting kit. The throttle response will be much better and you will get (depending on if the kit you get has them) the allen float bowl bolts that wont strip out like your brass ones will.

[kgmccarthy]

I'm having exactly the same problem. What did you end up doing to fix it? Did you find a good carb cleaning DIY? thanks!

[hinksy]

I think you are on the right track . When fuel dries , it leaves a sort of varnish on whatever surface it dries on , so your jets and float bowl are now covered in this . I have been in this situation many times with my old laverda . I was dumb enough to not store it between rides , at the end of my ownership , and I had this problem a lot , as In the end I wasnt riding it as much as I should have . It is almost imposible to clean the pilot jets once they are glued up with this residue , that occurs from the evaporation of fuel . Carb cleaner [ acetone ] will help sometimes , if it doesnt , then you will have to rejet . Have you done the 3x3 yet ? this could be a good opportunity to do so , if you havent . You wont look back , as they say , greg ?

[Chinosupermotoman]

Just had that problem today. Took apart carb and cleaned jets. Some metal burrs probably from jet threads at the factory. I think, however the main problem is the smog $$$hit they put on these bikes. If you top off the tank the over fill goes down through smog line and floods the little check valve below carb and above left foot peg. When this becomes clogged with gas it stops the fuel from entering into the carb which is why it idles and as soon as you twist the throttle it dies. Bike only runs when choke is pulled out all the way. ANyways, I took all the smog lines out and ran hose from tank to the bottom of the bike and it runs better than ever now. Hope this helps. I was very frustrated but it was a snap. all good now.

[15KTM300SD]

I just bought some new jets for my Ktm and the pilot jets have a lot of metal burrs in them how do I clean them out