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View Full Version : Help!! My bikes has its own mind!



Str8 Jacket
7th December 2005, 06:21
Yesterday, after my poor bike was sitting in the pissing rain for most of the day I was happily riding it home when I noticed that as I changed down gears from 2nd to 1st to neutral my bike stopped as usual but sat at 5000-6000 revs while stopped?! So i pull over to the side (freaking out a bit) turn the bike of and then kick it back into live, everything seemed ok so I kept going. Only to get to another set of lights (ironically outside Motorad) and it does the same thing, only this time I pull of to the side and check that I hadn't stupidly left the choke on, which I hadn't. But then all of a sudden the revs dropped. I also noticed a (stronger) smell of gas, but am not sure how relevant that is? Especially with it being a 2 stroke...
Then it happened again this morning as I dropped form 2nd to 1st at an intersection, it then corrected itself and had no problems for the rest of the ride to work.
I was hoping that someone here might be able to give me advice on what may be causing this and how I may be able to fix the problem? Also wondering if the fact that my oil light keeps flickering on and off even though it has plenty of oil may have something to do with it?

limbimtimwim
7th December 2005, 06:50
Yesterday, after my poor bike was sitting in the pissing rain for most of the day I was happily riding it home when I noticed that as I changed down gears from 2nd to 1st to neutral my bike stopped as usual but sat at 5000-6000 revs while stopped?! A (4 stroke) engine running extremely lean will do that. Don't know if that applies to your stink bomb :-), but I would expect so. Perhaps something is blocked? Did the revs kinda build and build up in a kinda weird fashion?

Or the throttle is stuck open.

Pretty scary when it happens, I had a car with a sticky carb. Rear drive, plenty of power and crap suspension. Mid corner scaryness.

Get it looked at.

Racey Rider
7th December 2005, 06:54
I have read that the KR is prone to allowing water into the fuel tank due to fuel cap seal not sealing after time. Don't see how this would cause those affects tho. Could water in the carb be rasing the float level causing increase RPM?

Re: oil light. You are checking the 2/ oil tank behind the left panel below the seat, and not just the gearbox oil window, aren't you??

Sniper
7th December 2005, 06:56
I had a problem with my RG when it followed along those sorts of lines. Turned out the throttle cable was getting stuck and it needed to be lubed. Try lubing the cable as the rain may have just done something to it to cause it to stick.

Str8 Jacket
7th December 2005, 06:59
Re: oil light. You are cheacking the oil tank behind the left panel below the seat, and not just the gearbox oil window, aren't you??

lol! Yes I am checking the oil tank, though those that know me, know that I did have issues coming to grips with the gearbox oil window though... :slap:

Str8 Jacket
7th December 2005, 07:03
Try lubing the cable as the rain may have just done something to it to cause it to stick.

Its funny you say that, the 31yr old boy racer that I work with actually suggested the same thing! It makes sense though, will have to ask the boyfriend really nicely to help.... :whistle:

Colapop
7th December 2005, 08:07
Throttle cable was my intial thought. The rest of the system should be fairly well sealed. ie, fuel system. It'd pay to have a little check of the petrol cap though. I would have thought that you'd get more of a coughing from the engine than racing for water to be in the system though.

WRT
7th December 2005, 10:13
For my 2 cents, primary culprits would be throttle cable as Sniper suggested, or a leaning of the mixture as someone else said. Check the fuel and 2 stroke oil are both making it to the engine ok. Particularly the oil, you dont want to do without that for too long . . .

Str8 Jacket
7th December 2005, 10:18
For my 2 cents, primary culprits would be throttle cable as Sniper suggested, or a leaning of the mixture as someone else said. Check the fuel and 2 stroke oil are both making it to the engine ok. Particularly the oil, you dont want to do without that for too long . . .

Yeah, I am worrried about the oil not making it to the engine as I have had no problems whatsoever until the oil light started flickering.... I may just be being paranoid but one does wonder! But i'll definately check the throttle cable first, that'd make the most sense (well to me anyway).

clint640
7th December 2005, 11:03
BTW you can get a little doohickey to make lubing your cables easier, they work well & only cost $15.

http://www.dirtbike.co.nz/default.asp?pageid=99 - down near the bottom of the page, your local bike shop should have em too.

Also check that the bit on the carb wot the cable attaches to is moving freely.

Cheers
Clint

Mental Trousers
7th December 2005, 14:58
In the past I've had this happen when the throttle body got a bit worn around where the butterfly valve pivots. This meant the butterfly valve was moving around wasn't sitting in the centre, causing it to catch on the side of the throttle body and "stick" open. It was bloody unpredicatable and definitely dangerous.

The other reason is unlubricated cables. They stick and cause problems like that.

Str8 Jacket
7th December 2005, 15:31
Thanks for the helpful suggestions etc guys. From what I can gather I really need to learn alot more about bikes and there maintenance!:slap:

ajturbo
7th December 2005, 16:11
Its funny you say that, the 31yr old boy racer that I work with actually suggested the same thing! It makes sense though, will have to ask the boyfriend really nicely to help.... :whistle:


:Pokey:you have a boyfriend:violin:

dam ...
means i will have to look else where...:cry:

:killingme :killingme

Sniper
7th December 2005, 16:13
Shit, Ive hardly been right bout anything, hope I win this time :lol:

F5 Dave
7th December 2005, 16:27
In the past I've had this happen when the throttle body got a bit worn around where the butterfly valve pivots. This meant the butterfly valve was moving around wasn't sitting in the centre, causing it to catch on the side of the throttle body and "stick" open. It was bloody unpredicatable and definitely dangerous.

The other reason is unlubricated cables. They stick and cause problems like that.
If you didn’t have a cool bike ‘d have to poopoo you. Being a 2 stroke carb they don’t have a butterfly valve, just a cable operated slide.

re sticking.
Some older bikes like RD350s etc used to do this on/after rainy days, water can seep down the carb top.

Lube the cable & try not to leave the bike uncovered in huge downpours.

If ever the throttle sticks remember you can always pull the clutch in & hit the kill switch. Practise it so in the unlikely event you don’t panic.

Better than being pushed along.

Mental Trousers
8th December 2005, 20:30
Yeah, that wasn't really relavant to a smoker but it definitely happened. I bought a second hand set of carbs from the wreckers, threw them on and the bike turned into a rocket.

F5 Dave
9th December 2005, 08:25
Yeah, that wasn't really relavant to a smoker but it definitely happened. I bought a second hand set of carbs from the wreckers, threw them on and the bike turned into a rocket.
What? It sent shoulds of sparks from it’s rear, then exploded into a starburst of attractive colours entertaining the children?:banana:

Kewl!

inlinefour
9th December 2005, 08:27
Its funny you say that, the 31yr old boy racer that I work with actually suggested the same thing! It makes sense though, will have to ask the boyfriend really nicely to help.... :whistle:

I'm sure there are plenty of KBers that would be happy to. Me? Yea I'll oil yer cables, but that'd be it:innocent:

SlowHand
9th December 2005, 09:11
My RG did that. Albeit at 4-5g revs. 2 mins later it was sputtering. Turn fuel tap onto reserve and it was fine. It could be the water in tank lowering the octane rating? Running lean blah blah.

F5 Dave
9th December 2005, 09:13
in that case it was running lean with no load as it was running out of gas.

Str8 Jacket
9th December 2005, 09:22
It hasn't done it for the last day or so, so im hoping its nothing major that can wait until sometime in the weekend when I can be arsed motivating my man to help..... He's pretty good, cant see a prob getting his help! :spudbooge