Bike not starting sometimes, is it the plug?

[Rosie]

Sometimes (twice so far) when the bike is warm-ish (running for about 10-15 minutes), it will stall while idling, and then not start again. Both times I was at work, and after giving up hope of starting it again, I've been able to stash it in a storage shed, and walked home. A day or so later, when I go back to figure out what is going on, it starts again fine.
Is this likely to be a spark plug problem? Or is there something else going on?
I've just had a go at changing the spark plug, and couldn't get the old one unscrewed. I'm wondering whether I should go to greater lengths to try to change the plug now (removing fairings or taking it to a shop), or whether I just wait two weeks until Clint gets back from holiday so he can give me a hand (since it was his idea that I change the spark plug).
Thanks,
R.

[Ixion]

Have you tried just letting it sit for a while to cool down, then retrying. Two strokes benefit from regular plug changes , and a NEW plug is always first thing to try when a two stroke is doing anything "odd". Could be overrich at idle, leading to plug fouling. Eventually the excess fuel evaporates and the plug dries out. Really, you need to whip the plug as soon as it happens and have a look at it. Good idea for a two stroke rider to be able to / know how to do a plug chnage anyway.

[sefer]

Sounds like Ixion has all the advice you need :) I had a similar issue with my g/fs 2 stroke 50cc scooter and after a bit of messing around it turned out to be running to rich (and problem was worse when running on 96/98 fuel). After doing the plug and resetting the fuel mix and idle it was fine.

Try doing the plug for yourself (it's a good thing to know anyhow), I believe if you have smallish hands you can get it out without taking the fairing off. Once you have a new plug in there if it happens again it will be easy to take it out and check the condition of it to narrow down the issue. If it does turn out that you need to adjust the fuel mix it's pretty easy to do and I'm sure there will be a huge number of people on the site who can step-by-step you through it :) These may just be little things, but there the type of thing it is very useful to know how to do for yourself :D

[Rosie]

I believe if you have smallish hands you can get it out without taking the fairing off.
I can reach in there, and attach the spark plug tool, it's just done up bloody tight, and I need something with a longer handle so I can get more leverage. For that I need to remove the fairing. Tried taking one of the fairings off last night, but one of the screws is done up really tight, and being phillips head screws, I was just going to mash the head up if I kept trying to undo it. Later today I will attempt the fairing on the other side (good things take time :laugh: ).
Also - is there any reason why I have to use a socket or the special spark plug tool to remove the plug? The tool that came with the bike is crap, and it seems easier to use a small adjustable crescent.
At least once I change the sparkplug, I will know not to do the new one up tight as hell.
Rosie.

[crashe]

Rosie - HDTboy is down there in your neck of the woods...

PM him and he will pop around to help you undo the spark plug...
He is a good dude and will help you out.

[Rosie]

I got a mate to give me a hand with the spark plug. It just needed the fairing removed so we could get more leverage to undo it.
So now I have a nice shiney new spark plug, and we'll see if that solves my problem. The old plug was a bit black and oily looking, so maybe it is running a bit rich. Or I sometimes forget to turn off the choke :whistle: