indybirdxx Posted February 12, 2006 Share Posted February 12, 2006 hey all-question regarding the XR. Just purchased a few months ago, a very SWEET bike, tons o-ass rippin power, street legal (YES!) etc...but now its DEAD and will not even fire. Very odd becasue it just sorta happened, with no warning signs of any. Tank drained of shitty gas, fresh 93 put in, new plug installed, still nothing. Only cranks (elec start) but no fire. Not sure if this has anything to do with problem but oil service was just completed prior to the death of her. The obvious have been checked, plug draws good spark against metal surface, kill switch is operational, fuel is getting to carb, oil level correct...I AM STUMPED. Bike is bone stock with zero mods. Any suggestions?? thanks is advance Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rockmeupto125 Posted February 12, 2006 Share Posted February 12, 2006 Well, in January in Indianapolis, I'd suspect you'd need full choke and absolutely NO gas. But assuming you've been there.... You need spark, fuel, air, and compression. You saw the spark. Put your thumb over the spark plug hole and see if the compression blows it off. If it does, spray a little starting ether into the carb with the throttle open while cranking after you've reinstalled the spark plug. If it fires...then you know you are mechanically okay. If it doesn't...you don't know any more than you do now. The possibilities are many and varied. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exskibum Posted February 12, 2006 Share Posted February 12, 2006 Not sure how long you had the shitty gas in there, but esp. if you had a less than full tank of it, is it possible that you have that shitty gas in your carb float bowl? If so, the most volatile components of your gasoline may be long gone to evaporation. And that's the part of the refined petrol you need to fire a cold engine. If you haven't tried it, drain the float bowls to make sure that only new gas with enough volatiles are in the carbs to start the engine. Have you tried a squirt of starter fluid? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceman_40 Posted February 12, 2006 Share Posted February 12, 2006 First thing I'd be doing is dranning the bowls on the carb. Clean the plug up and try and start it. If that don't work. If the bike has sat for more than a few months, empty the tank, and "Clean" the tank with fresh gas before you fill it up again. Put a new plugs in the bike and try starting it again. Not sure what kind of petcock is in the bike so you might have to change position in it to get gas to start to flow too. I think they called the position prime or pri some like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in PA Posted February 12, 2006 Share Posted February 12, 2006 Having owned 2 of these through the years I know they don't like to sit. It can only be 2 weeks since the last time it ran, but getting a flame front across that 100mm piston isn't easy. I wouldn't even drain the battery or wear out the starter. Take off the seat and shoot some starting fluid down the airbox intake. It will start. Then get over to 4strokes.com and check the normal mods to these bikes. You can find my old posts there. It REALLY wakes up the performance! Never leave a big 4-stroke stock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indybirdxx Posted February 12, 2006 Author Share Posted February 12, 2006 great info guys, thanks alot. Details soon on outcome-mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GadgetXX Posted February 13, 2006 Share Posted February 13, 2006 +1 on draing the fuel bowls. My L sits for a while, if I drain the bowl, it fires right up. If I don't drain, it won't start. I thought the guy who told me to try that was nuts, but it works for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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