bike issues
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
From: Dallas, TX
bike issues so i bought a 03 kawasaki 600, its a fixer upper, and ive been tryin to get it running but i hit a dead end and im not sure whats wrong with it. 
It turns over but wont always start and the few times it does it shuts down after a bit. i changed the spark plugs, replaced the fuel filter, and cleaned the gas tank out a few times, fuel pump seems to be pumping plenty of fuel. Any good motorcycle mechanics out here in the DFW area that can give me a few pointers?
It turns over but wont always start and the few times it does it shuts down after a bit. i changed the spark plugs, replaced the fuel filter, and cleaned the gas tank out a few times, fuel pump seems to be pumping plenty of fuel. Any good motorcycle mechanics out here in the DFW area that can give me a few pointers? 
not trying to insult your intelligence, but is the kick stand kill switch working properly? I had an issue on my r6 that was similar to yours and it turned out there was an recal on those...
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
From: Dallas, TX
honestly im not sure if it is lol....the guy that had it before flipped it, but very little damage was done on the exterior...not to sound stupid or anything but wtf is a kick stand kill switch cause i had someone tell me bout some possible switch bein messed up
If the kick stand is down, you can't start the bike.
Trending Topics
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
Gas Monkey Built a 6-Wheel Ferrari Testarossa With a Corvette LT4 Engine
Verdad Gallardo
7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built
Verdad Gallardo
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin
Verdad Gallardo
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
First diagnose the bike, when it does not start determine if you are getting spark, I use a test light (best way) hook the clip to a ground then hold the sharp tip of the test light in the coil boot and crank it and watch for spark. Also when its not starting shoot a little starter fluid or carb cleaner in the throttle bodies or air box, if it runs off the fluid but not on its own you have a fuel delivery issue.
I dont know if thats a carb or fuel injected bike, if its carb I wouldn be surprised if dirty carb were causing issues. If you can drain the carb bowls and put fresh gas in the tank with some Sea Foam brand injection cleaner and run that bastard, that would be a good start, that works well for my lawn equipment and pocket bike carb's
I dont know if thats a carb or fuel injected bike, if its carb I wouldn be surprised if dirty carb were causing issues. If you can drain the carb bowls and put fresh gas in the tank with some Sea Foam brand injection cleaner and run that bastard, that would be a good start, that works well for my lawn equipment and pocket bike carb's
so are you saying you have spark when it doesnt run? If so and its a carb'd bike then you can pretty much lay money on it being dirty carb's, since you already stated the fuel pump works. And like I said if it runs off a chemical like carb clean or starting fluid then its fuel delivery thats your problem.
If you arent scared to, take the carbs off and dissassemble them and thouroughly clean them with carb cleaner and put them back together, sometimes that will make all the difference in the world. Wont hurt to just drain them first and see what happens, if it helps at minimum run some good cleaner through the tank, so far Sea Foam has worked best for me and you can get it at your local parts store.
once when my pocket bike wouldnt run, I tried fresh gas tried to run it a bunch of times nothing worked, there was a screw in the bottom of the bowl, I removed it let it drain and filled again with fresh gas and ran like a champ from there on.
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
From: Dallas, TX
that makes sence it could be choked up from pushing fuel into the carbs but no start, hopefully that will work, several other ppl have told me it has to do with the carbs, i just dont know if i could tear apart the carbs without messing something up, i may take it somewhere for that
If you can get the bowls off and access the fuel passages without disassembling anything or removing the carbs do that, you should be able to actually just leave everything like throttle cables and wires connected to the carb assembly and unbolt them and lift them up enough to gain access to the bowls or bowl drains.
really the main thing that messes them up and clogs them is letting them sit. I dont specifically know bike carbs but generally small carbs are very easy to take apart and reassemble, if you can take them off and take off the bowls and clean as much as you can top to bottom you will be fine, because once you have the bowl off you can access the passages that the fuel travels through to get to the cylinders by passing through the carb, so once you access those you take your carb cleaner with the spray tip on it and spray cleaner really good through the tubes/passages and it will clean out that crap. then reassemble and run it.
Once you get the bowls off the above will make since, you will see two tubes that hang down in the fuel, one is a idle jet passage the other is for when your on the throttle you will need to spray alot of cleaner through those, be careful when you drop the bowl the float just sits in the bowl on a pivot that can fall out, if your gentle with it you wont have a problem
really the main thing that messes them up and clogs them is letting them sit. I dont specifically know bike carbs but generally small carbs are very easy to take apart and reassemble, if you can take them off and take off the bowls and clean as much as you can top to bottom you will be fine, because once you have the bowl off you can access the passages that the fuel travels through to get to the cylinders by passing through the carb, so once you access those you take your carb cleaner with the spray tip on it and spray cleaner really good through the tubes/passages and it will clean out that crap. then reassemble and run it.
Once you get the bowls off the above will make since, you will see two tubes that hang down in the fuel, one is a idle jet passage the other is for when your on the throttle you will need to spray alot of cleaner through those, be careful when you drop the bowl the float just sits in the bowl on a pivot that can fall out, if your gentle with it you wont have a problem
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
From: Dallas, TX
it all makes sence, i guess the main thing is just taking apart the carbs but i was def thinking that something has to be clogging my fuel lines to the carbs or something, im just going to try and take them apart tomorrow, cause kawasaki said its most likely my carbs being dirty as well. thanks man i really appreciate it n they way u explained doesnt make it seem to complicated but ill see tomorrow.
it all makes sence, i guess the main thing is just taking apart the carbs but i was def thinking that something has to be clogging my fuel lines to the carbs or something, im just going to try and take them apart tomorrow, cause kawasaki said its most likely my carbs being dirty as well. thanks man i really appreciate it n they way u explained doesnt make it seem to complicated but ill see tomorrow.
that would pretty much do it. I picked up a GSXR from a buddy that did the same and the longer i rode it the better it ran, gotta keep fresh fuel in them or they will gunk up. if nothing else dude drain the fuel and add some fresh fuel with alot of sea foam and just keep running it till it gets better