125-200cc Cr144 died today

08 cr144
I did an 85km trail ride with lots of single track. On my way back to cottage the engine died. Kind of seemed like it ran out of gas. Wouldn't restart and I had to walk it 1km back. I checked, the bike has spark and the plug is good. When I kick the bike, on about the third or forth kick there is kind of a muffled pop. This also puts some heat in the expansion chamber. Unfortunately I didn't have a trailer to bring the bike home from the cottage, nor did I have a compression tester with me. I brought the carb home to clean it. Does anyone have any ideas on what the possible cause of the problem. I'm considering the 5 hr round trip to check the compression and get the bike.
Thanks in advance

Is there any compression when you take the spark plug out and kick it over?

The bike seems to have the same compression on the kick as it did before. When the plug is out, there is no compression or resistance on the kicker. Finger over the plug hole I can feel the suction and compression. I forgot to add that earlier
in the ride the bike went way down on power for 5 seconds then came back fine. The ride prior it had a kind of a split second bog at an inopportune moment that almost sent me over the bars. I'm going to take the carb apart and clean it today.

Did you pull the reed cage and look for broken reeds?

Yes I pulled the reed cage when I was down there, no broken or tattered reeds.

It sure sounds like a loss of compression to me. The mystery bogs also sound like momentary seizures. Unfortunately, I think it's probably time for a top end job. Take a new piston, ring, gaskets, small end bearing, tools, and coolant catch pan with you and you can be riding it back home in an hour.

Sounds like a fuel issue to me. Could also be a ground somewhere. I fought my bike for a few rides, with it dying randomly. Found I had a loose ground.

I would verify the compression first and then go to other things.What did your plug look like when you pulled it? the coming down on power and then just fine sounds like a carb or spark issue.

Sounds like a blocked pilot jet to me.

And the winner is"...........

Compression was 120 ...I cleaned the carb, took it back and installed it. Took a compression gauge with me and found 120 psi. The bike is now happily at home, in the basement naked, waiting for a piston.... The kicker is my 250 has been waiting for a piston for 3 weeks and the 144 piston is in stock. Grrrr.

I won, I won!!

I lose!

The 144 I bought was really a 125!

After cleaning the carb, replacing a piston and general screwing around it still would not start. I took it to a dealer to have them check the timing. They set the timing and it still would not start, they pulled the flywheel and found the woodruff key sheared and the flywheel had moved on the taper. Key replaced, everything reset and the bike started up first kick. I learned a lot in the past week.

Dang, well if you thought that was a 144, wait until you really try a 144

Someone needs to tighten the flywheel the right way.


I bet the last guy left it too loose.

Could have been. The taper was also rusty. All cleaned up and back together, we'll see how it holds up. I added a left hand rear brake to go with the dyna ring, It's getting better and better in the woods.