I posted this over in TT - but this is better! 2005 TE 450 - with rekluse, picked it up last summer - used it to ride the cross michigan Trail (well my brother used it - because of his plastic hip and the start button). anyway, last rode in october - was running fine. so now I am getting ready for a GP race - and decide the Husky needs to get some exercise. So I pull in in the garage, (heated) clean it all up - put in a new plug, change the oil, and damned if the thing won't start - I even use my jumper box - lots of spark, plenty of compression, fuel going into the carb, it doesn't even start with Ether, just a few weak backfires. Yes it is in neutral! damn it - now I have to put it back in the shed - I isolate it from the KTM just in case it is contagious - and now have to prep up the XC-W 300. Man, I give that husky preferential treatment - give her a chance to shine - and she pulls this crap! Not that i'm unhappy with the KTM - that 300 is an Amazing bike - but i really wanted to 4 stroke it this weekend! Carl "down on the pseudosweede machine" Johansson
If it were me I'd clean the carb. What you describe would happen with our local fuel after 5 weeks without fuel stabilizer (stabil). Out of our many bikes we've had the little 2001 xr100 seemed the most susceptible. It drove me nuts trying to figure out why the bike was so finicky but eventually I did. Obviously on your bike, other things could be happening as well.
Squirt a small shot of ether into the air boot. If it runs for a few seconds on that, it's likely the carb/fuel issue others pointed out. If not, it might also be something else like the clutch safety switch or spark plug lead.
Has spark and compression and no run? = no fuel (the one thing missing from the triad of running) or flooding. Remove slide, spin carb, yank bowl, yank jets, yank air screw, remove float, needle and seat, clean it all till spotless. All passages must be spotless. Reverse order, turn on gas, fill bowl, 4 cranks on throttle, hit the button and enjoy the purr. Side note- Never open the throttle when trying to start. When you park that thing, drain the bowl (and the tank if it's gonig to sit more than 3 weeks), there is a screw for it at the bottom. Takes 5 seconds and this won't happen again.
It does not start with ether! Thats why I'm not thinking carb issue. I know I will get killed for this, but most modern gasses are formulated so loaded with addatives, that you couldn't get it to go bad if you wanted to. last week I needed my chain saw - hadn't been run for a year - and no stabil - fired right up on pull #3. My DR 350 - kicked over after 3 kicks, 6 months sitting with no stabil. I just rescued an 88 toyota supra that had not run in 2 years, switched engines - left the old gas in the tank - went racing for 18 hours - no issues! My generator starts automatically when the power goes out - 2 years ago since it ran last - and it fired right up last weekend. Dirt in the needles etc - I can buy that - but I'm not so sure about "varnish". In the meantime George gave me a call and suggested that I had probably popped a valve shim. Conditions making that happen are right - put up wet, not ridden for a while - etc - he made alot of sense. I will check it out tonight when I get home - and let all of you know! Carl Johansson
You wouldn't expect Jenna Jameson to give an award winning pornstar performance if you had her locked up for 3 or 4 months now wouldya. Like a good porn actress Husky's perform best when ridden regularily
my TE 250 did the exact same thing after a long storage. Drain the carb if you didn't before hand and shot the carb with cleaner. Mine turned over right away.
All the additives they put in fuel isn't for storage purposes...well yea,to a very minor extent(just enough time to get it in a tanker to get it delivered to the gas station), if anything these "additives" are for less pollution,cleaning of fuel systems,etc. and degrade the fuel in shorter periods of time.Yeah some LOW compression engines can start and run,but you risk of overheating or drying out of diaphragms.Now with ethanol (corn squeezins') being added to keep prices down,it effects some neoprene inlet needle tips. I don't expect many to buy race fuel because it cost more,but is refined MUCH more then the crap you put in your car and if it is sealed real well,it will last a little longer(not to good of an idea here in the summer months of Florida ...especially in a non air conditioned garage or closed up enclosed trailer) Some people DO get lucky with old fuel working in an engine but I will stick to race fuel mixed 50/50 with 93 octane fuel from a known,high volume,reputable fuel company(no bargain,bottom of the barrel gas stations for me ). Anyway,good luck finding out the source of the problem. :ride: Guscycle
Not to sound ignorant,but you didn't by chance drop the plug before installing or did you check its gap PRIOR to install? Stupid things that make you crazy,but easy to check...I guess because you saw spark prior to putting plug back in(or did you use another plug ?),it was ok. The only reason I say this is that I always check the end of the plug just before installing because "1" time before I started doing that,I placed my new plug on a shop rag and let's just say after a lot of cussin' and time,I found a freakin fuzz ball in between the gap...now how in the he.. does that happen,especially after all that extra kicking..it just doesn't make sense,but I learned from that "1" time. :ride: Guscycle
An easy way to drain the float bowl when you're done riding it (later) is to shut off the fuel and let the carb run out of gas. Voila, empty float bowl. Now, clean the carb and get that thing running!
Sorry guys - no "bad Fuel" etc just as George expected - it is a valve issue. Has nothing to do with Bad Gas! Carl Johansson
My take on reding this thread...............exhaust valves are stuck. yes dirty/ old fuel can cause all sorts of *&%@ in the carb but it should still start (will not run propperly). I had it this weekend with my little ones pit bike. old fuel, bike started but wouldnt run at all. "varnish" in the carb blocked one of the jets.
