Kawasaki KLX250 / KLX300 Thread
- Thread starter DJ_MI
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Very cool!
Mostly dualsporting? or more offroad riding?
Wait until you own a full blown dirtbike! The difference in offroad ability is astounding!
This is a re-post from advrider. I just checked to see if the bike was running right today.
Before digging into the bike any more, I thought I'd like to give it a trial run today to see if the moisture might have evaporated out. I wanted to see if the bike was running any better. Spoiler alert: it wasn't. Anyway, since I was test driving it, I figured I'd record it so y'all might be able to detect something. In the video, when I'm accelerating outside the neighborhood, I'm almost at full throttle. The bike's not accelerating at all how it should with the amount of throttle I'm giving it.
Anyway, I'm still brain storming. I'm certain it's moisture somewhere from washing the bike because it was running so great before and running so bad after, less than 24 hours apart. But, that doesn't mean it has to be that.
So, I'd appreciate it if any of you could watch the video to get an idea of what the problem is. Is this something to ignore and wait for time to dry things up? Do I need to take things apart and try to blow out any moisture? Should I just ride it as is and let the heat of the motor and the slip-stream dry things out?
Before digging into the bike any more, I thought I'd like to give it a trial run today to see if the moisture might have evaporated out. I wanted to see if the bike was running any better. Spoiler alert: it wasn't. Anyway, since I was test driving it, I figured I'd record it so y'all might be able to detect something. In the video, when I'm accelerating outside the neighborhood, I'm almost at full throttle. The bike's not accelerating at all how it should with the amount of throttle I'm giving it.
Anyway, I'm still brain storming. I'm certain it's moisture somewhere from washing the bike because it was running so great before and running so bad after, less than 24 hours apart. But, that doesn't mean it has to be that.
So, I'd appreciate it if any of you could watch the video to get an idea of what the problem is. Is this something to ignore and wait for time to dry things up? Do I need to take things apart and try to blow out any moisture? Should I just ride it as is and let the heat of the motor and the slip-stream dry things out?
How does the power delivery of the 300 compare to the 250? I had an '09 KLX250S that I sold a few years ago and I'm ready for a new small dualsport but the 250 was too underpowered for me. It could barely loft the front over a small log. Does the 300 solve that? I'm no A level rider by any means, so a fairly sedate bike is OK, but it needs to have more power than my 250 had.
So, there's a recall on the bike, in case you haven't heard. Apparently someone doesn't like some hose.......
Seriously, it's a fuel line that doesn't meet EPA and/or CARB standards for permeability or something like that.
Seriously, it's a fuel line that doesn't meet EPA and/or CARB standards for permeability or something like that.
I've been looking at the new 300's. glad to bike power to be sufficent for trail use. And shortcomings with the chassis you have noticed?I haven't ridden a 250 so I can't compare. However, I haven't found my bike to be underpowered for any trails that I've ridden. It could use more power on the street but that's another story.
It can definitely pull the front end to clear obstacles:
I bought a 2020 KLX250 nearly two years ago. It replaced a 2005 KLR650. I have also owned an XT350, DR250 and KDX200. This is the best overall bike for me. I wanted a DUAL Sport, not dirtbike with lights and the KLX does well both on and off the pavement. Could it use more power? Yes but it has enough.
I now have 8400 miles on it with no issues. I can't think of another DS bike I would rather have except the new KLX300.
When I got it the tail bag i wanted for it was out of stock so I used an insulated lunch bag. I have since replaced that.
I have a few friends that agree with my choice of the KLX.
The bikes above include a 2010 KLX250, a KLX351 and a new KLX300. Which one is fastest?
The one with the fastest rider and that wasn't me
I now have 8400 miles on it with no issues. I can't think of another DS bike I would rather have except the new KLX300.
When I got it the tail bag i wanted for it was out of stock so I used an insulated lunch bag. I have since replaced that.
I have a few friends that agree with my choice of the KLX.
The bikes above include a 2010 KLX250, a KLX351 and a new KLX300. Which one is fastest?
The one with the fastest rider and that wasn't me
I bought a KLX300 today but couldn't take it home because of the hose recall. Probably next week. I'm headed to the Hatfield McCoy trails in a couple weeks so it'd be nice to take it along but not really necessary.
Safety Recall | Kawasaki Owners Center
Find product safety announcements of Kawasaki Motorcycles, ATVs, SxS & PWC. Access a list of current recall information or enter your VIN/HIN to view any safety recalls for your model.
What did the dealer say the fix was last time?
I'd like to hear what they say this time...
Has anyone done a valve check/adjustment on their KLX? I' m wondering how difficult it is and also how well does the KLX hold adjustment. Was anyone way out of spec at 7500 miles or is that a very conservative mileage set by Kawasaki?
Jwaller: seems to me more like an air leak than an internal engine issue. That’s a problem with EFI: an air leak that would keep a carbureted engine from starting at all often only makes an EFI engine behave badly (as the ECU can compensate to force the engine to run where a carburetor can’t). Ask your shop for the compression and leak-down check results. Compression (measured in PSI) tells you how much your engine is “squeezing” the mixture, leak-down (usually measured in percentile, 20% being maximum acceptable to most) tells you how much either your valves or rings are leaking/allowing pressure to pass. If they can’t tell you a leak-down percentage then they CAN’T know if the valves are ACTUALLY leaking. And carbon, while not impossible to collect by lugging the bike at low RPM and high power demand, seems a lot less likely than carbon buildup from an oil leak, at least on your low mileage EFI equipped engine. Best of luck to you, and I hope you’re riding your bike again soon!
I got my letter a couple of days ago. It says the recall is because of an EPA issue. It is not a safety recall. I won't be in a hurry to get it done.Safety Recall | Kawasaki Owners Center
Find product safety announcements of Kawasaki Motorcycles, ATVs, SxS & PWC. Access a list of current recall information or enter your VIN/HIN to view any safety recalls for your model.www.kawasaki.com
Mine went about 7 years before I checked the valves. Only 1 was slightly out of spec. They are shim adjust and you have to pull the cams to do it. You would need to measure all the valves, pull the shims and figure out what you need for replacements. Most dealers carry them. Or if you're a cheap bastage like me, I just ground down the one that needed adjusting on the surface grinder. They only get tighter as the valves wear faster than the shims.