Bike losing power

Mozenrath · Aug 19, 2011

My bike has been running smoothly for the few months I've had it.

Then suddenly yesterday I noticed that it started dying. Right before I got to my house, I had to peddle all the way up the hill because the motor would just die.

After fiddling, I discovered that the only way to start the engine is to have the choke all the way on and to keep it there. However it still 4 strokes a lot, doesn't idle well, and it had a hard time getting up the hill. Is there something wrong with my carb?

I recently replaced my spark plug with an NGK plug and I replaced the carb needle, but my bike was working just fine for a few days after those replacements. In fact the bike was running splendid. I don't know what I did wrong.

earl.k · Aug 19, 2011

check for a air leak..... all your gaskets and seals.

mapbike · Aug 19, 2011

very posible you have a small piece of trash in the carb restricting fuel flow, or as earl.k mentioned it could also be a bad air leak.

I say pull the carb. clean it well then repcae it and give it a try, if it still wont run with out the choke on then you most likely have an engine killing air leak that needs to be found and fixed asap, like right now.........before the engine is ever run again.

An air leak will destroy a 2 smoker quicker than just about anything else.

Peace, map

Mozenrath · Aug 19, 2011

There shouldn't be an air leak because I just recently made a new gasket after I port-matched the intake. It could be possible that there is something that got into the carb because some plastic shredded off my gas can the last time I filled up, but I assumed that both the screen and the fuel filter would have prevented it from entering the carb. I cleaned the screen in the tank and removed any residue inside the tank, and for some reason the fuel filter won't completely fill up with fuel now. The only thing left to check would be the carb for any dirt/plastic.

So seeing as there's a consensus on the air leaks, I'm going to recheck both the intake gasket and the head gasket(guess I'll be buying some copper kote tonight). I will even make a round gasket and see if I can fit it around where the carb slides over the intake tube.

I'll report back soon.

DuctTapedGoat · Aug 20, 2011

Check your seals, gaskets and fittings with carb cleaner and clean all your filters.

mapbike · Aug 20, 2011

Your probably right about the dirt in the carb. likely being the issue, that is my train of thought first, but I just wanted to mention air leak as did inked1974.

On the intake neck just smear some silicone all the way around the intake tube where the carb, slides on and then turn the carb. at a slight angle and push it on and after it is all the way up as far as it will go just twist it into place and that will seal it up real nice on the intake tube, now just tighten the screw and you will be in good shape there, this is the way I always do mine and I've never had an air leak between carb. and intake tube.

Peace, map

Mozenrath said:
There shouldn't be an air leak because I just recently made a new gasket after I port-matched the intake. It could be possible that there is something that got into the carb because some plastic shredded off my gas can the last time I filled up, but I assumed that both the screen and the fuel filter would have prevented it from entering the carb. I cleaned the screen in the tank and removed any residue inside the tank, and for some reason the fuel filter won't completely fill up with fuel now. The only thing left to check would be the carb for any dirt/plastic.

So seeing as there's a consensus on the air leaks, I'm going to recheck both the intake gasket and the head gasket(guess I'll be buying some copper kote tonight). I will even make a round gasket and see if I can fit it around where the carb slides over the intake tube.

I'll report back soon.

Mozenrath · Aug 20, 2011

Well it turns out that the jet(I think that's what it is) came completely loose, so I screwed it back in tight and now my bike is working just fine. Thanks for the help, guys!

I'm definitely going to use silicone on the intake neck. But will that make it difficult to take off, map?

DuctTapedGoat · Aug 20, 2011

No it won't. Though you would have to reapply it when you take off the carb and break the silicone bead.

mapbike · Aug 20, 2011

No it's easy to get the carb off, and many times if you will just pull straight back on the carb and not twist it, the silicone will stay on and you can put the carb right back on if you will just push it on and not twist it and beak the silicone loose, if you do you will have to reapply it just like DuctTapeGoat said, but that's as easy as 1 2 3.....bam and you have it ready to go again.

Glad to hear you found the problem, after you said what it was, I remembered having a simular issue, only difference is that the entire tube that the jet screws onto came loose on one of mine, sorry I didn't think of that...... I've done so many things to mine sometimes I forget some of it until someone else says something and then I'm like oh yeah..... I had to do that one too.....LOL!

Peace, map

Mozenrath said:
Well it turns out that the jet(I think that's what it is) came completely loose, so I screwed it back in tight and now my bike is working just fine. Thanks for the help, guys!

I'm definitely going to use silicone on the intake neck. But will that make it difficult to take off, map?

Mozenrath · Aug 21, 2011

That's gonna be a little difficult because I usually have to twist it to get it off, since it's so close to the frame, I've already had to cut off a little bit of the intake neck and cut off the tubes on the air filter cover just to make it completely clear(barely). I'll try it and see, though.

mapbike · Aug 21, 2011

Mozenrath said:
I've already had to cut off a little bit of the intake neck.

Bingo, there is an air leak most likely.........

the length of the intake tube is important and the end of it needs to be perfectly true so it will mate up with the carb body inside the intake area of the carb. if there is a gab there you will be sucking air......NOT good.

If you don't have much room like you said I would highly recommend that you order this intake and then do a simple mod to the clutch cable support post that screws into the case below the carb. and you will have that problem solved and a better running engine as well, the ported intakes do flow better and are much more compact.

Ported Billet Intake (Free Shipping)

Pirate is a great vendor and they ship quick everytime I order from them.

Peace, map

Mozenrath · Aug 21, 2011

That's interesting. I'll probably do that someday, but I think I've had enough expensive upgrades for one week(had to replace my plug wire, my carb needle, and my headlight). I'll go with silicone for the time-being.

mapbike · Aug 21, 2011

Silicone should work to seal it off fine as long as there is enough in those slits in the carb neck and it is nice and tightly clamped on.

Peace, map

Mozenrath said:
That's interesting. I'll probably do that someday, but I think I've had enough expensive upgrades for one week(had to replace my plug wire, my carb needle, and my headlight). I'll go with silicone for the time-being.

Avaryan · Sep 10, 2011

Mozenrath said:
My bike has been running smoothly for the few months I've had it.

Then suddenly yesterday I noticed that it started dying. Right before I got to my house, I had to peddle all the way up the hill because the motor would just die.

After fiddling, I discovered that the only way to start the engine is to have the choke all the way on and to keep it there. However it still 4 strokes a lot, doesn't idle well, and it had a hard time getting up the hill. Is there something wrong with my carb?

I recently replaced my spark plug with an NGK plug and I replaced the carb needle, but my bike was working just fine for a few days after those replacements. In fact the bike was running splendid. I don't know what I did wrong.

This sounds identical to the problems I'm currently having... looks like I'm pulling the carb out again.

Mozenrath · Sep 10, 2011

Avaryan said:
This sounds identical to the problems I'm currently having... looks like I'm pulling the carb out again.

The problem turned out to be my carb jet, which I just had to screw back in. The seal had nothing to do with it, although I still used silicone because there's no reason not to.

Avaryan · Sep 10, 2011

I took it out, cleaned it, and put it back. Didn't make a difference in my case.

I need to order a new throttle anyway; cheap plastic one is breaking. Maybe I'll grab a higher end carb at the same time.

Mozenrath · Sep 10, 2011

Avaryan said:
I took it out, cleaned it, and put it back. Didn't make a difference in my case.

I need to order a new throttle anyway; cheap plastic one is breaking. Maybe I'll grab a higher end carb at the same time.

As long as the throttle is pulling the cable, it shouldn't be the problem.

I bolted the stock throttle to the handlebar because the plastic peg broke. Did that happen to you?

Avaryan · Sep 10, 2011

Mozenrath said:
As long as the throttle is pulling the cable, it shouldn't be the problem.

I bolted the stock throttle to the handlebar because the plastic peg broke. Did that happen to you?

The plastic inside the throttle that holds the cable; the cable pulled out of it once and bent the plastic. I fixed it for now, but I can foresee it breaking again and would rather not get stuck somewhere with a broken throttle.

Might get this throttle:
Throttle Assembly - Tommaselli/Domino Single Cable

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Bike losing power

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