2008 FE450, 45 hours on the clock. Went riding this past Sunday. bike started and acted well up to about an hour and a half into the ride. after a very short but steep decline, it just choked and died. couldn’t get it to restart. Tried kicking, tried the button, with the chock on, with the decompression lever pulled, nothing helped.
Had to push/tow the bike back to the truck.
[youtube:1lzenzff]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjMIyvew4rk[/youtube:1lzenzff]
I fought it might have been the spark plug, and on my way to check it I noticed the exhaust valve cover bolts were almost all the way out and the cover was very loose.
I thought that might have been the cause (huge compression leak in the engine), so I tightened everything back and tried cranking the bike. after a few seconds of pushing the started (with throttle open) the bike finally cranked, but as soon as I let go of the throttle it would die.
I thought that maybe dirt went into the valve housing and to the engine but by the pictures of the valves they look clean.
I looked at the oil, trying to see if it has any “milk” in it, but at least through the oil window it looks o.k.
The plug didn’t look too bad either. gap was fine and just a bit black on the tip.
Other things I did in the past that might be related:
- I changed the main jet, pilot jet and took out and back in the needle (changed them to Colorado settings and then back to the previous settings after I got back to Texas).
- I adjusted the throttle cables (were too tight)
now remember that bike ran great up to that point, we didn’t crash or changed any settings while riding.
Any suggestions where should I start? Change oil? open up the carburetor? can there be “dirt inside the engine that came through the valve cover even if that section is clean?
Thanks.
Had to push/tow the bike back to the truck.
[youtube:1lzenzff]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjMIyvew4rk[/youtube:1lzenzff]
I fought it might have been the spark plug, and on my way to check it I noticed the exhaust valve cover bolts were almost all the way out and the cover was very loose.
I thought that might have been the cause (huge compression leak in the engine), so I tightened everything back and tried cranking the bike. after a few seconds of pushing the started (with throttle open) the bike finally cranked, but as soon as I let go of the throttle it would die.
I thought that maybe dirt went into the valve housing and to the engine but by the pictures of the valves they look clean.
I looked at the oil, trying to see if it has any “milk” in it, but at least through the oil window it looks o.k.
The plug didn’t look too bad either. gap was fine and just a bit black on the tip.
Other things I did in the past that might be related:
- I changed the main jet, pilot jet and took out and back in the needle (changed them to Colorado settings and then back to the previous settings after I got back to Texas).
- I adjusted the throttle cables (were too tight)
now remember that bike ran great up to that point, we didn’t crash or changed any settings while riding.
Any suggestions where should I start? Change oil? open up the carburetor? can there be “dirt inside the engine that came through the valve cover even if that section is clean?
Thanks.
