wanted: klr red plastics

[Ed Chait]

My 2003 KLR has always had a tendency to gum up it's low speed carb circuit when not ridden for as little as a couple of weeks. Before you tell me to ride it more, I have more than one motorcycle and I like to ride all of them, so that's not the solution. The problem improved significantly when I turned my idle screw out from its stock position, but it still happens to some degree. The best thing I have found to clean out the carb without actually taking it off and stripping it down is Berryman's B12. It costs a lot less than Sea Foam and I have found it work much better. Sometimes it will clean things out in one ride and sometimes it will take a few rides, but it has always worked. I have used both Stabil and Sea Foam in my gas tank in order to prevent the carb from getting gummed up, but it still happens if I don't ride the bike for a couple weeks. Would draining the fuel bowl or letting it run dry after a ride be a good thing to do? I know that a small amount of gas will go bad sooner than a larger amount, and you can't drain all of the gas from the jets, etc, so I don't know if it would be worse to drain the bowl or leave it full. Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated. ed A17

[ocpianoman]

When you use Stabil or SeaFoam do you run the bike long enough to get it in the carb? I've left my GS450 idle for as long as three weeks and don't have that problem. I've use both the above mentioned products. The Stabil is more of a preservative and the SeaFoam is more of a solvent to dissolve deposits. Maybe the brand of gas makes a difference. I use Chevron with Techron as much as possible...

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Ed Chait" wrote: > > My 2003 KLR has always had a tendency to gum up it's low speed carb circuit > when not ridden for as little as a couple of weeks. > > Before you tell me to ride it more, I have more than one motorcycle and I > like to ride all of them, so that's not the solution. > > The problem improved significantly when I turned my idle screw out from its > stock position, but it still happens to some degree. > > The best thing I have found to clean out the carb without actually taking it > off and stripping it down is Berryman's B12. It costs a lot less than Sea > Foam and I have found it work much better. Sometimes it will clean things > out in one ride and sometimes it will take a few rides, but it has always > worked. > > I have used both Stabil and Sea Foam in my gas tank in order to prevent the > carb from getting gummed up, but it still happens if I don't ride the bike > for a couple weeks. > > Would draining the fuel bowl or letting it run dry after a ride be a good > thing to do? I know that a small amount of gas will go bad sooner than a > larger amount, and you can't drain all of the gas from the jets, etc, so I > don't know if it would be worse to drain the bowl or leave it full. > > Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated. > > ed > A17 >

[C COOPER]

Just curious... do you have an in-line fuel filter?

On 10/2/07, Ed Chait wrote: > > My 2003 KLR has always had a tendency to gum up it's low speed carb > circuit > when not ridden for as little as a couple of weeks. > > Before you tell me to ride it more, I have more than one motorcycle and I > like to ride all of them, so that's not the solution. > > The problem improved significantly when I turned my idle screw out from > its > stock position, but it still happens to some degree. > > The best thing I have found to clean out the carb without actually taking > it > off and stripping it down is Berryman's B12. It costs a lot less than Sea > Foam and I have found it work much better. Sometimes it will clean things > out in one ride and sometimes it will take a few rides, but it has always > worked. > > I have used both Stabil and Sea Foam in my gas tank in order to prevent > the > carb from getting gummed up, but it still happens if I don't ride the bike > > for a couple weeks. > > Would draining the fuel bowl or letting it run dry after a ride be a good > thing to do? I know that a small amount of gas will go bad sooner than a > larger amount, and you can't drain all of the gas from the jets, etc, so I > > don't know if it would be worse to drain the bowl or leave it full. > > Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated. > > ed > A17 > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Ed Chait]

----- Original Message ----- From: "ocpianoman" To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2007 1:18 PM Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Re: preventing carb problems? When you use Stabil or SeaFoam do you run the bike long enough to get it in the carb? I've left my GS450 idle for as long as three weeks and don't have that problem. I've use both the above mentioned products. The Stabil is more of a preservative and the SeaFoam is more of a solvent to dissolve deposits. Maybe the brand of gas makes a difference. I use Chevron with Techron as much as possible... oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Yep, I add it when I gas up so it will mix well and then I go for a ride before parking the bike. I just switched to using Chevron with Techron, so maybe that will help. thanks, ed A17

[Ed Chait]

----- Original Message ----- From: "c cooper" To: "Ed Chait" Cc: dsN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2007 3:18 PM Subject: Re: [DSN_KLR650] preventing carb problems? > Just curious... do you have an in-line fuel filter? > Nope, no in-line fuel filter. ed A17

[C COOPER]

Easy to put one in. Cut the fuel line between the petcock and carb fuel inlet and slide the filter in. You can get an inexpensive see-through one for about $2 from Cycle Gear. Will save you a **bunch** of grief. On my '01, which had no fuel filter when I bought it, the petcock o-rings were deteriorating. Breaking up into tiny bits of stuff that prevented the carb needle and seat from sealing properly. Allowed fuel to overflow through the intake manifold, run past the rings, fill up the crankcase with fuel. Caused problems in both the low and hi fuel circuits.

On 10/2/07, Ed Chait wrote: > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "c cooper" > > To: "Ed Chait" > > Cc: dsN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com > > Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2007 3:18 PM > Subject: Re: [DSN_KLR650] preventing carb problems? > > > Just curious... do you have an in-line fuel filter? > > > > Nope, no in-line fuel filter. > > ed > A17 > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Kimosabe]

I used Stabil for years and years in my boats, motorcycles and yard equipment but found that after 3-4 months a brown sediment / sludge would form in the tanks and carbs. Perhaps it is due in part to the high heat and humidity here in Florida. Last year I substituted SeaFoam and haven't had a recurrence in any. Call it cleaner or stabilizer, in my limited experience, SeaFoam is far better. Steve in Niceville

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Ed Chait" wrote: > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "ocpianoman" > To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> > Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2007 1:18 PM > Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Re: preventing carb problems? > > > When you use Stabil or SeaFoam do you run the bike long enough to get > it in the carb? I've left my GS450 idle for as long as three weeks and > don't have that problem. I've use both the above mentioned products. > The Stabil is more of a preservative and the SeaFoam is more of a > solvent to dissolve deposits. Maybe the brand of gas makes a > difference. I use Chevron with Techron as much as possible... > > > oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo > > > Yep, I add it when I gas up so it will mix well and then I go for a ride > before parking the bike. > > I just switched to using Chevron with Techron, so maybe that will help. > > thanks, > > ed > A17 >

[Kimosabe]

As a possiblity, you could have insoluble sediment that is able to pack and block upon letting the bike sit longer. Certainly, removing the carb and cleaning it with any cleaner would be more effective at removing that sort of problem. I've used the Berryman and have found it to be effective at cleaning, but most of my experience is with the SeaFoam. Steve in Niceville

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Ed Chait" wrote: > > My 2003 KLR has always had a tendency to gum up it's low speed carb circuit > when not ridden for as little as a couple of weeks. > > Before you tell me to ride it more, I have more than one motorcycle and I > like to ride all of them, so that's not the solution. > > The problem improved significantly when I turned my idle screw out from its > stock position, but it still happens to some degree. > > The best thing I have found to clean out the carb without actually taking it > off and stripping it down is Berryman's B12. It costs a lot less than Sea > Foam and I have found it work much better. Sometimes it will clean things > out in one ride and sometimes it will take a few rides, but it has always > worked. > > I have used both Stabil and Sea Foam in my gas tank in order to prevent the > carb from getting gummed up, but it still happens if I don't ride the bike > for a couple weeks. > > Would draining the fuel bowl or letting it run dry after a ride be a good > thing to do? I know that a small amount of gas will go bad sooner than a > larger amount, and you can't drain all of the gas from the jets, etc, so I > don't know if it would be worse to drain the bowl or leave it full. > > Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated. > > ed > A17 >

[Kimosabe]

I forgot to mention that you may consider an in-line fuel filter to handle the insoluble debris, but I think someone already addressed that. Steve

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Ed Chait" wrote: > > My 2003 KLR has always had a tendency to gum up it's low speed carb circuit > when not ridden for as little as a couple of weeks. > > Before you tell me to ride it more, I have more than one motorcycle and I > like to ride all of them, so that's not the solution. > > The problem improved significantly when I turned my idle screw out from its > stock position, but it still happens to some degree. > > The best thing I have found to clean out the carb without actually taking it > off and stripping it down is Berryman's B12. It costs a lot less than Sea > Foam and I have found it work much better. Sometimes it will clean things > out in one ride and sometimes it will take a few rides, but it has always > worked. > > I have used both Stabil and Sea Foam in my gas tank in order to prevent the > carb from getting gummed up, but it still happens if I don't ride the bike > for a couple weeks. > > Would draining the fuel bowl or letting it run dry after a ride be a good > thing to do? I know that a small amount of gas will go bad sooner than a > larger amount, and you can't drain all of the gas from the jets, etc, so I > don't know if it would be worse to drain the bowl or leave it full. > > Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated. > > ed > A17 >

[Ed Chait]

----- Original Message ----- From: "c cooper" To: "Ed Chait" Cc: dsN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2007 5:54 PM Subject: Re: [DSN_KLR650] preventing carb problems? > Easy to put one in. Cut the fuel line between the petcock and carb fuel > inlet and slide the filter in. You can get an inexpensive see-through one > for about $2 from Cycle Gear. Will save you a **bunch** of grief. > I'm thinking of adding one, but I don't understand why the filter in the tank would be ineffective. It has a very fine screen that shouldn't allow any significant particles to reach the carb. ed A17