Cold weather vs. Performance
#1
01-23-2006 | 05:04 AM
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Cold weather vs. Performance
40 degree riding weather, on and off rain, am I the only one out here in it? I have decided that this poor, little bore, KLX just can't produce enough heat to perform at it's full potential. Put a couple hundred hiway miles on the bike today in the cold weather, and above 50 mph it just didn't seem to be running that smooth. A little under the weather I'd say
. 50 degrees and up( not much more this time of year) the bike kicks *** on the freeway, but below 45deg, it seems to struggle and get lower gas mileage. Has anyone else been out studying their bikes? I read in the owners manual you can put a 'hotter' plug in during cold weather, but when I was a kid and did it, I burned through the piston. Changing plugs makes me nervous, especially turning 8g's on the freeway.
Thoughts.
. 50 degrees and up( not much more this time of year) the bike kicks *** on the freeway, but below 45deg, it seems to struggle and get lower gas mileage. Has anyone else been out studying their bikes? I read in the owners manual you can put a 'hotter' plug in during cold weather, but when I was a kid and did it, I burned through the piston. Changing plugs makes me nervous, especially turning 8g's on the freeway. Thoughts.
#2
01-23-2006 | 06:08 AM
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RE: Cold weather vs. Performance
Wish I could help you on this one Tony. It was 45 and wet here today (yes, that's right! First rain at my house in 120+ days). I didn't have any problems but I only went a few miles.
#3
01-23-2006 | 06:25 AM
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RE: Cold weather vs. Performance
ORIGINAL: bmwhd
Wish I could help you on this one Tony. It was 45 and wet here today (yes, that's right! First rain at my house in 120+ days). I didn't have any problems but I only went a few miles.
Wish I could help you on this one Tony. It was 45 and wet here today (yes, that's right! First rain at my house in 120+ days). I didn't have any problems but I only went a few miles.
#4
01-23-2006 | 08:38 PM
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From: Just South of the Ocala Nationa Forest
RE: Cold weather vs. Performance
Tony,
Pard, sorry I can't come to your rescue on this either. We have only had 1 day thus far this year where the temps got under 50 degrees! [sm=imsorry.gif]
Pard, sorry I can't come to your rescue on this either. We have only had 1 day thus far this year where the temps got under 50 degrees! [sm=imsorry.gif]
#6
01-23-2006 | 09:05 PM
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From: Just South of the Ocala Nationa Forest
RE: Cold weather vs. Performance
ORIGINAL: a16tony
I just can't wait for a 60deg sunny day. I want this bike to hit 90mph once in its life. OK, often.[sm=americanasmiley.gif]
I just can't wait for a 60deg sunny day. I want this bike to hit 90mph once in its life. OK, often.[sm=americanasmiley.gif]
I'll ley you know! I bet it gets to 60 a lot more here than there at this time of the year.
Matter of fact, it's . . . . what the heck, just look at my time / temp!
#8
01-26-2006 | 08:17 PM
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RE: Cold weather vs. Performance
Greetings fellow Everett resident and everyone else in this forum.
I’ve been lurking, keeping an eye on all threads/forums relating to the KLX250S and I thought I would chime in on this one, since I am familiar with the relevant weather conditions. =)
Colder air is denser, and if you were already running on the edge of lean fuel/air ratio (which most new bikes are due to smog regulations), it would be running even leaner. Plus, it may be icing up in the intake pathway to the intake valve, which can cause the fuel vapors to clump up and be less effective.
I used to have a VW Baja, with a single carburetor. Most VW’s have a single carburetor centrally mounted, between the two heads, on an intake that is about 6 inches above the engine, that splits off in both directions, to provide fuel for both sets of heads. During this time of year, it would literally ice up, at any outdoor temps below 50 degrees and start to run bad, sputtering, and not idling well. I ended up running some copper tubing from the cylinders and coiled it around the intake, to resolve that issue, until I swapped engines with a dual carburetor setup, where the carburetors where mounted to the heads on short intakes, which did not have a problem with icing.
Since a motorcycle has shorter intake tract, behind the warm engine, this may not be the case, at least with literal frost and condensation forming on the intake and carburetor, but, you get the idea. It’s probably an air/fuel ratio issue.
So, maybe a Dial-A-Jet would be appropriate, so you could change the jetting a touch on days like this?
I’ve been lurking, keeping an eye on all threads/forums relating to the KLX250S and I thought I would chime in on this one, since I am familiar with the relevant weather conditions. =)
Colder air is denser, and if you were already running on the edge of lean fuel/air ratio (which most new bikes are due to smog regulations), it would be running even leaner. Plus, it may be icing up in the intake pathway to the intake valve, which can cause the fuel vapors to clump up and be less effective.
I used to have a VW Baja, with a single carburetor. Most VW’s have a single carburetor centrally mounted, between the two heads, on an intake that is about 6 inches above the engine, that splits off in both directions, to provide fuel for both sets of heads. During this time of year, it would literally ice up, at any outdoor temps below 50 degrees and start to run bad, sputtering, and not idling well. I ended up running some copper tubing from the cylinders and coiled it around the intake, to resolve that issue, until I swapped engines with a dual carburetor setup, where the carburetors where mounted to the heads on short intakes, which did not have a problem with icing.
Since a motorcycle has shorter intake tract, behind the warm engine, this may not be the case, at least with literal frost and condensation forming on the intake and carburetor, but, you get the idea. It’s probably an air/fuel ratio issue.
So, maybe a Dial-A-Jet would be appropriate, so you could change the jetting a touch on days like this?
#9
01-27-2006 | 05:49 AM
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RE: Cold weather vs. Performance
ORIGINAL: CRT_Leech
Greetings fellow Everett resident and everyone else in this forum.
I’ve been lurking, keeping an eye on all threads/forums relating to the KLX250S and I thought I would chime in on this one, since I am familiar with the relevant weather conditions. =)
Colder air is denser, and if you were already running on the edge of lean fuel/air ratio (which most new bikes are due to smog regulations), it would be running even leaner. Plus, it may be icing up in the intake pathway to the intake valve, which can cause the fuel vapors to clump up and be less effective.
I used to have a VW Baja, with a single carburetor. Most VW’s have a single carburetor centrally mounted, between the two heads, on an intake that is about 6 inches above the engine, that splits off in both directions, to provide fuel for both sets of heads. During this time of year, it would literally ice up, at any outdoor temps below 50 degrees and start to run bad, sputtering, and not idling well. I ended up running some copper tubing from the cylinders and coiled it around the intake, to resolve that issue, until I swapped engines with a dual carburetor setup, where the carburetors where mounted to the heads on short intakes, which did not have a problem with icing.
Since a motorcycle has shorter intake tract, behind the warm engine, this may not be the case, at least with literal frost and condensation forming on the intake and carburetor, but, you get the idea. It’s probably an air/fuel ratio issue.
So, maybe a Dial-A-Jet would be appropriate, so you could change the jetting a touch on days like this?
Greetings fellow Everett resident and everyone else in this forum.
I’ve been lurking, keeping an eye on all threads/forums relating to the KLX250S and I thought I would chime in on this one, since I am familiar with the relevant weather conditions. =)
Colder air is denser, and if you were already running on the edge of lean fuel/air ratio (which most new bikes are due to smog regulations), it would be running even leaner. Plus, it may be icing up in the intake pathway to the intake valve, which can cause the fuel vapors to clump up and be less effective.
I used to have a VW Baja, with a single carburetor. Most VW’s have a single carburetor centrally mounted, between the two heads, on an intake that is about 6 inches above the engine, that splits off in both directions, to provide fuel for both sets of heads. During this time of year, it would literally ice up, at any outdoor temps below 50 degrees and start to run bad, sputtering, and not idling well. I ended up running some copper tubing from the cylinders and coiled it around the intake, to resolve that issue, until I swapped engines with a dual carburetor setup, where the carburetors where mounted to the heads on short intakes, which did not have a problem with icing.
Since a motorcycle has shorter intake tract, behind the warm engine, this may not be the case, at least with literal frost and condensation forming on the intake and carburetor, but, you get the idea. It’s probably an air/fuel ratio issue.
So, maybe a Dial-A-Jet would be appropriate, so you could change the jetting a touch on days like this?
#10
01-27-2006 | 06:54 PM
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RE: Cold weather vs. Performance
Tony,
Any chance you could graft the carb heaters from another CVK carb onto yours? Hmm...perhaps not possible but maybe there's a similar sized CVK with carb heaters out there somewhere that could work?
UPDATE: How about one of these?
Kawasaki part number 99995-1422. I don't know if it could be made to fit but it looks promising.
Any chance you could graft the carb heaters from another CVK carb onto yours? Hmm...perhaps not possible but maybe there's a similar sized CVK with carb heaters out there somewhere that could work?
UPDATE: How about one of these?
Kawasaki part number 99995-1422. I don't know if it could be made to fit but it looks promising.