Cool! I'll have to check that out, thanks for the heads up. I'm just kinda getting into the ADV riding scene so that's why I've gone with the ultra-small adventure bike KLX250. I can see how there's different bikes for different rides. I think I'm still too new to it really benefit from the full potential of the KLX250 just yet for me to start craving another supplementary bike. On-road hasn't been bad thus far for me just cruising to run errands around town or grabbing a bite to eat between sight-seeing local parks around here in Virginia.

 

That was pretty much what I did as well. Have the 250 for playing around on the back roads, paved and dirt/gravel, and whatever off road we can get into. I never really even liked any sort of more open road riding on my KLX650, lacking in comfort. It was a riot on supermoto type roads though. Then I looked at the Yamaha XSR700 and really liked the possibilities to personalize and customize the look as I wanted, so I got one. Absolutely no regrets. It does the stinking freeway much easier and the longer straight stretches are at least tolerable and far more comfortable than any dual sport. I had the money and had the room. Best thing ever... a light 250 dual sport that can be loaded in the truck easily (lowered Ranger) and a solid comfortable street ride.

I want to ride the 700 to Texas and race that TNC guy some day!

 

Bring it on, buddy! I'm installing a pipe, intake modification, and a Rapid Bike fuel controller. I will leave your 700 in the dust with my Z650!

LOL!...hey, it would be fun. The 700 Yamaha has a slight power advantage over the Kawi 650 twin...not much, but it's there. Still, I'm sure my mods will add 40-50 hp to my bike...cough, cough! On a serious note, the Kawi 650 twin is the basis for the top drawer 750 twin flat tracker engine that won the AMA flat track championship with Bryan Smith aboard. I could see Kawi easily making that engine a 700 and competing with Yamaha in a T7-style build adventure bike. But who really knows. I guess we'll find out November 23rd.

 

The first mod I'm doing is adding one of those, ringy ding ding mufflers. You guys got any recommendations?

 

Ain't none of ya'll beating my bone stock KLX250

 

Getting back to my origional problem, I wonder if someone could post a video of a KLX250 starting. I want to see how fast it it cranking. I checked the voltage at start-up at the battery and at the started. no voltage drop. As mentioned before, it will bump start easily and run strong. The starter cranks the motor but I think it is too slow to start. I pulled the starter, some dust inside, brushes looked OK. Possible internal shorting on the windings? Can that happen? any easy way to test for it? I may try a used starter I can get for a decent price.

Thanks

 

You got a dc motor guy? Take it to him.
...it's going to take a while to figure out, it will be down. take the motor out and get an ohm reading on the commitator and compare the values between all the windings, sounds like one of the windings is not right. Trial and error, but you should be able to identify which set it is, but it will take a while. ... and you'll still need to send it to the motor shop.
Easier to get a used one, but a motor shop could fix it pretty easy if they are good.

... ...another idea, try and figure out if something else is putting a drag on the whole engine when your starting it. Your not starting it with the thing in gear are you? But you could be looking at the wrong thing.

 

When I start any motor with a standard tranny, its in numeral, clutch in. Maybe overkill but that's the way I learned.
Bump starting it, it runs great. Good spark at the plug. No binding on the starter, or any of the intermediate gears. I suspect a current leak in the windings, just a guess. Different starter will be a tell.
I am open to any other ideas/tests. If all else fails we must whip the horses' eyes. NO WAIT !, that's a Doors song. Dealer is the last resort

 

I was soooooo pleased when Werner got the 650s going and when Howerton and Smith started kicking some XR butt. There were shades of true street bike based racers again, but AFT screwed the pooch allowing the FTR750 racer, another decade of "XR750-ism" again... bummer. When the FTR started totally dominating I asked Bill Werner what he thought, when at the 2018 Lima race. His comment was, "They just doubled the cost of racing.." The AMA got him to help broaden the kinds of bikes available and bring down cost, then AFT jacks it up again.

I will say that if there was a Kawasaki more like the XSR I'd have taken a serious look for sure. I like the idea that the engine in the XSR/MT is being built and run in flat track, as is the Vulcan/ZX/Z 650 is. I like that. I wish the two factories would put more support in the Production Twins flat track class or else get something competitive for Pro Twins. I want more of a mix of competitive brands in the racing.

As for my bike - in prep for the big race - I have a full Delkvec with the long can to keep the tone good, but low. Got the "quieter baffle" too. There is a group up the road from me, in Bucyrus Ohio, that apparently are the kings of twins, working with the older Hawk GTs, SVs, and the Yamaha FZs - Hordpower. They do their air box, which looks like a kind of a plate that may deflect engine heat and fits a couple K&N filters. They also port heads and flash ignitions. But I'm not doing any of that, got enough power as it is. But it would be kinda cool to go all out. If I had some guts I'd get a reflash, but I'm thinking "leave it alone". Delkevic said the pipe I ordered will work with the stock flashing.

What I think my next thing will be is maybe a shock and fork work. I will brag about picking up a new Bell Star with MIPS, I read about the function, venting, and aerodynamics at speed and with some influencing...

Fits like a glove and scored it at about $350. I had given my good HJC to my sister to ride her scooter. I was egged on my my son-in-law, an Indian FTR1200 rider, who got an RSD version in red. Should look good with his FTR. This one will work with the red XSR or the red KLX250 if I ride it in crazy cold.

I wish we could line up. Maybe if I get a light trailer and tow it behind my wife's HRV... never know.

 

Darrel, on that issue that you and some others have had, did you get any advance warning like a draggy starter as per OP?...or did it just fail in one fell swoop?