I ran two tank fulls of a gasoline / Sea Foam mixture when the bike was new. That got rid of the cold start problem instantly. For hot starts, I always have to have the choke pulled out (even if I only stopped for a few minutes) and then I quickly twist the throttle while pushing the electric start and it fires up right away. I have 4500 miles on the bike and the starting has been consistent since about 600 miles. Even started it this morning at 35 degrees in the garage.

 

If you have to pull the choke out to any degree for a hot start, your jetting is off or some other tuning element of your carb is off. You should not have to choke a warm/hot bike. I'm glad it's working for you and that you're apparently happy with it, but something isn't right.

 

Sea Foam? Never heard of it. How much did you use?

 

It's available at many auto parts stores...especially NAPA's. It has instructions on the can for the mixing amounts. One can goes a long way for a motorcycle...especially with the peanut size tank on the KLX.

It's a good product. It's a fuel system cleaner and better than many available out there. It works well in many situations where the bike sat idle for some time and can often clean a gummy carb without having to pull the carb and do a major clean. It's not a do-all-end-all for carb woes by any means, but it's a good product for borderline carb and fuel system cleaning.

 

I put a little space heater next to the engine, turn it on high, then go in and get on the computer for a bit, come out, starts right up.

 

Space heater...man, I wish I had a long extension cord to get one of those to my bike in the situation in this pic.

Jason, I'm just kidding with you there, but you gotta admit that while a space heater might be a solution when you're starting your bike cold at home in a garage, what do you do when your bike sits for a few hours?...like at work or such? Starting the bike while camping in the cool months is going to require the bike to start on it's own. You know what's coming next, don't you? Drill out the starter jet.

However, I did see a guy trying to start a cold bike one morning in the snow at an enduro one winter. Not having a space heater or a long enough extension cord, he pulled the bike up next to a campfire that had been nursed through the night. When it was over, some of the oil that had drooled out of the two-stroke exhaust pipe caught fire, melted the stator wires, melted the overflow tube from the carb, and assorted other minor catastrophies. Amazingly the bike didn't catch fire in a major way or explode from the gas fumes. As his effort progressed with the campfire, everyone cleared out a good 100 feet from him, waiting on the big fire or explosion that never came...thankfully.

 

I still use the shut off the gas and run it out method....works every time. Unless you forget to do that... LOL

 

All right Deej, I'll bite. I've never heard that running it out of gas makes it easier to start cold. Is that what you're saying?

Seafoam is good stuff. I run in my snowmobiles, especially first thing in the season to see if the carbs are gonna go without a tearapart & clean first. Good stuff.

Thermo-Bob is in hand and ready to install.

TNC -- I like the photo. Reminds me of riding a whole winter through on my '83 Kawi 750 LTD in Pocatello, Idaho where I would be riding in the morning, bike left outside (no garage), below 20F to begin the day. Choke her and she'd fire right up. This winter will be a good trial for the '06 KLX.

 

I have been a mechanic all my life. If it does not fire right up FIX IT! Drill out the choke jet. That is the cold start circuit in the carb.

If it does not drive away because its cold blooded, find out why and fix that too. Its the one time the problem is actually is in the carb. Ignition timing should be checked any how.

My bike: choke out push starter button. If it doesn't fire right up, twist the throttle a little. If it still does not start, find out why.

My dad had a Lincoln welder with a wisconson motor. Crank to start. It had to start by the third crank or we found out why. I worked at a Polaris dealer before independent front suspension for 5 years. Every machine I worked on new or used started on the third pull when it left the shop.

Who is the master you or the machine?

David (rant over)

 

LOL! So true, but some of us don't know that much about bikes. Also, many of our bikes are tuned differently.