06' 450F Hard to Start

[Scott Marks]

They swapped all the electrical components and no fix.  So it has to be in the valve train.  We need to check the flywheel keyway, pull the head and inspect the valves, & hears something to think about! Cams, the gear is pressed on the cam, could be the gear has moved.

[hughes]

They swapped all the electrical components and no fix.  So it has to be in the valve train.  We need to check the flywheel keyway, pull the head and inspect the valves, & hears something to think about! Cams, the gear is pressed on the cam, could be the gear has moved.

Push starts and runs fine, but won't kick start doesn't sound like anything to do with the valve train, are you cracking open the throttle when you try to kick start the bike?? I not sure but I think these bikes have accelerator pumps on them.

[Scott Marks]

It's all in the head!  All 4 valves are leaking, 2 really bad.  Looks like a new head & valves.

[Scott Marks]

The Kawi dealer put in a new piston, rings, cylinder, head, & valves. Still won't start.  Kawi tech support is going to talk with the engineers to see what they think.  Kawi service guys think there is something wrong in the bottom end. Bearing, or crankshaft.

Will let you know.

[hughes]

Are you paying for the new top end or the dealer or is Kaw.?? This is crazy what's going on with your bike.

[Scott Marks]

I have learned one very valuable lesson with this one. Don't ever by a bike cheap, knowing it has a problem.  I am paying the bill, however, the Kawi dealer is working with me on this and helping me all they can. I'm into it about $1,200 so far. They don't like the way the bike kicks over and feels like something is binding or dragging in the bottom end.  The kicker shaft is about to break, which tells them something is wrong in the bottom end.  The only thing left is to go through the bottom end, which they are going to do tomorrow. The dealer did not have a flywheel puller when they swapped all the electical parts, so we did not swap the flywheel off the running bike.  A good flywheel should stick to the side of a tool box, shouldn't it? This one doesn't. They are ordering a new flywheel as well.

I asked if Kawi will stand behind their product and the service manager told me, only if I was the original owner. Unfortunatly I am not. Yes, this sucks. But if this will help a fellow rider in the future it will be worth it.

[hughes]

It seems to me that if they just threw a new piston and valve train at it and that was the problem then they should pay for those parts. You should not pay for their learning curve. When you push start this thing it runs great right? If that is correct I can't figure out what's in the bottem end that would cause it not to kick start but pull or push start.   

[Scott Marks]

The deal is, they were going to split the cases and if they found nothing wrong, I won't have to pay the $200 shop bill. They didn't find anything other than a bunch of junk in the oil screens, which was a good catch. What was found was a bent kicker shaft. We are putting in a new kicker shaft and putting it back together. I suppose if there was enough bind from the bent kicker shaft that the moter wouldn't kick start, but run push starting. Do you still think they may be a problem with the flywheel?

[hughes]

The bent shaft could have not allowed the engine to make complete power strokes when you kick it over?? Keep us inform when they get it back together. Unsure about your flywheel. I would suspect if the flywheel was bad then it bad all the time regardless if you are kick starting or push starting it.

[Scott Marks]

Let's keep our fingers crossed that the new kicker shaft will fix the problem. I really don't want to spend more money on a flywheel.  By the way, your 5 hund is most awesome! My 13 yr. old is now riding a 250 and always asks what is it like to ride a 500? His only question, is it really double a 250 and I have to say, you can't even imagine!  Someday he will have a chance.

Talk to you soon!

[Scott Marks]

O.K. Put the bottom end back together, so we have a complete new motor from the bottom to the top. Kicked and kicked and nothing! Put on a new flywheel and she cracked right off. Ran a hare scramble on Sunday and ran great, started every time. No one can figure out what went wrong with the flywheel, but some guys say it can happen. By the way the new flywheel does not have enough magnetic force to hold it to a tool box either, so don't go by that. Weird deal, but I sure want to share with everyone as it might help another poor soul out there fighting the same problem.

[hughes]

That's cool that you bike is back up and running but man that's a strange issue for a flywheel. You would think if the mangets were weak then they should be weak all the time regardless if you are kick starting or push starting. If the center manget which has the pick up marks moved then the timing would be off all the time. Strange man very strange. Glade your bike is up and running.