Ate-up 250 Tranny Problem, I think...

[Hillclimb#42]

 I went on an annual outing for 4 days hitting the trails. This year we went to Coal Creek in Tennessee which was really sweet with 75,000 acres. Anyway, The terrain is super rocky and I dump it on some rocky stuff. No obvious damage, but it acts like there is a rock in the chain when I let out on the clutch and kills the motor. I roll back down to level ground, look the bike over.... nothing. Start the bike let the clutch out ....puke. Then I realize its in neutral already. It does that severel times. Starts with the clutch in, starts to pull itself when you let out the clutch and then dies, as if bound up. It eventually freed itself and rode three more tanks of fuel without incident. I am ready to break it apart and check it out, but it must be between the clutch gear and tranny right? Thats weird, man. Not too cool 15 miles away from the truck on the boulder trail, if you know what i mean?

[kayx250]

sorry I cant help you but I experianced the exact same problem with my 03 kx 250 except I heard a screach about 1 second before it locked up at the dunes in 3rd gear and almost thru me over the handle bars.... but like you said it would start fine and when I let out the clutch it would slightly pull then die??? very wierd

[KXcam22]

Hillclimb,
  I have no direct experience in this one but I am wondering if the KX250 shift mechanism on the drum somehow could let the trans shift backwards 1st to 5th.  Then you would be starting out in 5th and it would do exactly what you described.  Possibly the shift detent got knocked but the crash?  Just an idea. Cam.

[Hillclimb#42]

Wow, a stumper again.... I don't know what you mean Cam. I had the bike in neutral, able to push around freely, but had to start with clutch in and it was bound up inside, to the point it would die no matter how slowly i released the clutch. The bike didn't pull at all, just moved enough to tell I was releasing the clutch. When I broke it loose, I was keeping it running, releasing the clutch to bind it up, then pulling it back in then releasing, until it freed itself. It didn't act like it was hung in a gear, or like gears weren't meshing either. I rolled it , in gear, like third or fourth to get it to cycle while not running to make sure that it wasn't trans gears not meshing, or something. 
  How did you fix the problem, Kayx?

[kayx250]

To fix my tranny problem I got a 2005 kx250 engine, 05 pipe, custom front engine mount, custom head stay flanges, and various other add-ons just because to make me happier....



I know thats not the anwser you were looking for but thats what I did to fix the problem.

[Hillclimb#42]

Alright, even if I believe that Kayx and i are the only ones to ever have this happen, I have a hard time imagining that noone has an idea of the cause. I'm sure fixing the issue is cheaper than buying a '05 bike with some extra goodies, too. What would you guys be looking for during initial inspection. Is there a gear spinning while the bike is in neutral, that could have extra slop? C'mon man, I am prepping for races. I can't be sitting in the hole with the thing all hung up and have some turds beat me because of some bull crap. 

[Kawasakinut]

To fix my tranny problem I got a 2005 kx250 engine, 05 pipe, custom front engine mount, custom head stay flanges, and various other add-ons just because to make me happier....



I know thats not the anwser you were looking for but thats what I did to fix the problem.

so whats the story with your old motor? you looking at selling it. i'd like to have an extra
for my 2000 kx 250.

[don46]

If I'm understanding correctly, the bike would roll freely in nuetral (motor off), it would start with the clutch in, but would try to stall when you let it out.  It would seem to me that you have a problem with the gears on the input shaft, what thats a good question, my gues would be a snap ring holding the gears broke allowing 2 gears to mesh at the same time. When you get it apart make sure all the snap rings are where they are supposed to be.

The shift drum will not let the mechanism go from 1st backwards to fifth.

[kayx250]

so whats the story with your old motor? you looking at selling it. i'd like to have an extra
for my 2000 kx 250.

I just took parts off it and trashed it....the cylinder had a groove from I guess sand getting in the cyilinder and the bottem end was seaiized up so I just let it go sounds stupid yes I know but the cost to get the top end repaird and then not even knowing wtf was wrong with the bottom end seemed pretty stupid compared to 595 bucks for a newer gen engine with hardly any hours.

[Kawasakinut]

            geez!!! hook a brother up sometime!!!!

[Hillclimb#42]

I can't believe this. Almost the same thing happened to my k5. I was warming her up in neutral in staging for a near vertical hill climb. I was standing next to the 500 ready to push the bike to the hole and it squealed a little, then lurched and died. I was like what the HELL? If was cleaning it out, I could have really hurt someone. It somehow has no neutral. I can push it in neutral, if I have the clutch in. I pulled it all apart and everything about the clutches is fine. Something hung up in the tranny. Unlike the 250, it didn't need to be wrecked for it to happen. State championship is this weekend and having trans problem is not good. Fortunately, I have a local KX expert, who believes he can fix the problem without any parts to order. He said that sometimes gears will hang up on the shaft for no reason other than crap in there that needs cleaned out. I just started running ATF, and wondering if its the ATF, or the ATF loosened the debris that was already in there. I have 2 kx's and now both have had similar issues. What's going on with these things?

[stewart]

some of the trans gears run direcly on the  shafts in trans with no bushings  ,,i have used trans sets here ive taken apart that gauld in these ares ,,its my opionion that kaw says to use moter oil  like 10 w 30 becuse they know there trans wont last on atf  fluid ... but a lot of people dont listen