2003 KX 250 SF Conversion

[Motorrad]

Kickass!

[sandblaster]

Sounds crisp....
Do your heat cycles 

[umberto]

Thank you gentlemen!  I'm very excited to have it running. Don't worry Sanblaster, I'm going to heat cycle the heck out of it. After all I've been through with this motor, I may wrap it in bubble wrap between rides.  .

If I get a chance tomorrow, I'll do a video where you can actually see the bike.   

[umberto]

I got a comment on my video on YouTube.

Roostinkawie 1 week ago
 neighbors??  0 f@%ks given lol   (edited for content)

 

[umberto]

I did a heat cycle around the neighborhood today, so I had the wife take a quick video of the bike before I took off.  It went around the block fine.  I can't wait to ride it in the dirt. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CxuPu-jA2w

[sandblaster]

Sounds angry 

[umberto]

I've been having issues getting the bike to idle.  It starts and runs really crisply, and it will idle if you hold the throttle open just a little bit, but you can't just let it set with the throttle closed.  I tried adjusting the idle screw, but it just didn't make any difference.  I decided to take out the screw to see if it was damaged, and lo and behold it was just a bolt the previous owner put in to replace the obviously lost original.     So off to Rocky Mountain ATVMC I go to order a replacement in time for some riding hopefully this weekend, and of course the darn thing is no longer available.  The newer model carb starts in 1994, and they are still shipping that idle screw assembly.  Does anyone know if that will work on my carb, or am I going to have to fab one myself?  It looks like it's just a screw that is rounded off at the end, a lock nut, and a spring.

[sandblaster]

What is your carb number?
I think the 88 is a KEIHIN PWK V396

[umberto]

I believe that is correct.  Unfortunately, I'm at work now and I can only sneak out so many times or I risk giving away my Mexican Drug Tunnel like escape path.     It looks exactly like the parts fiche model.

[umberto]

I found an idle screw on eBay that I should be here today.  I tried over the weekend to make my own, but the threads were a little boogered in the carb and I couldn't get it to go in deep enough to work.  I pulled the carb on the bike, fixed the threads, and made a temporary replacement that seemed to work.  I had to make several attempts, because the idle screw is a bit of an optical illusion.  It looks like a short distance, but it actually took the longest 6 mm all thread bolt I could find in my bolt box.  It just keeps going and going.

I was working on getting the idle fixed Friday and I got to experience the reason everyone says to wear boots while starting a K5.  I got a little cocky and tried to start the bike in tennis shoes.  My foot slipped off the kickstarter, and needless to say I will have a permanent reminder of why one wears boots while kickstarting one of these angry beasts.  Kept my no stitches streak alive (barely), but man it looked gnarly.  Today my lower leg has a nice variation of all of the bruise colors, but the gash is closing up nicely.  Lesson learned.   

[sandblaster]

Think seriously about a decomp.
It makes things so much easier...

[umberto]

I started that discussion in my head about 1.2 milliseconds after I missed that kick.    I think you have a really good point, and I may not be that lucky on the next missed kick.

[umberto]

I got a chance to ride the bike a little bit this weekend before the shifter started acting up on me again.  I'm ordering a new OEM shaft today so I can use a KX450F shifter I won at the Warrior Nationals, and hopefully that fixes it.  The motor was powerful, but still feels a little lazy.  Is it because I'm used to the quick reving 250, or could it be something like timing maybe?

The good news is that the suspension, brakes, and clutch all work really well and it's a very comfortable bike. It starts on the second kick, and it makes children cry.   

[umberto]

On another note, does anyone know how to contact Larry's son for a compression release mod?  That thing is brutal to start.   

[umberto]

I got in touch with Larry, and he sent me all the info on getting the release installed.  It's really affordable; I wish I would have sent it over when I had my cylinder at Millennium.