Hi all,

Hope all is well wherever you are. Long time guest that just made an account within the last few months. First post. Let me see if this legendary forum can help out.

I recently changed the oil on my XT, filled it up a bit too much and had it bogging down. After a bit of research I found out that the oil might have been an issue.

I changed the oil again, cleaned the air filter and checked if it was as a result of oil coming into the airbox via the engine, but there was none there and after a good inspection and a clean... it still bogs down after a minute or two.

The engine seams to run pretty hot, and before it cuts out, the engine runs at high revs. I've attached a video to show what happens.

This bike wasn't by any means a well looked after bike (I just bought it), But it's mine and I love it. I am new to bikes and working on them myself, so any help would be great. I am not in a financial position to take it to the local mechanic. Hopefully you can help a young rider out. Link below

https://youtu.be/WneiCZUn7JQ

Cheers,

Andrew

How long have you owned this bike?

Was it ever run out of oil or run on very low oil?

Is the air filter clean and not clogged with oil or debris? Bikes gotta breathe!

First thing I noticed... don't turn the throttle when starting.

Second... given the age of the bike, I'd guess you have vacuum leak. The intake between the carb and cylinder is known to crack. The very lean mixture can cause the idle to be very high, the bogging issue under throttle, and the high exhaust temp. The shutting itself off could be the choke moving on it's own. Sometimes the choke will close a couple clicks on it's own after starting, I don't know why.

Hopefully the shutting down isn't because the motor is seizing due to lack of oil.

Assuming an XT225 / Serow there is a possibility the deal / shop sold you an oil filter for a 250. They look a lot alike but are not compatible. Placing a 250 filter in a 225 causes a lack of oil flow to the motor and cylinder head. Other threads on this forum deal with the filter issue. There is a check bolt on the rear of the cylinder head on the upper right side (sitting on bike) of the motor. Back it off slightly and oil should come out at idle. Of course, retighten. :-)

http://www.xt225.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=148347&page=1

Believe that is the link to the thread on oil filters.

I would attach a clear tube to the drain fitting on the carburetor bowl. run the tube along the side of the carb, open the drain screw a turn, and monitor the fuel level while the engine is running. Does fuel level remain constant or is the bowl running out of gas?

Thank you for your responses Dan Diego, Peejman, JPouchet, and Craig 1. It really helps me orient myself to bikes, and taking the time to reply means a lot. A bit for me to think about and tinker with.

I have some extra information about the bike that might clear up things further. I’ve responded to each of you below. Please take a look and speak your mind. I will investigate, basically everything. I’m enjoying this challenge.

Extra info about the bike:

Firstly, I have an xt250 2002 model. It’s branded as a 250 but is actually equivalent to a 225 in America and other countries, from what I know.

Secondly, when I got the bike, I changed the air filter and noticed that there was no seals around the air box. It ran fine though for a few weeks maybe a month and a half before I changed the oil and oil filter and encountered the current issue.

Individual responses:

Dan Diego: I’ve owned the bike a matter of months. It was free. Air filter is clean, I made sure to not clog it up with oil. Like I said though, there was no seals around the air box. Might this be a big issue causing it to bog down?

Peejman: Thanks for the heads up. When exactly can I use the Carb? The video starts off after two-three tries, then I applied the carb fully. Is that fine?
I’ve included two photos of the intake in-between the carb and the cylinder. Hopefully you might be able to notice something. https://app.photobucket.com/u/alcatton/p/3003266c-cc96-4f90-9378-ae5f14fd50e0 https://app.photobucket.com/u/alcatton/p/5bff6bbb-ce9d-47d8-b842-eee8095c3d4f


JPouchet: When I did the oil change I changed the oil filter to a K&N one. Website attached for your convenience (https://www.mxstore.com.au/p/K-N-Ya...JaBbxv9H5hhHPDb9QFT0t87RUi4aAvheEALw_wcB). It’s a K&N 143 Oil filter. From the K&N website it seems that it is compativle with xt225 2002 and xt250 2002 (The Australian version of the xt225, I guess). From the picture on the second post of the forum you posted, it seems to look the same as the correct oil filter.

From your opinion, does this seem to be the issue? I’ve attached another link to a video which shows that the oil pressure check bolt does not seem to be releasing any oil. I loosened it about 1-2 turns. Do you think this is enough? Link: https://youtu.be/nIUsSFyGRU0
I will a look at ordering a new oil filter, perhaps the OEM one unless someone can recommend another?

Craig 1: I will source a clear tube and have a look. Cheers, mate.


Thanks again, for everyone’s response.

That didn't look good. You should have got oil coming out of the test port.
Maybe there is a problem with the oil filter or the way it is installed. You should be able to remove the oil filter and try again.
If it were me, I would remove the valve covers or adjuster caps and look for oil in there. It should be squirting all over in there. (maybe in your face too). You can remove the spark plug and oil pressure test bolt, and just crank the engine. No need to start it to check for oil flow.

That intake looks pretty bad, I suggest you replace it.

It takes more turns than that to get oil to come out of mine. To be sure, remove it completely and keep your hand on the kill switch. It'll make a mess in a hurry.

Oil filters... 2007 and older 225 filter on left (labeled right), 2009 and newer 250 filter on right (labeled wrong)

I noticed from the video you had the choke knob (actually an enrichening circuit, but they both do the same thing) all the way out when you started it. It is perfectly normal for it to run way too fast when you have that knob out. It should be slowly pushed in to lower the rpms as soon as the bike is started, and completely closed as soon as the bike will run without it. Usually a 4 stroke will only seize up once from a lack of oil. It will never start again. "When exactly can I use the Carb?" Not sure what that means. I suggest getting the correct STOCK Yamaha oil filter for your bike (the XT225 does not use a disposable filter, it uses a reusable mesh screen. I've had the same screen in mine for 30,000 miles. it should be Yamaha part# 5H0-13440-09-00 ) filling the oil up to the top of the sight glass with the bike completely vertical, turning off the choke as soon as the engine starts, and see what happens. It should settle into a normal idle. If it doesn't, the idle speed is adjustable on the carburetor. If it still shuts off, then the float bowl may be running empty. That could be caused by a bad petcock or a sticking float. The engine sounds normal in the video, just running way too fast. Again, close that choke knob after starting.

And when the weather is hot, you don’t need the choke to start the bike.
On mine, with the choke, it stalls after a few seconds.

Thanks heaps. all!

I fixed the issue with a OEM oil filter. Enjoying the bike again. I will have a look at the Intake and replace it. Who would have thought that spending time tinkering around with my new bike would be so much fun.

Jerry:

"When exactly can I use the Carb" - was my mistake. Insert choke there instead.

"If it doesn't, the idle speed is adjustable on the carburetor. If it still shuts off, then the float bowl may be running empty" - It sputters out without the choke until it gets quite a bit warmer. I will have a look at how I can adjust it. Thanks for the tip.

I think I will move onto the chain and sprockets next. There is heaps of leeway in the chain and I get a bit of a jolt when I begin to accelerate.

Questions:

1. Anything I should be wary of when I change them. How might I determine if I needed to change the Cam chain and Cam sprocket?


2. After the chain, what is something a beginner should inspect next and move on to in terms of maintenance etc.

Thanks again,