mark,
I have the same problem as all of the others (leave for a few days w/o riding and won't start) but have failed to turn off the fuel line as stated above. To get the XT started I have to pull the plug and put some gas into the Cyl to get it started. Could it be a simple as turning the gas off after riding ??

Mark,

No my Serow never gets the opportunity of more than a week or 2 off through the entire year. It was my sons old honda (Honda Chaly using the awesome C50 engine) field bike that was laid up for approx 3-4 months through a winter under a cover and started about 5th kick on the original fuel.

Regards

Robin

Dear All,

Just to clarify I always turn off the fuel tap, and have never had problems restarting the serow from leaving over a weekend to leaving for a 1-2 week holiday. So it seems a good idea for those with starting problems to turn off the fuel tap and check results. Might be that the float valve is leaking slight giving a higher fuel level in the float chamber?, let us know how it goes.

Regards

Robin

Kentucky - I would suggest if possible using the drain screw on the bottom of the carb and drain some fuel before starting, be careful not to bouger it up though. If you are going to turn off the petcock then do it when you are close to home before shutting off the engine, this way the bowl is drained of fuel. When you open up the petcock to ride again fresh fuel will fill the bowl. Try this and let us know how if it works better. You say this happens even after only a few days? For me it is when I leave it for several weeks.

If I don't shut off the fuel petcock mine will not start easily. I live in a cold weather area and in winter I ride maybe once a month. I add fuel stabliizer in the fall and as long as I close the petcock after each ride she starts right up. She's a 03 and I keep expecting to have to replace the battery.

I have been in Florida and have not ridden the XT since Oct. 31. It was 60 deg. here today so I went for a spin. I am running a #130 main and #42.5 pilot with the fuel screw turned out 3 turns. The gas in the tank was probably 45 days old (Marathon 93 oct.). I did however, turn the fuelcock OFF when I last rode it. It started in 2 seconds worth of cranking! It did stall twice when attempting to launch. I feel the key to starting these little beasts is ALWAYS TURN THE PETCOCK OFF!! By the way, I put on the oversize footpegs sold by our friend in PA on eBay and they are a BIG improvement.

Hi Folks,

The topic of hard starting has been revisited several times on this board and other XT225 sites. The problem, more often than not, is attributable to extended periods of non use and less than fresh fuel in the carburetor on startup. The theory behind this problem is that the most volatile vapors escape from the fuel sitting in the carburetor bowl, leading to difficult starting(especially after extended time in storage). To prevent this, I highly recommend always running the carburetor dry after each use by shutting off the fuel at the petcock and then letting the engine run until it stops. I always use 93 Octane fuel, try to top off the tank before storing and use a fuel stabilizer during colder months. Keeping the gas tank full and using fuel stabilizer during the cycles of warm to cold temperature changes should also minimize the chance of water forming inside your tank through condensation, and may protect your tank from premature internal rust and corrosion. Water in the gas is an obvious problem. A rusty tank could lead to a clogged fuel screen or bits paint or rust blocking the passages in the carburetor.

I've followed these simple procedures and have been running my 2004 XT225 (with about 5,000 miles on it) since July 2004 without any starting issues. I have not made any carburetor mods. This bike likes regular use and fresh fuel dumped into the carburetor before starting. Once started, it likes an extended warmup period because of it's lean factory carburetor settings. Give it what it wants and it should reciprocate.

Best of luck to all of you.

JoeXT225

Just to add to all of this I did an experiment with my wife's bike, happy reading, I am so glad I finally figured this out. I was getting so tired of her bike not starting.

http://www.kawasakiforums.com/m_96672/tm.htm

Nice write up on that kawasaki forum "Deric".. I wish I could write as well as you.. Wish I wish..

I had my magic theory about starting a xt225 blown apart not once but twice.. Let me explain..
We (Tony and Laura) bought two brand new 1999 xt225s in oct 1999..

We live in ontario, canada.. So our xt225 is jetted different than for the usa.. See pic below..
"robinh44" lives in uk and his xt225 is gray market originally sold to someone in japan.. His
xt225 is jetted different again.. For the japanese market.. I know the specs are different on
his xt225 because I have a "XT225 Serow Service Manual" that is written in japanese..

Back to our two xt225s with "canadian jet package".. Since 1999 both bikes have never had
any start up problems.. In summer they start up in about 3-5 seconds.. Even in the dead of
winter.. They will start up in 15-20 seconds.. As stated in my previous posts.. Both bikes are
still using the original oem batteries from 1999.. Laura's xt225 is still on the oem spark plug..

So my original theory was a xt225 with the "canadian jet package" was the deciding factor..
Well that theory blew apart when I bought a used 2000 xt225 from the usa.. And a used
1999 ttr225 also from the usa.. When I bought both these bikes (about 18 months ago)..
I thought I would have to re-jet both carbs.. Nope.. Wrong.. Even though both bikes were
jetted to usa spec per below.. They both start up just as fast and easy as our '99 canadian
xt225s..

The other theory blown apart was regarding old gas.. For the past 7 years.. We would turn
off the gas.. And let the xt225s idle for about a minute.. Before turning off the key switch..
I believed this was a good theory and made for easier starting..

Well this theory blew apart also when about 8 months ago I bought a used 1999 Suzuki
DR350.. This DR350 was spec'd for sale in canada.. A weird feature on this bike.. Is that
you can't turn off the gas to the carb like on the usa DR350.. Therefore I cannot run my
float bowl dry.. Yet after sitting for 2-3 weeks with 3 month old gas.. My DR350 will start
up in one second.. Yes.. That was "one second"..
Anywho.. Nuff typing for now.. Cheers everyone

Hey Chartman, thanks for the reply, I tend to agree with you in the sense that sometimes there is no good reason for the differences in some bikes. Case in point. A friend of mine has the 2004 TW 200 which is so close to the 225 except the fatty tires and a different carb. Well it can sit for a month and with the gas on no less, and it starts right up. However I think the trick is to find what works with your bike and use it to your advantage. I'm glad I read your post, it certainly gives me food for thought. Later man.