TRON Posted May 13, 2015 Report Share Posted May 13, 2015 I know there's a bunch of guys here that own motorcycles and are mechanically inclined. My 09' CRF450r is a pain in the ass to start. I mean, 20-30 kicks sometimes. There is a long list of things that cause this problems on the 09' 450s and I've checked and corrected almost all of them. When the bastard does start, it runs fine, idles a bit high but has smooth power all the way up. I think I've found the issue; Cam timing. When I align the crank mark on the case at TDC the cam mark is off by less than one tooth. My guess is either the cam chain is stretched or the sprocket on the cam has moved (its just pressed on). Will that cause the bike to be hard to start, but still run fine? Avalanche Alpine Type S comps Alpine Type S 10'' Alpine MPR-F300 Alpine MRX-M50 Mechamn 270 XS Power d3400s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colby Posted May 14, 2015 Report Share Posted May 14, 2015 Is this a fuel injected model? Did you add an aftermarket intake or exhaust system? If so, did you add fuel by either a bigger pilot jet, or adjusting the EFI with a fuel controller? May also check for possible air leaks on/around the motor. With it idling high but running fine otherwise, it is lean on the pilot circuit and most likely not a timing issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRON Posted May 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2015 She's EFI. It's got a DRD pipe, but you never have to adjust anything, the UCE takes care of the mixture settings. I had it re-mapped a year ago to make the mixture richer on idle to help it start easier (09's are notorious for hard starting). Never had any problems before until recently. Top ends has less than 25hrs except the cam, cam chain and tension-er, they are still stock. Mmm i should also mention that she farts a bit of black smoke when you crack the throttle. Avalanche Alpine Type S comps Alpine Type S 10'' Alpine MPR-F300 Alpine MRX-M50 Mechamn 270 XS Power d3400s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colby Posted May 14, 2015 Report Share Posted May 14, 2015 She's EFI. It's got a DRD pipe, but you never have to adjust anything, the UCE takes care of the mixture settings. I had it re-mapped a year ago to make the mixture richer on idle to help it start easier (09's are notorious for hard starting). Never had any problems before until recently. Top ends has less than 25hrs except the cam, cam chain and tension-er, they are still stock. Mmm i should also mention that she farts a bit of black smoke when you crack the throttle. The black smoke on the throttle crack is unburnt fuel .. little rich .. but that's not a bad thing .. I would venture to say it's not a timing issue, but you may want to check it out just to eliminate that as a reason. Also, throwing a new spark plug with the correct gap (probably .025-.030) would not hurt either. When you pull the old plug, check where the ground strap color changes, close to perfect timing for the motor will be where the plug starts to make the bend. If the mark or color change is too close to the bottom of the plug the timing is too advanced and needs to be retarded, if it is closer to the threaded part of the plug, the timing needs to be advanced. Also, if there is a place local that has an air/fuel sniffer, getting your bike on that would eliminate the fuel guessing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRON Posted May 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2015 Plug is brand new, or at least its a few weeks old and the gap is right on spec. I'm not understanding the whole spark plug color thing. Avalanche Alpine Type S comps Alpine Type S 10'' Alpine MPR-F300 Alpine MRX-M50 Mechamn 270 XS Power d3400s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colby Posted May 14, 2015 Report Share Posted May 14, 2015 Plug is brand new, or at least its a few weeks old and the gap is right on spec. I'm not understanding the whole spark plug color thing. The ground strap is the little arm coming off the threaded end that ends hanging over the porcelain base of the plug .. this plug shows just about perfect timing with a very strong spark .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRON Posted May 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2015 Well I checked my plug and it looks pretty close to that one. I went to the Honda dealer today and talked with two of their mechanics, they said that the decompression mechanism in the camshaft has been know to cause hard starting. They said they have put a 2010 cam in several 2009 engines and that has helped out a lot. Avalanche Alpine Type S comps Alpine Type S 10'' Alpine MPR-F300 Alpine MRX-M50 Mechamn 270 XS Power d3400s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skullz Posted May 14, 2015 Report Share Posted May 14, 2015 Try a couple of ounces of Marvel Mystery Oil in your gas and see how it goes, it may take a tank but it has made my bike a lot easier to start and run, although my bike is carburated and helps more in that application. It is only a couple of bux a bottle so it won't break the bank to give it a try. 01 Ford focus ZX3 Pioneer AVH-X491BHS PPI PC 4800.2 Morel Maximo 6.5" x2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colby Posted May 14, 2015 Report Share Posted May 14, 2015 Well I checked my plug and it looks pretty close to that one. I went to the Honda dealer today and talked with two of their mechanics, they said that the decompression mechanism in the camshaft has been know to cause hard starting. They said they have put a 2010 cam in several 2009 engines and that has helped out a lot. If your going to put in a new cam .. i would HIGHLY suggest a Web Cam .. that will make a pretty big difference. If that doesn't fix the problem, the only other thing I would suggest is to buy a Yamaha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRON Posted May 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 15, 2015 Well I checked my plug and it looks pretty close to that one. I went to the Honda dealer today and talked with two of their mechanics, they said that the decompression mechanism in the camshaft has been know to cause hard starting. They said they have put a 2010 cam in several 2009 engines and that has helped out a lot. If your going to put in a new cam .. i would HIGHLY suggest a Web Cam .. that will make a pretty big difference. If that doesn't fix the problem, the only other thing I would suggest is to buy a Yamaha. Yeah I've read lots about different cams, the main problem is all aftermarket cams still use the stock decompression mechanism, so I'm not going to get anywhere buying aftermarket unless i have the '10 decompression mech. Avalanche Alpine Type S comps Alpine Type S 10'' Alpine MPR-F300 Alpine MRX-M50 Mechamn 270 XS Power d3400s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.