Kawasaki Bayou 300 Acts Like Its Flooding

[Jeff Comstock]

Help a brother four legger out

 Bayou300 acts like it's flooding if it's it's in the Alabama sun all day but, I've cleaned the carb. Sometimes it'll backfire even though the timing and valve lash are in spec. Thought it was sticking float but after 2 times cleaning the carb I'm lost. So

[Frank Angerano]

Hey Jeff. Welcome to Quadcrazy. Was the bike running good up until a certain point and did this just happen out of nowhere ?

im thinking the main needle on the throttle slide may be set to high. But if it was never tampered with them there should be no reason to move it.  

Check that it’s not bent, check the setting on the air fuel mixture screw also.  It may be ruining a little rich.  My guess is your problem will most likely be an adjustment on the air fuel screw.  

[Jeff Comstock]

It's got 32,000 miles it, it's my daily driver, 35-40miles a day 5 days a week. Regular oil and filter change, new coil, complete cleaning of the carb 2 1/2 months ago. Checked timing and valve lash and chain everything is ok. It just started one day out of the blue when the weather hit 98° and it only acts up when it's been humid as a gorrillas armpit or has sat in the sun all day. If it sets 20 minutes it'll fire right off and run fine

[w_r_e]

I just picked up a 2003 Bayou 300. A cheap Craigslist find. Funny enough I'm having the same problem, it sat in the sun all day today in 90 deg heat, and it was flooding and wouldn't start. I pulled the fuel line with the petcock in the "off" position, and lo and behold gas came pouring out. Seems like these Bayou fuel valves go bad. And as it sat all day the fuel slowly flooded the engine (not sure if that's even possible?) 

Anwyays I put an inline fuel valve on it so I could be SURE that the gas is off when it sits in the sun, and a new plug, and it fired right up... So you might check your fuel lines and make sure they aren't dumping gas into it while it sits. 

Mine is also running really rich, which is a story for a different thread

[Jeff Comstock]

Update time, 5 weeks in and still no joy. New carb, fuel shutoff and cdi and still ain't getting spark. It's not the coil cause I took it and put it on my bosses 300 and it fired right up. Put it on mine and got power to the coil on the red wire but no spark. Friend of mine that works on small engines said it might be the igniter or something called a pulse-something or other. Theyre supposed to be inside the case behind the recoil starter. I'd complain but parts so far have only run me about $350 and I got the ride for free in great condition over a year ago. Still though I'd like figure out this spark problem, ideas?

[MarkinAR]

Maybe try covering the on/off switch on the handlebar and the key ignition switch to keep it in the shade and then let the bike sit in the sun a while and see if it'll start?  could be water in one of the switches expanding enough in high heat to short a switch?  long shot...but maybe?

[Jeff Comstock]

Took and cleaned up the ignition and on off with contact cleaner and it's been in the barn now for 5 weeks, so that's a Longshot but I'm up for checking them again, thanks