XT 350, gray smoke of doom

[Guest]

Hello everyone, today on my way home from my course I tried starting my bike, after the third kick (I'm still getting the hang of the bike and kick starter) I herd a muffled *POP* and gray smoke poured out of the air box, after a frantic opening of the air box I found a small gasoline fueled fire, I was able to blow it out and after letting the bike sit for a bit she fired right up (second kick, go me! X3). After that she ran perfectly.

Should I be worried about this or is this something that just "happens"?

PS: If it at all relevant, the kick stand let go on me (needs tightening) and I had to gently lay the bike down, flooding the carb and such. No damage to the bike other than scuffed plastics. Also, the fire only singed the air filter.

Thanks,

Tibby

 

[Phoenix]

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Fire in the airbox don't seem right, sorry no solution for ya. Laid my bike down plenty of times and never started a fire upon restart. Singed airfilter should be replaced, any problems before carb wise ? Sure others more mech inclined will chime in.

 

[Guest]

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Phoenix wrote:

Fire in the airbox don't seem right, sorry no solution for ya. Laid my bike down plenty of times and never started a fire upon restart. Singed airfilter should be replaced, any problems before carb wise ? Sure others more mech inclined will chime in.

Recent carb rebuild, but thats about it.

I'm thinking when I laid her down the carb flooded and then back splashed into the air box, then a stray spark or, who knows, the air filter is fine though, I caught it before any damage could be done.

The bike is running perfectly fine now, that is if I get my kick right. I'm up to it only needing three proper kicks, but I only get a proper kick about 1 out of 3 times XD

 

[old trials guy]

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Most four strokes have a metal screen or mesh between the carb and the air filter to eliminate the potential of a backfire igniting the air filter. Most air filters being soaked in oil are pretty flamable. Never seen one on a two stroke and that is probably because most two strokes have reed valves that would stop blowback.

It maybe that the previous owner removed the screen. It might be worthwhile researching whether your model had one from the factory, I would be surprised if it didn't. The potential for a serious fire exists as it is not far from the air filter to the carb!

otg

 

[icanpopawheeli]

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Boy, you are so lucky with just 3 or so kicks. Is your other nick "Lucky"? Mine takes between 4-40 kicks depending on temp and moisture.

 

[Sparkle]

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I am a leading expert on motorcycles that fall over for various reasons, and here's my opinion:

A motorcycle that falls over with a full float bowl, depending on the angle of repose, drains the float bowl into the intakevalve and cylinder, and sometimes into the intake runner and filter box. The raw gas in the engine is a flooded condition that will cause hard startingand a pop-back if starting is attempted immediately after. The longer a bike lays in it's side the more serious the problem because the float needle valve remains open and gas contiues to flow.

With raw gas in the intake runner and possible a gas soaked filter, a fire could easily be started by the pop-back. My DR had a screen on the filter, but the mesh was wide and probably designed to stop large items in case of a broken or disentigrating filter component rather than stop burning gasoline.

Aftera crash, a fallover, or my bike takes a nap, I always crank the bike with the ignition off, decompression lever in, and throttle open to clear the flooded condition, which helps the bike start without popping.

I think your bike is fine Tiburus, it just doesn't like being upside down...

Sparkle

 

[Guest]

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The bike is running perfectly right now, tricky to start it when it's cold... My leg is getting a work out... But once it's warm it starts the second or third kick. No more fires.

 

[Sparkle]

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A few things I had to learn the hard way.....One is never touch the throttle before or during a start. The second is follow the manual to position the piston for starting...Your kick should start on the exhaust stroke so you get a good spin before it fires. Usually when a 1 cyclinder bike motoris shut offit stops on it's way up the compression stroke so just getting on and kicking doesn't usually work.

Try this:

With the ignition off, using the compression release slowly crank the start lever until it's roughly half way. (parallel to the ground)

Let the lever return to the very top, and with the choke and ignition on kick it fast.....all the time with your hand OFF the throttle.

If it's hot, no choke of course.

Sparkle

PS...one of the coolthings about my old XT is it has a little glass window on the camshaft that displays a pointer to position the engine for starting. Electric start bikes do all this automatically, but you're on a real motorcycle now...