well folks,
the prarie started starting hard & only wanting to crank when the starter was released, or the recoil starter was used, after turning off the fuel several times, it fired up, now for the question..(I guess I REALLY know the answer before I ask it..) since I have 200 miles, & the only thing I have done is change the fluids at 40 miles or so.. so my question is this..I'll go ahead & check the valves, & synch the carbs, change the jets, put the diamond g snorkle on, twin air filter, new plugs, will this nasty starting problem go away?..how much does idle speed have to do with it? I'm guessing it could'nt hurt, but if it doesn't I'll try something else..I'll put the black spring & do belt adjust a little later..got to get it working first, as I use it in my job..
I guess it may just be trying to tell me I need to spend some "quality time with it"..I know my bikes did..
thanx

 

I let cobwebs cover mine once, and ran a little more cold blooded afterwards, but no biggy.

The only prob I have had when sitting a long time is the fuel locking, which is prevented by turning the gas off.

You may just have a ton of gas in the chambers, but not quite a fuel lock.

 

roc,
thanx for the reply, but the strange thing is it did it today, not at the start of the job, but in the middle to the end of it..it got progressively worse..it seemed to only fire off at times with the recoil starter, but it was about 98 degrees down here today..I loosened the fuel cap thinking that it was building pressure, but that was not it..I did notice that the idle would change somewhat when stopped, & i'd have to give it a little more throttle..but after all this time, it was sitting (not running) for about 2 hrs before I'd need to use it..so the fuel thing may be a possibility..maybe I should check the float level as well? I'll have to get in the habit of turning the petcock off..I do on my bikes..

I just don't like doing all that extra walking to set out prisms & tripods if I can do it on the quad..not lazy, mind you, but just on a backsight setup it is 550' down there one way..then come back to the instrument and locate the other trees,houses, fences, ground elevations..some of this will be open enough to run a grid with the quad & get ground elevations..& tree locations, some if it not..

but I can wrench on the quad if need be..& have a box of goodies to go in..that I've been putting off..so I guess it was telling me it was time to spend some time with it..just trying to put off the valve adjust/check a little longer.. on street bikes it is about 600 miles or so for the first one....I did notice when I did the first service on the street bikes the carb synch would be off, but the valves were only .001 outside of spec..the next check they were dead on (3000 miles)..so now I get to try out the carbtune..

 

Uh, oh. I think I know what you are describing. Mine did that too, once. It cranked but would not start (no spark). I turned the key off and on, then it started. That is not a carb problem, it is electrical. I would not be able to find the problem unless it unless it kept doing it.

It is probably a bad switch, relay or connection. That's going to be hard to find.

I'm not sure if yours does what mine did, or if mine will ever do it again. I looked around the repair manual and it is not as clear as it could be, but it will help.

 

well,
now that I've spent some "quality time" with the prarie, valve adjust, carb synch, rejet..
all is well, (either that or I fiddled with some electrical connections)

a couple of things I noticed in the valve adjust..
valves can be adjusted with the center section of plastic removed, & the inner section of the wheel wells, (part closest to floorboards) with the inspection plug removed you can carefully find the timing marks by using the pull start..
it will take a feeler guage that has a 90 degree bend in it..be careful, becuase the way the covers are & a small bolt interferes, you may place the feeler guage onder the top retainer of the valves if not careful..take it easy, & it will be fine..

I did notice that the valves were tight at 200 miles, but a lot better now, easier starting, carb synch was ok, within 1 mm, the carbtune does not fluctuate as much as a regular set of mercury sticks, I should have gotten it years ago..

the diamong g snorkel works real well, as well as a twin air filter, I ended up using stock jets 142 front, 145 rear, and set the mix screws at 2 3/4 for now..no stumbles, mains seem right, no bogging, I'm happy with it..with the penland mod to the airbox, the mix screws need to be turned out about 1/4 more & maybe a shim put under the needle.. with the stock airbox, it is fine..(just seat of the pants tuning, no plug chops lately..
I did slow accel, & stop to wide open in low & high..the front end gets real light..quick..

I did not get around to the belt adjust, & black spring, but it is on the to do list, I need to make a holder for the pulley..I made the nyroc spring compressor though..

so anyway I wanted to let everyone know that it was indeed "quality time" that it wanted..

if anyone needs a jet kit, let me know, I did'nt use anything in it, still in the package..I'm happy with the stock needles..
I found out why the prarie weighs 600 lbs..all the screws in the plastic..

mods as of late..
sur tracks front & rear
diamond g snorkle
twin air filter
jetted with stock jets.. 142/145

 

I have a sad story about my 650 I bought it in June 2001. It hasn't ran properly ever. It is in the shop for the fourth time the mechanic has called kawwi several times they can't make it start,run, accelerate properly plus belt noise. I am trying to get a new one under the lemon law. I wish I could say something good but it just hasn't been.