Need help trouble shooting my 1988 Suzuki lt250r. Hard to get started, will kick on the thing for an hour but roll starts within 15ft, once started it runs and idles great. And if still warm will kick start first or second kick. Installed a new ignition coil and a Racing Competition NGK B9EGV spark plug, has great blue spark every kick. Reeds all look great, piston and cylinder look great and has good compression.Cleaned the carb really good and put in new gas mixed 32:1. Stock bore with wiseco piston, stock carburetor no airbox k&n filter, and fmf silencer. Have no idea why it doesn't want to kick start. Any ideas?

 

It seems like the choke isn't working. With a K & N and no airbox it will be running weak anyway. Other possibilities, either the compression is low or an air leak into the crankcase.

 

Welcome to the forum.
you say you have compression, what's the gauge read?

 

It reads 155. I just opened the top end a day ago and the cylinder and piston looked excellent. I am finding some alittle but of a oily substance on the bottom of the motor around where the swing arm Bolt goes and a little bit towards the front of the motor but there are no cracks in the case. Just a little bit of this substance not enought to drip.

 

If you are certain the choke is OK, and the reeds are OK, it could be the crankshaft seals leaking air past them. I don't know that engine, but they are usually bad to get at, so it will be a big job to replace them.

 

Any way I can check to see if the crank seals are bad. I'm pretty sure the choke works cause when I get it running and turn choke on it changes the idle.

 

I would get the jet right for your set up, and double check the choke mechanism is closing fully, before delving into the engine. As I don't know that engine, I can't say how hard the seals are to get at.

 

Ok thanks for the help. I do notice that after a kicking for awhile it will start leaking a lot of gas out of a tube on the carb, so maybe the float is set too high? So I'll check the choke, and anyone no what jet a should be running? All it has done that I know of is the fmf silencer, K&N filter with no box, and the stock mikuni carb with a twist throttle. Like I said it runs amazing with tons of power and speed when I get it started and will start first kick if still warm so I don't think it's the crank seal because that would probably cause it to run funny.

 

More likely to be the float needle not seating properly. Suzuki's vacuum operated fuel tap can muddy the waters a bit as it shuts the supply before the carb can overflow. If your machine has one of these taps, they can cause trouble too. Have you tried it on prime?

 

You haven't cleaned the carb?