CR 500R wont start

[2kHondaCR500R]

It ran fine soon as I took it out of the crate (used 2k) and fired up this morning fine. Thing is I forgot I had the fuel shut off and ran it dry in the carb I guess. Now no matter how many times I kick it with the choke on or off it won't start. I already checked the plug and it wasn't fouled out. Any ideas how to get this thing to fire back up?:

[MATTXR250R]

The plug might not have looked fouled but replace it before you do anything else. Just put in a new one....don't clean that one..always try the easy things first.

[2kHondaCR500R]

OK, thanks, I'll go try that and see what goes...

[Frakke]

any news? Maybe try rolling of a hill!!! Better start then, pushing up again isn't the nicest!!

[ossagp]

yours may have an air lock in the low speed jet. turn your air screw all the way in and kick it several times, try this with the choke(enrichener actually) all the way on. If it does not start in a few kicks screw it back out to 1.5 turns out and try it again.

all this assuming that you have a full float bowl now. if it still hasnt fired off , with the float bowl full, you may want to check for spark, then prime the engine by putting approx 1 tsp of gas down the spark plug hole. Try a funnel for this or make one.

with spark that will fire it off and get the carb properly flowing again. I dont know why, but the Kehein carb seems more prone to air locking than my mikunis do. My cr500 occasionally needs the prime method, if i have had the carburetor apart.

[ossagp]

another longshot is that if you had water and crud in the bowl that it may now by sucked into your fuel passages,,so a caburetor cleaning may be in order.

[dirtytrixx400]

i'm guessing this is a new bike for him.it took me awhile to get the start procedure figured out too...but it is simple...on a cr500 you only have a limited amount of energy that you can exspend on kicking it,your leg and foot will get sore and it generally makes the start of your day kind of crapy.try this...choke on when cold and this is the important part....take your hand off the throttle while kicking it.....its hard to not open the throttle while kicking..but if you are opening the throttle..it is not getting the full benefit of the choke mixture.after i realized this...i was able to crank mine first or second kick everytime....hot or cold.of course don't use the choke after it's warmed up..lol.

[dirtytrixx400]

ossagp...try the no throttle start i posted...it really works!! yes it is a bad trait on the carbs on the 500's....i think it will save you some headache on cranking and more time enjoying riding.at one point i was thinking of getting rid of mine because of the hard starting.you would think a half litre motor would show a positive intake pulse to the carb circuits even cracking the throttle while kicking...but it does not.

[ossagp]

thanks dirt,,,i was just assuming he knows that a two stroke particularly likes the throttle shut all the way. if yours has the idle set too high, it wont start easily. I have owned my cr (an 87) since it was about 10 days old. the older pj throttle was always bottomed as there is not idle screw, but the newer ones should be coming with a pwk, like i now have, and the throttle idle screw can cause a problem.

Since he had no trouble starting it before, I was assuming that his running it dry was the problem, let's hope he has it starting now and saving his heart and lungs for something else.

[dirtytrixx400]

yes..lol...i remember the frustration of kicking..sweating...cursing..lol


btw..i hope your weather up there in alaska is getting better as ours here in alabame is turning out very nice now...close to 80 and sunny

[ossagp]

At honda of troy's site it still shows the 2000 cr 500 with the PJ carb,,so no idle screw if it is the stock carburetor. Maybe a kinked cable or sticking throttle?

[ossagp]

i do recall putting the pwk on mine and having the throttle screw just a little tight,,it took a minute to realize it. when the 500 is "right" though it starts pretty easy. at zero it will fire off if i turn the air screw all the way in, and then out just a smidge.

[2kHondaCR500R]

Well, the new plug didn't work. It did sputter a couple with the choke off, but it just seems like it's doing nothing at all now. It has to be because I ran it dry because it started right up this morning and last night.

I got 93 pump SHELL in it and some cheap $0.99 2 stroke that shell had (with 1 gal of gas) so I could just right on it and ride. Do you all think I should drain the tank and put the 89 octane in with the Honda 2 stroke oil? Think it will help at all? :

Btw, my foot hurts. LOL I been trying off and on since 9:30am and didn't stop trying until 1:30pm. only stops I had was to change the oil, plug, eat, and get the stuff from a Honda dealer.

[jim]

dip the plug in gas and install it quickly and try it.

you should try and start my 600 with no decompression.

the motto is "if you can start it you can ride it" and I stick by that so invite some friends over because one leg is not enough.

[paul reed]

did you do the cr500 starting ritual....i shut the fuel off,lay it over to drain...pick it up and rock back and forth in 2 nd gear for 3 minutes with thumb on killswitch-3 minutes is a long time...turn on fuel and choke while finding the sweet spot...jump up and come down kicking like Bruce Lee...with this method it`s allways been 1st or second kick...i run 93 pump with the Honda hp2 synthetic premix oil at 32:1

[2kHondaCR500R]

The idle screw trick didn't work. Also drained the fuel and put in fresh 89 with HP2, still not hitting a lick with a brand new NGK in there. : I suppose it's time to take it to Honda and let them rape me $$$ to get it running again.

I just don't see how it started so easy (1 to 2 kicks) but after I ran it out of fuel it won't hit a lick at all. :

This sucks because I was on vacation, waited all week for this guy to crate this thing and ship it. It just got here last night and I had today to ride all day before having to wait until next weekend to ride 1 day. I don't have much time at all to ride, so this really sucks! :

[MotoMan]

It needs 3 things to run man, air, spark and fuel, it isn't getting one of them.

Have you checked to be sure that you have spark?

Is the fuel getting to the engine?

You didn't by chance leave a rag in the airbox, or a plug in the exhaust? (Don't laugh, it happens to all of us!!)

[yz250guy]

First of all, did you turn the fuel back on? lol. Second, did you lay the bike over on it's side to get fuel back in the bowl? Third, a little know trick.....when my bike doesn't want to start, I blow into the vent tube that comes out the front of the carb until I see fuel spray out of one of the other tubes. This works perfect every time. (Just try not to blow any spit in there) Also, are you sure you are still getting spark? don't be so sure it has to do with running the fuel out. Could just be coincidental.

[Thump_This]

werent you the guy bragging earlier about how 2 stroke rules and thumpers suck? thought so. hmmm, who is your 2 stroke smoking now? = )

[smithers]

Originally posted by Thump_This
werent you the guy bragging earlier about how 2 stroke rules and thumpers suck? thought so. hmmm, who is your 2 stroke smoking now? = )

Wow, that is such a thoughtful and helping statement! Im sure hes going to be runnin in no time with that advice!

Mr 2kHondaCR500R, take the plug out and put it back into the spark plug boot, ground it (lay the plug touching some type of metal) and then slowly kick it over. If there isnt a nice fat blue spark coming from the plug you have problems. Make sure that carb is getting fuel. Pull the fuel line off and turn on the valve. Take the float bowl off and make sure theres fuel in there. Checked it for water? Would hate to think it was crated to you and they had the water drained from the rads and you burnt it up. Check for air restrictions too.....that covers your basic three like MM said.