Kawasaki Dirt Bike Electrical System Issues
From spark plugs to batteries and wiring, a whole host of issues can arise from a dirt bike's electrical system. Our resident motorcycle expert John Talley got quite a few Kawasaki dirt bike electrical system questions in this edition of his weekly live Q&As.
John goes live on our YouTube channel every Friday at 3pm Eastern, and in this session, he addresses several electrical system issues from our viewers related to Kawasaki dirt bikes.
Kawasaki Dirt Bike Electrical Issues
I was having issues starting my 2011 Kawasaki KLX110, so I decided to replace the carburetor, the air filter, battery, spark plug and fuel, but now it just won’t turn over. The carburetor is getting fuel and the spark plug is getting spark. Is there anything else I forgot to check?
John Talley: I’m curious, how do you know if it’s getting spark if it won’t turn over at all? It sounds to me like there’s something systemic going on. That’s probably going to be the main fuse to it. It’s a pretty simple diagram for that particular unit. As a matter of fact, I think we did a KLX110 no-start scenario. I think it’s one main fuse, if memory serves, but it’s been about 3 or 4 years since we did that.
Watch the video above to learn how to check the spark plug on a Kawasaki dirt bike.
Watch the video above to learn how to change the battery on a Kawasaki dirt bike.
I’m making my 2012 Kawasaki KX450F motard/legal. If the stock stator only puts out 60 watts, would that be enough to run a lighting kit?
John Talley: 60 watts is not much. I don’t think you want to do a KDX conversion on it, if that’s even possible. But what will probably save you is to get away from the halogen and go with the LED lighting. Just make sure you don’t exceed that 60 watts and you should be able to pull it off relatively easy. LEDs are really low consumption and it should get you in the ballpark at least.
If the ground wire from the battery gets pinched by the tank and it sparks, would that burn out the CDI or Rec?
John Talley: I’m a little concerned that the battery is sparking against the fuel tank. Are you sure that’s a negative wire? Usually those don’t spark unless it’s your initial connection to the battery and it’s just sending a low voltage through. Either way, whether a wire is a ground or a positive wire, it should not be getting pinched, so it needs to be replaced or rerouted because something is wrong. But to answer your question, will that burn out the CDI or regulator-rectifier? Sure it can, especially if it’s expecting a certain amount of ground being present. Those wires have a certain diameter for a reason and you’re telling me that it’s been pinched and it’s missing some of its internal, individual conductors, then yeah. Because that would ramp up the amperage, ramp up the voltage, ramp up the current, because the resistance is going down. So yes, it could burn out your CDI or your regulator-rectifier.
Watch the video above for do's and don'ts of wiring harness repairs.
Want to see more live repair questions answered? See more motorcycle and ATV repair questions answered here.
