QuestionI have a kawaski bayou 300 4x4 I put a new head gasket and a new carb on it. It is being driven as a 2 wheel drive, the front axle is missing. It runs good and is fast, but going up hill it will lose power if it is in 2nd gear.
AnswerHi Shawn,
The first thing to determine is whether the
engine is getting too much fuel/air mixture or not enough
fuel/air mixture at that particular throttle opening.
Run the engine with a clean or new spark plug
at the RPM where the problem is.
After a short run quickly stop the engine
and check the spark plug color against this
color chart:
http://verrill.com/moto/sellingguide/sparkplugs/plugcolorchart.htm
The mid range fuel mixture is adjusted with
the slide needle position mainly.
You can raise the needle to richen the fuel mixture
and lower it to lean the fuel mixture.
Other things to check are the air filter,
and engine compression. If the valve clearance
is too tight you could be losing compression.
The plug reading should give some indication of
the problem. A black plug means too much fuel
or not enough air in the fuel mixture.
A light colored plug means you have a lack
of fuel or an air leak on the intake somewhere.
Of course the bike will have less power in second
gear compared to first gear but should rev out fully
if tuned right.
If your compression is above 130 psi and the carb
is tuned right it should rev out unless you
have something odd going on like a stuck
reverse switch or clogged exhaust system.
Also make sure the starter jet in the carb
has not been switched with the main jet
which I think is possible.
The main jet will be the larger one.
Try to tune the carb to get a light brown plug color
at the RPM where you experience a power drop.
If you find it runs good but is low on power
in second gear you might try some smaller tires
or wheels. This will make all your gears
a bit lower and the engine rpm higher than
it is now. This will give you more power but
less speed in second gear.
Luck!
Wayne S.
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