KLX300 CARB CLEAN: MR. KNOW-IT-ALL

Dear Mr. Know-It-All,
My 2005 KLX300 has been running horribly, and I have nowhere else to turn. I figured the carb was just dirty and have cleaned it spotless. But, even still, the bike’s idle is inconsistent, and when you get on the gas hard, it sounds like it has laryngitis. I’m not sure what else to do.
Tim Ardle
via [email protected]

Before you consult your doctor about your machine’s ailing esophagus, I’d suggest doing something as simple as running some fresh fuel through the gas tank. If the carb is as spotless as you claim and everything else seems to check out, you might possibly have water in your fuel. To ascertain the validity of this theory, drain the float bowl and look for beads of H2O congregating within its walls. The drama happens when the fuel sits for extended periods of time, as it not only goes stale, but the ethanol in the mixture tends to attract moisture from the outside atmosphere. Rule one: start with fresh fuel.