Posts
8622
Joined
2/3/2010
Location
Lehi, UT
US
Edited Date/Time
8/3/2012 1:25pm
So, as I mentioned in another thread I just purchased a 09 YZF450, with what I was told had less than 5 hours on it (and it looks awesome, perfectly clean, stock plastics look perfect, inside the airbox looks like new, exhaust looks great-no dirt baked on, just about perfectly clean all the way around).
Anyway, I get it home last week. Change the oil, clean the air filter, check the spokes, check the coolant, check all the bolts...rode it up and down the street a couple times anxious for the weekend to take it out (it always started right up, ran perfect, idled perfect), if just felt like a brand new bike. Yes, I was excited.
So saturday comes, I get all my "honey-do's" done in the morning load up the trailer and my two brothers and I hit the road. We drove about 45 minutes to the riding area...unload the trailer, get our gear on. I hop on my new bike, start it up (1st kick) and I'm sitting on it while its idling just letting it warm up. After about a minute or so, it dies. I thought that was weird, so I pull the kick starter out, and go to kick it over and its frozen solid....the kick starter won't budge! The piston is absolutely frozen solid.
Needless to say I'm pretty ticked off!
Rant Over.
Anyway, I get it home last week. Change the oil, clean the air filter, check the spokes, check the coolant, check all the bolts...rode it up and down the street a couple times anxious for the weekend to take it out (it always started right up, ran perfect, idled perfect), if just felt like a brand new bike. Yes, I was excited.
So saturday comes, I get all my "honey-do's" done in the morning load up the trailer and my two brothers and I hit the road. We drove about 45 minutes to the riding area...unload the trailer, get our gear on. I hop on my new bike, start it up (1st kick) and I'm sitting on it while its idling just letting it warm up. After about a minute or so, it dies. I thought that was weird, so I pull the kick starter out, and go to kick it over and its frozen solid....the kick starter won't budge! The piston is absolutely frozen solid.
Needless to say I'm pretty ticked off!
Rant Over.
That sucks!
now you'll spend more to re-build it that you probably paid for it
The Shop
My son inlaw raced these bikes in the njational hare and hound series teamed with Russ Pearson, the only time they had a piston failure is when the piston would crack around the wrist pin, i also saw this in Clark Stiles and Jacob Saylers bikes.. other then that i have never seen one stick unless there was no oil... I also have had several of these bikes and ride them in high temp conditions with out alot of air flow the radiators.. I have yet to stick one or blow one up.. your problem has to be in the oil??.
I am fairly positive it isn't the kick starter gears, but I suppose it could be. The reason I say that is because I put it in 5th gear, and I couldn't even get the back wheel to turn at all (it rolls around fine when its in neutral or when the clutch is in). I assumed that if it was the kick starter, I could have push started it, right? Or is my logic off on that? (I'm far from mechanical....)
My thinking is that it's the oil pump. I'll have it all torn down-by a professional, I don't trust myself on these things-and let ya'll know what comes of it.
I will live and learn from it...but it sure ruined my weekend (and I'm still ticked off about it), and will likely put a rather significant dent in my checking account...
I'm just not sure if I should blame it on 4 strokes, or yamaha's??? (This is the first yamaha I've ever owned...)
Pull the spark plug and see if it will turn over. If it does, you probably just need to re-time the cams.
I did pull the spark plug when I got home, and it still wouldn't budge.
It wasn't puking coolant when it stalled, it had only idled for maybe 60 seconds.
I hope its just something simple...like the cam chain, or kick starter gears or something. But I'm not thinking that's the case.
Thanks for the condolences and suggestions. I appreciate it.
The thing shit itself after 1 lap and destroyed the engine. £1000 repair bill, ruined my weekend and my wallet.
Hope it's not too bad for you.
Pit Row
Although, the bike will roll when in neutral or when the clutch is in. Is that what you meant? Or did you mean it wouldn't roll at all?
As a matter of fact, I had no problems with my '05 CRF250, my '07 KX250f, my '08 yZ450 or my '09 YZ250f.
*Your results may vary*
From your description it doesn't sound like it seized, especially if you didn't see it spitting coolant. More like something came loose and bound up. Hope you get it sorted with the least $$ spent possible.
I just can't see the bike seizing up, and yes, no coolant...You just got my hopes up. Hopefully they won't be dashed into a thousand dollars, I mean pieces....
It was running perfectly....and it simply died....no funny noises, no overheating, no smoke...it just died and wouldn't turn over after that....
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