Hey all. I need some advise, educated guesses or maybe even a solution.
I have a 2003 Kawasaki Mean Streak. It is doing some very strange things and has been to every shop locally and even in another state, no one knows for sure what it is. I will define below what it does and what has been done so far. I really dont want to sell it as I love my Mean Streak, but...
The bike has 11,500 miles on it
Has Vance Hines pipes
Jardine forward controls
Other wise – stock
Periodic maintenance up to date
Last fall, I pulled into a friends house and it just died. Started up again but with effort. Drove it home and it died as I pulled into the driveway. I started it up and the idle was increasing up and back down, all on its own. The increase was /is aprox 500rpm and then back down to idle, at times dropping below set idle and stops running. The time for each cycle up and down is maybe 3 seconds. It does not do this at held idle speeds above 2000 rpm.
Several shops have tried to fix it but have not.
Last shop said I needed a complete top end rebuild. Cost on that is 1500 dollars or so. Keep in mind, it only has 11,300 miles. They think the compression release device attached to the cams are at fault causing the compression at start up and idle to be way too high.
As a last ditch effort I tried this. I drained ½ quart of oil and added ½ quart of diesel to the crank case. I started it and idled it for 5 – 7 minutes. Increasing and lowering idle speeds etc. until it was good and hot. I drained the oil and filter, flushed and refilled with oil and new filter.
Bike starts up and runs like new. Several “test” trips locally and not a bit of problems. Went on a run to Eureka Springs and back, 600 mile round trip. Ran great until the last 40 miles and by the time I pulled into the driveway, it was messing up again!!
I repeated the diesel trick listed above, added sea foam to the oil, and for the past few weeks, ran great again but now is starting that idle crap again although not as drastic.
1) I can hear a definite difference in the sound of the pipes while driving when it starts acting up. The exhaust “tone” changes to a higher freq. and more of a clacking noise.
2) When it is acting up, there is no “rumble” When you let off the throttle. Sounds more like a stock 450cc or a golf cart. No back pressure rumble on throttle off.
3) Even when messing up, speeds above say 2000rpm, road / highway speeds, bike seems to run strong. Low speeds, or near idle speeds is when it gets bad.
I think that it may be an exhaust valve problem based on the exhaust noise change when it starts acting up and the absence of back pressure rumble on throttle down.
Is there something better to flush the top end out with then diesel?
AM I leaving the diesel in long enough. The last treatment I left it idling with the diesel in the crank for 10 min.
I hope I didnt leave too much out. I am really in a trick here as we depend on this bike for transportation as well as fun.
Thanks in advance
Jim
ki6up@yahoo.com
I have a 2003 Kawasaki Mean Streak. It is doing some very strange things and has been to every shop locally and even in another state, no one knows for sure what it is. I will define below what it does and what has been done so far. I really dont want to sell it as I love my Mean Streak, but...
The bike has 11,500 miles on it
Has Vance Hines pipes
Jardine forward controls
Other wise – stock
Periodic maintenance up to date
Last fall, I pulled into a friends house and it just died. Started up again but with effort. Drove it home and it died as I pulled into the driveway. I started it up and the idle was increasing up and back down, all on its own. The increase was /is aprox 500rpm and then back down to idle, at times dropping below set idle and stops running. The time for each cycle up and down is maybe 3 seconds. It does not do this at held idle speeds above 2000 rpm.
Several shops have tried to fix it but have not.
Last shop said I needed a complete top end rebuild. Cost on that is 1500 dollars or so. Keep in mind, it only has 11,300 miles. They think the compression release device attached to the cams are at fault causing the compression at start up and idle to be way too high.
As a last ditch effort I tried this. I drained ½ quart of oil and added ½ quart of diesel to the crank case. I started it and idled it for 5 – 7 minutes. Increasing and lowering idle speeds etc. until it was good and hot. I drained the oil and filter, flushed and refilled with oil and new filter.
Bike starts up and runs like new. Several “test” trips locally and not a bit of problems. Went on a run to Eureka Springs and back, 600 mile round trip. Ran great until the last 40 miles and by the time I pulled into the driveway, it was messing up again!!
I repeated the diesel trick listed above, added sea foam to the oil, and for the past few weeks, ran great again but now is starting that idle crap again although not as drastic.
1) I can hear a definite difference in the sound of the pipes while driving when it starts acting up. The exhaust “tone” changes to a higher freq. and more of a clacking noise.
2) When it is acting up, there is no “rumble” When you let off the throttle. Sounds more like a stock 450cc or a golf cart. No back pressure rumble on throttle off.
3) Even when messing up, speeds above say 2000rpm, road / highway speeds, bike seems to run strong. Low speeds, or near idle speeds is when it gets bad.
I think that it may be an exhaust valve problem based on the exhaust noise change when it starts acting up and the absence of back pressure rumble on throttle down.
Is there something better to flush the top end out with then diesel?
AM I leaving the diesel in long enough. The last treatment I left it idling with the diesel in the crank for 10 min.
I hope I didnt leave too much out. I am really in a trick here as we depend on this bike for transportation as well as fun.
Thanks in advance
Jim
ki6up@yahoo.com
