05 Kodiak 450 Smoke

[fender13bender]

I got my 450 running again after it sat for a year. Fresh fuel, cleaned plug, ect.

A little bit of history, when I got it (brand new) it seemed to smoke a little bit. It smelled like gas so I figured it was rich. I don't know if this has anything to do with my problem or not.

Now I took it out and rode for 10 or so miles this weekend and it definitely isn't the wheeler it used to be. It is slower and doesn't run as well. Dies at idle usually and is harder to start.

And it is really smoking, not at all when I'm on the gas, but all the time when I let off the throttle and it's slowing down. I mean, I think the thing is burning oil like no tomorrow. Does anyone else think this is it?

I guess it's probably time for a rebuild. I don't even have 1000 miles on it yet. I would like to bore it and get a high compression piston and cam and such, but I would like some info on that too.

Any answers are great, thanks in advance!

Edit-I forgot, the heat indicator light has been coming on and off.

[Demon Rider]

Hmm....sounds good (note my sarcasim)

Right off the bat I would like to remind you to clean out your carb, chances are it is full of gum so drive some carb cleaner to it.

Oil. This is easy to figgure out. Bring your bike up to operating temp and check the oil level. Go for a ride and then check your oil level again. If the oil level has dropped then you are lossing oil somewhere. Keep in mind that before you check you oil the first time to get her warmed up so that you have oil up around everything.

If your heat indicator light is coming on then you have a really problem. Is there oil in her to start with? How about engine coolant? Check your levels and get back to us.

I can't see how you could be considering a rebuild this early in your bikes life. The only way that you could have your pistons/ rings/ cylinders/ head / gaskets/ etc. screwed up at this point would be to starve it of oil and coolant. I would try some less intense approaches/ cheaper approaches before doing this.

Also I don't really know why you would bother boring your cylinders and doin the new cylinders and cams and whatnot on a kodiak. It is only a utility quad after all and it is not designed to go all that fast anyway. Besides again look for something that is cost effective. Get a K&N air filter and a pipe and jets. It wouldn't be worth doing engine work without this basic stuff anyway.

I don't understand why she would be smoking only on idle and not when you are giving her throttle. It don't make any logical sense to me at all! Anyone with an idea for this I would like to hear it please!

[fender13bender]

Hmm....sounds good (note my sarcasim)

Right off the bat I would like to remind you to clean out your carb, chances are it is full of gum so drive some carb cleaner to it.

Oil. This is easy to figgure out. Bring your bike up to operating temp and check the oil level. Go for a ride and then check your oil level again. If the oil level has dropped then you are lossing oil somewhere. Keep in mind that before you check you oil the first time to get her warmed up so that you have oil up around everything.

If your heat indicator light is coming on then you have a really problem. Is there oil in her to start with? How about engine coolant? Check your levels and get back to us.

I can't see how you could be considering a rebuild this early in your bikes life. The only way that you could have your pistons/ rings/ cylinders/ head / gaskets/ etc. screwed up at this point would be to starve it of oil and coolant. I would try some less intense approaches/ cheaper approaches before doing this.

Also I don't really know why you would bother boring your cylinders and doin the new cylinders and cams and whatnot on a kodiak. It is only a utility quad after all and it is not designed to go all that fast anyway. Besides again look for something that is cost effective. Get a K&N air filter and a pipe and jets. It wouldn't be worth doing engine work without this basic stuff anyway.

I don't understand why she would be smoking only on idle and not when you are giving her throttle. It don't make any logical sense to me at all! Anyone with an idea for this I would like to hear it please!

I checked the coolant, the radiator was half full so I added it till it was full but then it went back down and into the reserve :cool: and eventually spit the excess out, so that should be good.

I'll check the oil like you said later tonight.

And it's not smoking at idle, it's when I'm driving and I let off the throttle and it's coasting, that's when it's worse.

And I figure while it's out I might as well make it a little better :D

[Demon Rider]

hows it goin man, aint heard back from ya in a while. Just a completly random thought here, are you running just a hint on the rich side?

[fender13bender]

hows it goin man, aint heard back from ya in a while. Just a completly random thought here, are you running just a hint on the rich side?

It's not going well. Motor is shot, definitely. Drove it last weekend, heard a lot of noise coming from the engine, a tapping or whatnot, then the smoke got MUCH worse. On the way back, the smoke from the exhaust covered the whole road.

Now what do I do? :confused: :(