Bayou 300 carb problems

[RCW]

KX, just get to the point and list the problems in a new topic that pertains to your machine. I simply do not have the attention span to read all the BS and drama trying to figure out what the issues may be!

[KX500_WARRIOR]

Excuse me sir! Sorry to "ruffle" your feathers. This thread was started in regards to the problems with the Bayou's carb, as the same as I stated.
I admit that I got carried away...but some people like to read and have greater attention spans! Since it was my first post, I wanted members here to get some idea of the person that I am. Also, sorry if my personal drama with the in laws was just too boring for you to handle...heck, it was almost too much for me to handle!
I'm sure I'll figure out what I need, in order to get the bayou's carb fixed.
I hope you are alone in your attitude. Most members here seem friendly and eager to help. Please don't reply unless you have something that actually helps. You would be just wasting your precious time and mine.
You didn't have to read my post and you definitely didn't have to refer to my post as BS. Chill out and go ride your bike. It does wonders for attention spans! I'm going to ride mine! IF that's not good enough for you...well I can't give you any further advice.

[86klf300guy]

hello ...well as far as fidin sum orings for the petcok rebuild take the old oring to a auto parts store and match it up.0.10 cent item there.

and the other question about where to find the year and make that would be the vin numbers.and they are located on the frame either on the right or left front under the front panel by the upper control arm or a little more forwards then the arms.but you get them numbers and letters and take it to a kawa dealer and let them figure it out for you if they can lol.

bayou carbs suk by the way they allways plugg up easy and give fits when ever they want to hard to dial in etc so take you time on the carb clean but as for a rebiuld kits if it look like it has never been apart like screws messed up on the float bowl etc then you really dont neeed a rebuild kit if you need a float needle a lawn mower shop carrys them for the tune of a couple dollars.

im cheap so i find what i can and pass it on to save money in these tough tiimes.

hope this info may be helpfull to you good luck on the repairs -corey-

[KX500_WARRIOR]

Thanks for your advice and especially advising me on how to save money.
I knew that auto parts stores sold o rings, but it never crossed my mine that they would even remotely have what I need. I will check with the lawn mower repair shop and the auto parts stores tomorrow. I will also get one of those little in line fuel filters. You have probably saved a lot of the $50 that I was given by your advice! Your help was exactly what I needed!
Thanks again.

[antiqucycle]

KX Find a NAPA Store for the o ring.
then look the atv over with a fine tooth and hope you find the serial number. It should be on the frame ahead of the left footpeg. The serial number on the motor is not the same and wont help finding the year of your bayou.
If you cant find the serial number on the frame, start looking near the left front wheel, it might be up there on the frame. On the very old bayous 86-89?
you may not find the number since it was on a sticker that likely fell off at least thats the problem on my 1988. I was lucky, mine has white plastic so 88 was the only year for white.
If you can get a Clymer manual, it sure would help to id the year. there are 3 basic models of the 300 two wheel drive, the A from 86-87, the B from 88 to ? then a C Model.
The keihin carbs are basically junk, either they leak gas because the float needle does not close or the float needle sticks closed most of the time. I have had both problems and unable to fix.

[antiqucycle]

Ok I finally won a trx 300 carb. whats the pump for on the bottom of the float bowl? Is this to prime the carb? It was full of powdery dirt of course, the ebay seller lied, "good working carb" and there was some dirt in the bowl itself. Once I install this carb, do I use the choke or this pump knob?

besides enlarging the hole for the throttle cable and connecting the kaw choke cable, any other tips on using the honda carb? or is it better to use honda cables?

[CA-outdoorsman]

Very intresting reading about the problems with the Bayou carb. I have a 98' Bayou 300 4x4 that i've been working on here and there. Only major problem now is the carb. Original carb runs average at home ( 100' elev.) but you have to feather the choke now and then. And up in the mountains (5000') it's a piece of junk. I was set on getting a Mikuni round-slide carb but the height was a concern. Was given a tip on how to melt the gas tank to make room. But after reading about the Honda carb., I think I may go that direction now. Just curious on the answer to "antiqucycles'" questions. Thanks all .................Erich.

[KX500_WARRIOR]

Thanks Antiqucycle for the advice. I will definitely go to NAPA. I went to Autozone yesterday, and they were out of the miscellaneous o ring kit.
The ATV was running decent before I took the carb off but it was leaking gas like a son of a gun in the air box when not running.
I hope that I at least get the leaking carb and petcock stopped and get it running as good as it was prior.
I will post my results after wards.
Thanks again guys for all the help.

[JC1971]

Hey all. I still have same prob. with carb. Was wondering if anyone has tried the replacement carb on ebay for the kaw 300? 139$ Said to replace the screwed up probs we are having. Seems good if it works. If I could add a link I would, not sure if this works will try...eBay Motors: Kawasaki Carburetor Bayou KLF300 KLF 300 ATV Carb -New (item 280337295805 end time May-22-09 19:52:29 PDT)

[massivepipes]

I to have a 300 bayou 1988 that would leak fuel out the overflow. Then and now but always ran good. The overflow line was run outside the caseing to monitor its leaking and back off on fuel shut off to stop leak and when it was running out of gas it would pop and back fire. a shoe full of gas prompted me to find a fix.i tried a carb off of a 580 artic cat and it ran fine but was almost side ways. but did not permanatly mount due to height issues. after reading all info on this issue i drilled out the original needle seat taped it and used a thread in type from a 91 mach1 sled carb (MIKUNI)with its brass needle adjusted float. i had to reduce the outside OD of the seat (the sholder)to reproduce the original seat height depth. and running great 4 months no issues.one issue with this carb as well to make it tricky to set float is the travel of the float is so short as pertaining to the bowl depth too shallow.this is why the boar dia is so big in the needle seat i believe causeing most of the overflow issues after a time to all of this type of carb the seat boar gets to difficult to shut off due to its size or the needle gets stuck.so i set the needle shut off as short as i could to assure ampel gas in bowl to feed the engine under high RPMs. the only parts used were out of junk carbs with A NO COST REPAIR. just a few good tools.I have run alot of other carbs with rubber tiped needles with no issues and would not believe that they need constant replacement. a brass needle just happened to match the seat used.yes i have repaired the gas shut off valve and have a good inline filter. SLINGING MUD.............................

[massivepipes]

Yeh.:

[antiqucycle]

JC1971

The carb on ebay looks exactly like the Honda TRX 300 carb. but i have no guess if its a real keihin or some chinese copy. Its likely Chinese or the price would be over $300 like what Honda would charge. you would have to remove the nut where the choke fits in on the ebay carb.

Do an ebay search for honda trx300 carb and you will see the same seller is selling them as replacements for the honda.

Obviously the seller reads this forum. I have never bought a chinese bike and every I see is that they are complete trash and seldom last 2 weeks.
I am forever ticked off that Kawasaki ignored this fuel leaking problem, a downright fire danger. If it was an auto, the National Highway Safety Board would have ordered Kaw to recall and fix every one they ever made.

[CA-outdoorsman]

JC1971,

The one in the ad says its a "CV" type carb. From what i've heard about these, after searching around, that's not good. The "CV" type carbs are hard to tune right. One of the problems i'm dealing with is altitude, 100' at home and 5000' at cabin. Think i'm going to go with a 32mm Mikuni Round Slide VM carb. from oemcycle.com, $99 SHIPPED. Mikuni sounds a little more forgiving. I have to modify the tank a bit but i've read alot more positive than negitive feed back. Also looking into a Dial-a Jet from Thunder Products ( $75).

[antiqucycle]

First, that ebay Kaw replacement carb is made by ISO Performance, aka Made in Red China. NOT Keihin but an exact copy(maybe). Whether its any good is a big guess. I found them on an importer's web advertisement.

Every chinese bike I have seen, broke, quit running, turned out to be an utter waste of money. so beware.

Dial a JET. don't do it. very good chance to run too lean and melt a hole in your piston. heard a lot of bad reports from the few who tried it.

Round slide, VM Mikunis work great on two strokes, for some reason they do not put them on 4 stroke engines. I have a bunch of old yam enduros with the VM carbs. the pilot jets will clog with a very tiny piece of dirt.

[JC1971]

Hey thanks all. I thought it may be a lil fishy. Just wish I could get this thing right. Bike is in great shape. Got good deal...and a headache

[topstring]

Hey guys.I am new here but have had the same problems with my 95 bayou 4x4.I bought a fourtrax 300 carb and controls and installed it.It runs great.As far as modifications..I slit the rubber air duct a small bit to fit it over the honda carb since it is slightly larger.I used the honda throttle and cable,just simply replace your old one with this one,bolts right on...then i used the choke cable for the honda..but drilled out the hole at the choke control on the handle bar and use the original bayou choke control.Works like a charm

[antiqucycle]

ok guys HELP. the choke cable from the kaw carb is too small to screw into the TRX carb. I doubt the the bayou will run without something plugging the hole.

I re read this entire thread. one of use too the end of the choke cable, stuck it in and siliconed it to stay put. two other people mentioned getting the TRX choke cable. My question is "Will the honda cable fit up on the handlebar mount for the choke lever from the Kaw? or do I need to rig the Honda handlbar lever somehow. Please be real plain english and very specific on what I need to do to make the choke work.

as for the pump at the bottom of the trx carb, mine needs a new rubber boot part. but it does not seem to be listed as a spare part. can I get one somewhere/ and is anybody using the pump on startup? instead of the choke?
by the way, I did not need to drill for the throttle cable, just spin the carb round and round till the cable was all the way in. My airbox hose will stretch far enough to go on. its just the stupid throttle cable at present thats preventing trying the trx carb outl


'

[topstring]

ok guys HELP. the choke cable from the kaw carb is too small to screw into the TRX carb. I doubt the the bayou will run without something plugging the hole.

I re read this entire thread. one of use too the end of the choke cable, stuck it in and siliconed it to stay put. two other people mentioned getting the TRX choke cable. My question is "Will the honda cable fit up on the handlebar mount for the choke lever from the Kaw? or do I need to rig the Honda handlbar lever somehow. Please be real plain english and very specific on what I need to do to make the choke work.

as for the pump at the bottom of the trx carb, mine needs a new rubber boot part. but it does not seem to be listed as a spare part. can I get one somewhere/ and is anybody using the pump on startup? instead of the choke?
by the way, I did not need to drill for the throttle cable, just spin the carb round and round till the cable was all the way in. My airbox hose will stretch far enough to go on. its just the stupid throttle cable at present thats preventing trying the trx carb outl

Here is the parts i bought.Honda 300 four trax carb,throttle control,and cable and choke cable but no choke control.Just take off the bayou throttle control and use the honda throttle on the handle bar....I used the honda choke cable,but the end is bigger than the bayou..just drill the hole in the kawasaki choke control a little bigger so it fits.
Is that explained good enough?Mine works great.

[antiqucycle]

so your saying just drill the kaw choke lever hole for the end of the honda cable up at the left handlebar choke lever. understood. but, the honda choke cable does not come with the fitting that screws into the honda carb. so I have to buy the fitting kit too? and now I need to know if the kaw choke cable will accept the honda fitting kit.

It sounds like Topstring managed to get a honda cable that included the fitting into the trx carb
that fitting is listed on honda parts at $35 but a non honda replacement is selling for $23 on ebay plus shipping. can I just buy the fitting kit and put it on a Kaw choke cable?

I am to used to buying cheap used parts for antique bikes, like a yamaha enduro seat today for $1. I have this bayou 300 and a yam warrior and the atv parts prices are just plain frightening. I saw the float for the TRX 300 carb lists for $75 from honda.

[topstring]

so your saying just drill the kaw choke lever hole for the end of the honda cable up at the left handlebar choke lever. understood. but, the honda choke cable does not come with the fitting that screws into the honda carb. so I have to buy the fitting kit too? and now I need to know if the kaw choke cable will accept the honda fitting kit.

Yes..to drilling it out..the second part,i dont know..the carb that i bought came with the choke cable etc.

It sounds like Topstring managed to get a honda cable that included the fitting into the trx carb
that fitting is listed on honda parts at $35 but a non honda replacement is selling for $23 on ebay plus shipping. can I just buy the fitting kit and put it on a Kaw choke cable?

I am to used to buying cheap used parts for antique bikes, like a yamaha enduro seat today for $1. I have this bayou 300 and a yam warrior and the atv parts prices are just plain frightening. I saw the float for the TRX 300 carb lists for $75 from honda.

Find a motorcycle salvage near you and see if they have a choke cable with the fitting?