DRZ125 & KLX125 Fuel System Q & A

DR200 won't run after I rebuilt the carburetor

I recently got a 2001 DR200 from my sister-in-law and it had not been ridden since 2001. I got it to run, but it would not idle. After riding it just around the block, I found gas in the oil. I cleaned the carburetor and changed the oil and filter. At this time I also cleaned the carburetor including the float needle. I reassembled it and now it won’t run at all. I can start it with the choke on but as soon as I twist the throttle it dies.

Eight years is a long time! You have to thoroughly clean the entire carburetor. This means removing all of the jets and cleaning them with a wire (a gas welding tip cleaning tool works great for this with various sizes!) and blasting them with a good carburetor cleaner. (Or you can just replace them!) You may need a small magnifying glass to see through some of the jets as the holes are very small! Be sure and protect your eyes when you're spraying the cleaner through the passages because it will go in one hole and come out in a completely different area, usually pointing at your face. It is very important that you clean or replace the pilot jet which is in the deep hole just front of the main jet. Both of these would be covered by the bowl when it is on. Just in front of the pilot jet, but OUTSIDE the bowl is the idle mixture screw. This is covered by a little brass plug that you need to remove. (See below for instructions on how to do that.) Once you get the plug out, remove the screw and make sure carburetor cleaner will flow from the mixture screw hole to the pilot jet hole.

Lastly dump out all of the old gas and be sure the tank and petcock are clean before putting fresh gas in. Then test the petcock by turning it to the ON position and see if fuel flows out. If fuel comes out, then the thin rubber diaphragm in the petcock is no good. You may be able to start and run the bike like this, but the vacuum operated petcock is not working properly and will not shut off.

To remove the plug over the brass plug over the idle mixture screw, drill a small hole (1/16" or so in diameter) in the center of the plug. Be sure not to go any deeper than 1/8th inch. Then insert a sheet metal screw that's larger in diameter than the hole you made, screw it in until it catches a couple of threads and is just snug. Then grab the screw with a pair of pliers and gently pull on the screw, wiggle it a little and the plug will pop right out.