need help getting a 98 300ex to run

[mackspeed]

i also posted this in the powertrain section, sorry if you've had to read it twice

hey guys, i just got a real good deal on a 98 300ex, this is my first atv. i bought it from a guy who hasn't ridden it in 3 years but said he started it up everynow and again and that there are no problems with the engine. it seems to be in pretty good shape, but i've had some trouble getting it running. it seems like a carb issue and i dont really know much about how to tune these things. everything on it is stock.

i can get the engine to run if i turn the choke on and blip the throttle giving it a little gas, it doesnt really like to idle on its own. sometimes it will idle for a little bit but at a very low engine speed and then it stalls.

if i turn the choke off it wont even start.

i've changed the gas, checked the plug and the air filter is fine.

what are the next steps for me to try to get this engine to run?

thanks alot in advance.

[Cool Honda Man]

We sorta had that problem with an 87 250x. The engines are identical. We took the bike in and the mechanic said that the valves needed to be adjusted because it didnt have enough compression to idle. It was also hard to start. It wouldnt idle unless the engine was hot. even then it didnt idle the greatest. Thats just what my experience was.

[TRX300X]

Sounds like the carb is gummed up. When you let stuff like that sit the gas dries up inside the carb and turns to varnish. There are very small passages and jets inside a carb and they need to be spotless or else your quad wont run right. When I say spotless I mean that even a human hair in one of the jets can mean the difference between a good running quad and a quad that doesnt run at all.

I suggest you pull the carb off and clean it out. If you're not comfortable doing it take it to a mechanic. Usually they only charge a coupple hours labor plus whatever gaskets cost if you need them.

[skysolo16]

I agree with trx300x. high speed jet proly has trash in it