Problem with my kfx?

[450Jester]

Hey everyone I was hoping someone could give me some help on a little problem I am having. My 08 kfx battery is almost always dead when I go riding and I have to jump start it. It also has a hard time starting where it will turn over like 3 or 4 times before it starts. Is this normal? My friends starts up almost instantly. I contacted my dealer and they said there's no recall or anything and they don't think it's a problem they think I haven't shut it off right. I click the red switch over to kill it then turn the key off. Am I doing something wrong or should I tell em to shove off and take the quad in? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[KFX450Rrider490]

its your battery mine didthe same thing you are going to need to charge it with a charger
and you realy cant shut the quad off wrong so dont wory about it

[k4f5x0r]

ive said this a million times. somehow the killswitch draws energy. so when you stop planning on letting the quad sit for a fewhours, or even days. whiles its running, kill the motor using the red killswitch(AND LEAVE THE KILLSWITCH OFF) then turn the key. this solved all my battery issues.

[450Jester]

I was doing that, maybe I just started shutting it off differently. IDK, I'll keep an eye on it for sure, just to make sure I'm shutting it off right. Thanks guys.

[willy bill]

mine does the same thing ,I thought it was just the part of having an efi quad. The ucm is always on and it will draw juice.Go get a battery tender

[450Jester]

Well, I think I'm taking it into the shop. I jumped it and let it run for 15 minutes and then I shut it off for like 15 minutes tried to start it back up and it was dead again. I'm having them charge my battery overnight and then find out if the battery is bad. If it isn't then kawi said they'll take the quad in.

[MtnEX]

Originally posted by 450Jester
Hey everyone I was hoping someone could give me some help on a little problem I am having. My 08 kfx battery is almost always dead when I go riding and I have to jump start it. It also has a hard time starting where it will turn over like 3 or 4 times before it starts. Is this normal? My friends starts up almost instantly. I contacted my dealer and they said there's no recall or anything and they don't think it's a problem they think I haven't shut it off right. I click the red switch over to kill it then turn the key off. Am I doing something wrong or should I tell em to shove off and take the quad in? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Man... this is becoming a frustrating quad to own for me...

Not that it is a bad quad, but because the online feedback SUCKS on this model. Not many people own them and those who know anything about them are not talking much.

As far as these issues, bottom line, the d@mn thing should start perfect and not run the battery dead while sitting around.

So obviously there are some quirks in the wiring, and Kawasaki should fix that.


But until then... charge your battery fully, shift the quad into neutral and shut it off with the left kill switch.

Then see how it starts and runs, and judge from there.

[willy bill]

when i got mine it started pretty rough but since it was broke in it starts pretty well. The battery is problably toast. you have to keep it charged constantly or it won't turn. The best solution is to get a larger batt. if you aren't racing. If you get the kick conversion. I know there was a post long ago with the right model battery that would fit.

[450Jester]

This is my first issue with this quad. I'm not really mad at all to be honest these things happen. I just hope it gets fixed quickly. It always had a tough time starting. I always thought it was EFI so it should start right away. Well I'll keep ya updated, I just gotta get a truck to haul it down to the dealership. :)

[HondaRaceReady]

As far as these issues, bottom line, the d@mn thing should start perfect and not run the battery dead while sitting around.
What did you expect when you bought a kawasaki?

[k4f5x0r]

hey buddy go take a look at your honda forums. lets look at your issues.. tranny, cranks, frames breaking. should i list on?

not starting a flame war. juts wanting these hondatards to stay in their own forum and stfu.


Its idiots like you who get these flame wars started. so just leave now before you start another one.

[450Jester]

Yea, I'll ride a honda when I wanna ride technology from 1999. I mean come on what is the point of even posting here. So in 1 fairly isolated incident you seem to make it seem like Kawasaki is junk. I shouldn't even respond to your post but your ignorance is amazing.

[MtnEX]

Originally posted by k4f5x0r
hey buddy go take a look at your honda forums. lets look at your issues.. tranny, cranks, frames breaking. should i list on?

not starting a flame war. juts wanting these hondatards to stay in their own forum and stfu.


Its idiots like you who get these flame wars started. so just leave now before you start another one.

Yep, there are NO KNOWN SERIOUS ISSUES with the Kawasaki KFX450R... just these little frustrating nuisances... which happen to be ones I least expected on a fuel injected bike.


I'll take that over serious issues any day.

[MtnEX]

Originally posted by willy bill
when i got mine it started pretty rough but since it was broke in it starts pretty well. The battery is problably toast. you have to keep it charged constantly or it won't turn. The best solution is to get a larger batt. if you aren't racing. If you get the kick conversion. I know there was a post long ago with the right model battery that would fit.

This very well could be just an issue with these Chinese batteries.

I don't mind them in the kitchen, but please keep the China-Men away from anything going on my quad... LOL...


I just charged mine fully, and it's been on the tender waiting for better weather. I have a friend who works for Interstate Batteries, and if I have issue again I'm just going to call him to see if they make a replacement.


As far as the kick start kit...
Does that eliminate the electric starter?

[cglester]

the kickstart will not eliminate the electric start, or the need for a battery either. I have a kicker on mine, and it really comes in handy with the battery problems. Just a week ago, i bought a Deka battery, the gel kind not acid, and am hoping this fixes the charge problem. Too soon to tell now, but has been installed for a week now, and no problems!:D

[JParisi48]

im tellin u, these honda guys are just jealous, they WISH they had a kawi....lol

[631kfx400]

Originally posted by JParisi48
im tellin u, these honda guys are just jealous, they WISH they had a kawi....lol
x2

[450Jester]

He makes me laugh. I'd rather have serious issues with my quad, rather than a minor battery issue that was fixed with a new battery. O well, I guess that's why I love my Kawi. I mean just look at the two quads and tell me you would pay 6 grand for the honda over a kawi. I say 6 because that's what I got mine for. :)

[prpfire3]

I dont know whats going on with your quad but i have had mine for awhile and have had no problems what so ever i was told to always shut it off with the key and to not touch the kill switch bec it is normal to forget to turn the key off and that will drain the battery

[MtnEX]

So you are just cutting the key off and that's it?

Interesting.



It has seemed to me that following the sequence has solved my drain issue....

Shift to neutral
Kill with kill switch
Turn key off


To be honest though, I think the issue has to do with leaving it in gear. I'm thinking that sensor down there has a current draw.

[prpfire3]

yea i have never used my kill switch but that keeps me from shuttin it off with the kill switch and forgeting to shut the key off and it runnin the bat dead

[MtnEX]

Originally posted by prpfire3
yea i have never used my kill switch but that keeps me from shuttin it off with the kill switch and forgeting to shut the key off and it runnin the bat dead

So if you never move the kill switch... do you always park in neutral?

[prpfire3]

yea and no it dont matter bec you have to have the clutch pulled to start it but yea mostly in neutral

[MtnEX]

Originally posted by prpfire3
yea and no it dont matter bec you have to have the clutch pulled to start it but yea mostly in neutral

Well, I think the source of the drain has to do with that sensor and rather or not the quad is in gear.

I think for whatever reason, if you park it in gear there is a current drain caused by that. Why I'm not sure...

Maybe the sensor down there is no good, or maybe it runs by some sort of reversed wiring connection, or the way it's wired in the harness doesn't cut voltage when the switch is off.


My guess is that if it isn't lighting a light when the switch is on, it's drawing current when the switch is off for some reason.

[prpfire3]

Thats just wierd i dont see how it could drian the batt if the key is off and there no power what you might be able to do is get a hefty switch to put in line with the positive wire from the batt and use it they make pretty nice switches for that

[MtnEX]

Park yours in gear.
Check battery voltage.

Then come back in a few days...
I bet you'll be in the 11 volt range.

I know I have been at lower voltage every time I parked in gear.


I wish I knew more about electrical... I think I could explain the cause in a way that would make sense.


I think it may start at the kill switch... (may be the reason you have no issue)... but I the switch is a normally closed, when the rest out there seem to be normally open. Open / Closed circuit I guess?

Next, I think if you park in neutral, it lights a light, which is cut by the switch. In other words, the sensor down there sends voltage up to the dash light, which gets cut at switch-off.

I think when in gear and switch off, it sends voltage off to ground or something.

[prpfire3]

to be honest im not sure that makes since have you checked all ground points maybe its a ground and it might also be a sylinoid that is stuck in the on position thats the only thing i could think of

[MtnEX]

It's in the shop as we speak for other issues... and it is also being checked over for this while it is there.

[prpfire3]

Thats cool i hope they get it fixed let me know when you get it back what was wrong with it

[MtnEX]

Will do...

[MtnEX]

Ding-Ding-Ding.... We have a winner...

They can't find anything wrong.... LOL...

Now watch them try to stick me with a bill... for diagnosis hours.
My reply will be for what diagnosis?... LOL...

[prpfire3]

yea thats jacked up thats like with cars the damn thing quits on you 3 -4 times on the way to the shop but when you get there and they check it out theres nothing wrong even if they drivr it for an hour or so lol

[MtnEX]

After getting down there and checking it out... somehow by some miracle the thing is FIXED!!!

The service manager explained that he started it up and drove it in the shop himself. He said it was stubborn and *****y... Hard to start and keep running, and then weak and stalling when driving it in.

He said his guy worked on it off and on all week it was there... and basically spent a good bit of time crawling all over it top to bottom, front to back real good over the course of about 4 actual days on and off. He finally exhausted everything and came up with nothing in the end.

So it was either a bad connection somewhere that got straightened out in the process of crawling it... or it's proving to be something going on the fritz that just doesn't happen to be showing up right now.

One thing is for SURE... It is a totally different bike now... totally.

It's never started so good or idled so good and it's never put out this kind of power anywhere in the RPM range before. It surprised me with upper gear wheelies when I rolled on the throttle hard. I didn't get to thrash on it too long before I had to stop... because now the chain needs adjusting.

I am totally thrilled with it... and pray it stays running this good.


Also, I am very glad I avoided riding it like I did. The reason being is that something was dead wrong I believe that I am now sure would have burned it down. I had been whining a lot about the heat rolling off my header. I kind of thought it was just the titanium material since I had no prior experience with it. I mean I couldn't ride it for more than just a few minutes without having good pants on. My leg would get red just from the radiant heat. That's gone now dude....

That right there might help narrow things down.
The only things that could cause that would be fuel/air or timing right?


I don't know guys, but I am one happy camper right now.
All this was handled very well by the dealer shop too.
No BS and they didn't even try to charge me a dime.
I was very surprised.

[prpfire3]

thats awsome it is a great quad and has tons of power even with me wieghing like 280 im glad its fixed and you can exsperiance the real deal. i will have to say that myn still and has always put off alot of heat like yours was doing but it seems to run fine i dont know

[KFX450Rrider490]

mtnex its good to see that the you got the bike back with no prolems along with no bills lol! but now you seem to realy like the bike good for you!!

[KAWIRYDER]

Originally posted by prpfire3
thats awsome it is a great quad and has tons of power even with me wieghing like 280 im glad its fixed and you can exsperiance the real deal. i will have to say that myn still and has always put off alot of heat like yours was doing but it seems to run fine i dont know I hear you mine gets hotter than hell to. I'm in the process of trying to fix that.

[prpfire3]

i dont know what it is it dont do it all the time but it runs great never had any problems but it is new with like 6 hours on it maybe thats why and maybe im crazy i need to get a temp gun just curious to see how hot it is getting but what ever it runs fine it might just be that its been hotter than hell out i dont know

[MtnEX]

If it seems like it is EXCESSIVELY hot to you like mine was to me.....

I know it's a pain in the @ss, but it might be worth taking a look at your plug to see any signs of it being lean.

Something was for sure causing mine to run a lot hotter at the pipe.