"new" (to me) bike story

Titan1 wrote: So, as I mentioned in another thread I just purchased a 09 YZF450, with what I was told had less than 5 hours on it (and it looks awesome, perfectly clean, stock plastics look perfect, inside the airbox looks like new, exhaust looks great-no dirt baked on, just about perfectly clean all the way around).

Anyway, I get it home last week. Change the oil, clean the air filter, check the spokes, check the coolant, check all the bolts...rode it up and down the street a couple times anxious for the weekend to take it out (it always started right up, ran perfect, idled perfect), if just felt like a brand new bike. Yes, I was excited.

So saturday comes, I get all my "honey-do's" done in the morning load up the trailer and my two brothers and I hit the road. We drove about 45 minutes to the riding area...unload the trailer, get our gear on. I hop on my new bike, start it up (1st kick) and I'm sitting on it while its idling just letting it warm up. After about a minute or so, it dies. I thought that was weird, so I pull the kick starter out, and go to kick it over and its frozen solid....the kick starter won't budge! The piston is absolutely frozen solid.

Needless to say I'm pretty ticked off!

Rant Over.

Titan1 wrote: So, as I mentioned in another thread I just purchased a 09 YZF450, with what I was told had less than 5 hours on it (and it looks awesome, perfectly clean, stock plastics look perfect, inside the airbox looks like new, exhaust looks great-no dirt baked on, just about perfectly clean all the way around).

Anyway, I get it home last week. Change the oil, clean the air filter, check the spokes, check the coolant, check all the bolts...rode it up and down the street a couple times anxious for the weekend to take it out (it always started right up, ran perfect, idled perfect), if just felt like a brand new bike. Yes, I was excited.

So saturday comes, I get all my "honey-do's" done in the morning load up the trailer and my two brothers and I hit the road. We drove about 45 minutes to the riding area...unload the trailer, get our gear on. I hop on my new bike, start it up (1st kick) and I'm sitting on it while its idling just letting it warm up. After about a minute or so, it dies. I thought that was weird, so I pull the kick starter out, and go to kick it over and its frozen solid....the kick starter won't budge! The piston is absolutely frozen solid.

Needless to say I'm pretty ticked off!

Rant Over.

knobby101 wrote: You said you changed the oil... how much oil did you put back in??... what about the oil filter? Are you positive it isnt in the kick starter gears.. Did you put it in gear a rock it back and forth?


My son inlaw raced these bikes in the njational hare and hound series teamed with Russ Pearson, the only time they had a piston failure is when the piston would crack around the wrist pin, i also saw this in Clark Stiles and Jacob Saylers bikes.. other then that i have never seen one stick unless there was no oil... I also have had several of these bikes and ride them in high temp conditions with out alot of air flow the radiators.. I have yet to stick one or blow one up.. your problem has to be in the oil??.

7GP wrote: That sucks. I would blame it on bad luck rather than 4 strokes or Yamahas. That is a pretty rare occurrence. I haven't wrenched on a 09 YZ450F, but on some bikes you can put the oil filter in backwards if you aren't thinking about it. This blocks oil flow, might be worth checking out.

DrSweden wrote: Oil filter facing the wrong direction? Oil stops flowing emediatly...

mjskier wrote: If that were an issue with the kick starter gear, you should be able to put it in gear and make the wheel turn, especially if you have the spark plug off.

7GP wrote: It might be worth it to pull the side covers off before pulling the top end. My friend had an 06 or 07 YZ450F where the bolts came loose on the stator, it cocked sideways, snagged on the flywheel and bound up badly. You couldn't roll it forwards or backwards and the kick starter was stuck. Seemed like it was seized. He did some research and apparently he isn't alone in that happening to YZ450F owners. I also had a KX250F that had the flywheel nut back off and stick against the side cover giving similar symptoms. Both of these problems occurred and pretty much idle rpms. Either way pulling the ignition cover off might be worth the trouble.

Titan1 wrote: I changed the oil filter and the oil, and put in just over 1 quart of oil (1.06 I think is what the manual calls for). I used the yamaha brand oil (not sure of the weight off the top of my head, but it was what the dealer gave to me to use, so I HOPE its the right oil!).

I am fairly positive it isn't the kick starter gears, but I suppose it could be. The reason I say that is because I put it in 5th gear, and I couldn't even get the back wheel to turn at all (it rolls around fine when its in neutral or when the clutch is in). I assumed that if it was the kick starter, I could have push started it, right? Or is my logic off on that? (I'm far from mechanical....)

My thinking is that it's the oil pump. I'll have it all torn down-by a professional, I don't trust myself on these things-and let ya'll know what comes of it.

I will live and learn from it...but it sure ruined my weekend (and I'm still ticked off about it), and will likely put a rather significant dent in my checking account...

I'm just not sure if I should blame it on 4 strokes, or yamaha's??? (This is the first yamaha I've ever owned...)

mx836 wrote: Blame it on 4 strokes and Yamaha. They both suck. It really is sad what 4 strokes are doing to moto. After racing all my life, I can't afford it due to crazy bike prices and expensive rebuilds/repairs. All during what could be the best moto years of my life of course...my twenties. Wad up in a battle and someone smashes your exhaust? There's another grand. Can only afford to do that so many times.

7GP wrote: It might be worth it to pull the side covers off before pulling the top end. My friend had an 06 or 07 YZ450F where the bolts came loose on the stator, it cocked sideways, snagged on the flywheel and bound up badly. You couldn't roll it forwards or backwards and the kick starter was stuck. Seemed like it was seized. He did some research and apparently he isn't alone in that happening to YZ450F owners. I also had a KX250F that had the flywheel nut back off and stick against the side cover giving similar symptoms. Both of these problems occurred and pretty much idle rpms. Either way pulling the ignition cover off might be worth the trouble.

Titan1 wrote: I'll look at that as well.

Although, the bike will roll when in neutral or when the clutch is in. Is that what you meant? Or did you mean it wouldn't roll at all?

slipdog wrote: I have a 2008 CRF450 and I've only put gas, oil, tires and REGULAR maintenance into it and it runs like a champ...

As a matter of fact, I had no problems with my '05 CRF250, my '07 KX250f, my '08 yZ450 or my '09 YZ250f.









*Your results may vary*

7GP wrote: It might be worth it to pull the side covers off before pulling the top end. My friend had an 06 or 07 YZ450F where the bolts came loose on the stator, it cocked sideways, snagged on the flywheel and bound up badly. You couldn't roll it forwards or backwards and the kick starter was stuck. Seemed like it was seized. He did some research and apparently he isn't alone in that happening to YZ450F owners. I also had a KX250F that had the flywheel nut back off and stick against the side cover giving similar symptoms. Both of these problems occurred and pretty much idle rpms. Either way pulling the ignition cover off might be worth the trouble.

Titan1 wrote: I'll look at that as well.

Although, the bike will roll when in neutral or when the clutch is in. Is that what you meant? Or did you mean it wouldn't roll at all?

7GP wrote: Ahh yeah I meant you couldn't roll it forwards or backwards in gear. Even grabbing the rear wheel and trying to turn it over in 5th wouldn't budge the piston. His Yamaha would roll forward and back with the clutch in or in neutral.

From your description it doesn't sound like it seized, especially if you didn't see it spitting coolant. More like something came loose and bound up. Hope you get it sorted with the least $$ spent possible.

machine wrote: Could be a valve that broke. Any smoke come out? Did you hear a rattling cam chain off idle when you rode it down the street? How many hours since rebuild, cam chain replacement/valve replacement? No hour meter on it?