Hi everyone,

I have a broken down 2005 XT660R in Liberia, West Africa. I am not a bike expert, and there are no professional mechanics here (and no parts). When I turn the ignition, the bike tries and very very occasionally manages to start, only to die in a few seconds.

Any thoughts? I have done the basic tests, all to no avail. I think there could be a problem with the fuelling system. The gasoline here is terrible and the tanks rust badly due to humidity. Could this be something as simple as a blocked fuel filter? If so, how would I test it, and can it be cleaned?

Thanks in advance for any help!

Any error on the display?

No error shown on the display. I'm a bit at a loss!

By way of background, basically the bike worked, then worked with a loss of power, then stopped working. At present it will start one in a hundred times, cranking for a long time before doing so and only with the throttle open, and will then quickly splutter to stop.

At some point, the plastic bit that you screw into the tank, where the pipe that leads to the fuel injector joins on, has been repaired. I think it is still airtight. I replaced the TPS as I know XT 660R's had an issue there, and also put in a new battery, but no change. The electrical stuff seems okay, there is no fault code. I'd basically narrowed it down to blocked fuel filter or blocked fuel injector (the gasoline is so dirty and the air so humid) but I don't know much about bike other than reading the manual!

I am not the best one who can help you, but.... just to not be allone there...
can you hear the fuel pump?
do you have a spark?
clean air filter?
battery voltage?

You might not be the best person, but you know more than i do!

I can hear the fuel pump on turning the ignition, as it is meant to. The battery voltage is correct. I think I have a spark (how do i check that?), and the air filter is brand new.

Unscrew the spark plug, connect it with the spark plug wire, ground the side electrode of the spark plug and crank the engine watching for the spark. If it is ok, maybe you can empty your tank in some plastic clear can and see what you will find there, water, dirt�

Jeez, bad luck bud. Of all the places to get stuck, Liberia would be hard enough on a fully operational bike.
Have you tried asking for help on

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/

Hope I'm not breaking forum rules here. But there's loads of bikers on this who are world travellers.

Best of luck. Let us know how you get on.

__________________
only dead fish go with the flow..................