The XT350 thread

Discussion in 'Thumpers' started by Burtonridr, Sep 26, 2007.

  1. msd-boston

    msd-boston Adventurer

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2010
    Oddometer:
    48
    If we're still looking for photo examples, here's my '87. Only real visible mods are ST exhaust and a tank/rear bags. It also has a drilled airbox and I think it's been jetted. Running well now, starts 2nd or 3rd kick, idles okay but occasionally misses (possibly due to the exh).

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
  2. Jronwood

    Jronwood 87 XT600

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2011
    Oddometer:
    22
    Draechon,

    Things I need/want.

    Need rubber carb boots to head (you may need to keep them but let me know)

    Need front brake master cylinder and handlebar assembly (take as much or little as you please)

    Would be interested in all / any lighting and electricals, my ignition switch is shot, and not sure what else works or not.

    Need gas cap off tank.

    Zecatfish, thanks.........any idea the name of company or town/city it is in??


    More later, this is just my memory.

    thanks Jronwood
  3. Grreatdog

    Grreatdog Long timer Supporter

    Joined:
    Apr 6, 2007
    Oddometer:
    38,748
    Location:
    Annapolis, MD
    Sweet looking bike. The Supertrapp is the best mod I did to mine. And if it runs OK with that pipe and a drilled airbox it has been rejetted. You are lucky to have found that setup. Add a Clarke tank and that would be my old XT. Well it would also need a lot of scratches and some road rash to look like mine. :lol3

    About the only pic I have. I miss the truck, the bike, the red hair and the ten fewer pounds.

    [​IMG]
  4. adamjam2

    adamjam2 Adventurer

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2011
    Oddometer:
    10
    hey everyone. i got my 95 xt 350 about a month ago. i've been watchin the posts and learing tons. so i wanna say thank you for all the great info. my bike runs great except if I'm cruisin along at a steady speed i notice it kinda surges a little bit. i tried a seafoam in my gas, a new spark plug ,and a new fuel filter( not sure if this is a stock setup or not but it had one on it when i bought it). the only other thing i can think of would be the intake boots that everyone says are so problematic.
    Any Ideas? and how can u tell if the intake boots are actually bad?
    thanks!
  5. Grreatdog

    Grreatdog Long timer Supporter

    Joined:
    Apr 6, 2007
    Oddometer:
    38,748
    Location:
    Annapolis, MD
    Spray carb cleaner around the intake boots with it idling and see if the idle changes.
  6. Flirtin w/Disaster

    Flirtin w/Disaster Skinny ass white boy

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2011
    Oddometer:
    414
    Location:
    Florida Panhandle
    I recently purchased a 93 XT350 that to my knowledge is all stock. I took apart the carb and cleaned and adjusted as recommended in this thread. The bike runs great and starts fine when cold but can be a bitch too crank after riding a while. I've been told it could be the valves sticking. Sound correct? Is it difficult to adjust them? Any help greatly appreciated>
  7. adamjam2

    adamjam2 Adventurer

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2011
    Oddometer:
    10
    do these bikes come stock with fuel filters after the petcock? I'm wondering if it's restricting fuel flow
  8. Grreatdog

    Grreatdog Long timer Supporter

    Joined:
    Apr 6, 2007
    Oddometer:
    38,748
    Location:
    Annapolis, MD
    Hot start drill: hold the throttle WFO and kick it several times until it clears out and tries to fire. Then closed throttle and the normal thumper kick start drill of pushing it through until you feel TDC, then back to the top and kick. Repeat the normal kick until it starts. If it doesn't start after a few then try the WFO again. Hot starts and especially hot starts after sitting where they are between hot and cold are just not a happy place for any kickstart thumper.

    And, yes, it is pretty difficult to adjust the valves. It is easy enough to check the clearances. Do that just like any other bike. But XT350's are shim and bucket which means you need a shim chart and the correct shims plus a tool to compress the valve spring or you can remove the cams. But it is a good idea to check the valve clearances. If you aren't sure how to do it then it is worth paying for. It has to be done cold though so it is usually an overnight service.

    And, no, there aren't any fuel filters other than the screens inside the tank on the petcock. Not a bad idea to add one since the tanks can rust on side and cause all kinds of carb misery. DAMHIK.

    IMO, if hot starts are the only issue and that bastard of a carb is running OK and idling OK then leave it the hell alone.
  9. Calkins

    Calkins On Any Sunday... Supporter

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2009
    Oddometer:
    692
    Location:
    Iowa
    I have some crap going on with mine today. Went for a ride and 5k stumble came back, and won't let the bike rev past. I was at WOT on the highway for a bit, and it was slowly losing power, and about 4k was the max I could get, in 4th on up. Came home and found that it's rich as heck, black plug, and inside muffler. Tore out the end of the pipe/spark arrestor. No change. My buddy got on and slowly turned the petcock closed at WOT and got it to run much better, when it's lean. It was turned to about 8:00. At that point I had tons of power and it would freely rev to 8-9k under load.

    SO? What's up?

    As we rode, I was thinking about what I have done. Then it hit me! When I douched out my carb, I had a jet that was oacked full of crap, and I had to use a finger drill on it. That was the Pilot Jet. What RPM range does that cover?
  10. SkidMarx

    SkidMarx Long timer

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2006
    Oddometer:
    3,531
    Location:
    Oxford, MI
    No, there are screens on the petcock. Remove the petcock, make sure they are still there, and in good shape and get rid of the filter. It very well could be causing flow problems. They have for others.
  11. Brypoint

    Brypoint Adventurer

    Joined:
    Jul 2, 2011
    Oddometer:
    75
    Location:
    Las Vegas
    I know this has been gone over before. What is the widest rear tire I can fit on my XT350. I need to order some new tires and I really hate the way my tire looks so small on the bike. I know their is a bit of a performance hit but I don't care. I will also do the 520 conversion so I'm not worried about the chain. Think a 130 will fit or higher? It has a stock 110 so 130 doesn't seem too much bigger. (is the 110 in millimeters, if so a 130 is only 20mm bigger?)
  12. Calkins

    Calkins On Any Sunday... Supporter

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2009
    Oddometer:
    692
    Location:
    Iowa
    I have Dunlop D606 front and rear on my '90. 90/90-21 front and 130/90-18 rear. The rear rubbed the bottom of the shock with 10PSI in the tire. I could have added a half link in the chain and moved the tire back some to fix it, but I just let it self clearance itself. A couple hundred miles later and I don't hear it rub much at all.
  13. Calkins

    Calkins On Any Sunday... Supporter

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2009
    Oddometer:
    692
    Location:
    Iowa
    Bueller?
  14. Brypoint

    Brypoint Adventurer

    Joined:
    Jul 2, 2011
    Oddometer:
    75
    Location:
    Las Vegas
    These problems showed up after you cleaned the carbs? Could you have possibly bent the float at all? Seems like it may be allowing too much fuel in at the higher rpms (hence the fouled plug) and when your buddy starved it, it began to run better. How's the plug? maybe its not firing properly at high r's and that would cause a rich enviorment too due to not burning all the fuel.
  15. Brypoint

    Brypoint Adventurer

    Joined:
    Jul 2, 2011
    Oddometer:
    75
    Location:
    Las Vegas
    Ok thx for this, I'm ok with a little rub. Does that tire look bigger/better then stock? If you can remember lol.
  16. Calkins

    Calkins On Any Sunday... Supporter

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2009
    Oddometer:
    692
    Location:
    Iowa
    This is the only photo I have right now. It looks SO MUCH better with these tires on it! I thought it look like a kid's bike with the stock size on it!

    [​IMG]
  17. Calkins

    Calkins On Any Sunday... Supporter

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2009
    Oddometer:
    692
    Location:
    Iowa
    I thought about the float too, but since the last time I messed with the carb and had the bowl off, it has ran 'ok' I was starting to consider ignition, until we started killing the fuel to it. I am really lost now. I think I am going to order all NEW stock jets and start there.
  18. Brypoint

    Brypoint Adventurer

    Joined:
    Jul 2, 2011
    Oddometer:
    75
    Location:
    Las Vegas
    Yah that's a nice looking bike, I might go with the Kenda's K270 rear130 as they are about half the price of the Dunlop's. They got some pretty good review's.
  19. Brypoint

    Brypoint Adventurer

    Joined:
    Jul 2, 2011
    Oddometer:
    75
    Location:
    Las Vegas
    Well if your going to replace jets why not go up a size? Everyone here says they are too lean and need to be up a size or two. I'm also seeing people try to get their primary and secondary main jets as close as possible. (stock 125&1106 respectively) So I might try 130's on both. Then try a 45 on the pilot jet seeing its 42 stock.
  20. Calkins

    Calkins On Any Sunday... Supporter

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2009
    Oddometer:
    692
    Location:
    Iowa
    Ok. The reason I am thinking of replacing them, is I think I might have reamed out my pilot jet when I drilled the crap out of it. I think I was using a #63 bit, and I did see a tiny bit of brass on the bit when I was finished.