Just another jetting question

Just posted my introduction and so here is where I sit with the bike right now.

The bike is impossibly difficult to start and once it does it hates to stay running. If you get on it and stay on it, it will go but as soon as you let off the throttle she's done, and then it's back to kicking for 15 minutes. Or in our case, towing it back to the house with worn out legs.

It has never run quite right and after a 'friend' worked on it a couple years ago I can't tell if it's worse or not, it just doesn't get run but we finally decided we wanted to brush off the mothballs and get her going.

I pulled the jets and after reading here and other forums was surprised to find kehlani jets in 72 and 135. I feel like that 135 is low and that 72 is a bit high, but I haven't done much jetting and it is pretty much stock.  We are in Montana at 3200ft most days, and if we take it up to the cabin we'll be around 5500-6500ft.

Right now the bike is basically stock beyond that jets that I know of. I play to pull the rubber and plastic from the airbox and do some more of the uncorking process, still reading and understanding. Trying to decide if I want to drill the exhaust or not, this bike is mostly going to be a ride around town bike and race around the ranch when needed.

Let me know if any other information is needed. I look forward to some suggestions on jetting or anything else. Thanks!

Whilst it is important to get the jetting set right you also need to have the tickover speed adjusted high enough.
The XR hates any throttle when being kickstarted but it does need the idle speed to be adjusted high enough to allow it to catch and keep running once it fires.
If starting is your only problem try winding the tickover adjuster in a turn.

I just posted & edited the other thread..... you're sure the tappets are set correctly?
This thing may NOT be turned back when rotating the engine one iota, know it... as it'll lift an exhaust valve!

I'm not 100% sure where we sit with the tappets or tickover speed sits. Since it is apart right now I might check the valves and make sure everything is alright there.

One of the things I don't think I mentioned in either of my posts is that it did not want to fire or run much at all on anything but partial choke. Once running if you stayed on it and turned the choke off it would stay running but just barely.

I've got some stock Honda jets on their way. I'm cleaning everything up and will check the spark plug, I ordered a new one just in case and will swap it if needed. Like someone mentioned, I'll take it back to stock and work my way from there. The jets that I pulled out of it did look great and couldn't find any crud. Everything is getting a good dose of carb cleaner and compressed air.

I did order a 65 and 68s slow jet but may start with the 65 as that is what the manual calls for. Hopefully everything makes it in before the weekend and I'll have this thing running.

The 135 Keihin jet is being swapped for Honda 125 (99101-357-1250), and the 72 Keihin swapped for Honda 65 or 68s (99105-MBN-0650) (99105-MBN-0680)

Ah, then I'd check the tappets first.
If set & all is OK then it will tickover, will run even, sortof..... because a 125MJ is WAAAAYYYYYYYY too small!
Back to the drawing board matey, uncork the thing!

Are you saying that 125 is too small for a stock bike or just a fan of uncorked and bigger jets?

I ask because I had trouble finding stock information and talked to my local Honda shop and finally found the factory documentation for this bike and it showed a 125 main jet.

I figured I would take the carb and jets all back to stock, get it running (hopefully) like it came from the factory, and then work from there. Planning on uncorking but I want to just get a baseline first.

Jets just shipped today so have to wait until next week to poke at thing but getting closer.

Thanks again for the help, it is much appreciated!

Check out this thread it will save you a lot of time.
http://www.xr650rforum.com/t1654-complete-xrr-re-jetting-procedure

montanaxr wrote:Are you saying that 125 is too small for a stock bike or just a fan of uncorked and bigger jets?

Look Bru, let's be honest here for a mo: you like a 125cc or do you like 650's?
I presume (won't ASSume lol) that it'll be the latter.

So, would you like your 650 to run like Honda built it, or do you really desire the choked huffing barely working version which did pass the Californian laws? Remember that California is only a tiiiiiiny province compared to the rest of the world, 'village' is more like it actually!

I know, trick question.... but I hunch you'll have the real Honda one innit?
There you go, then UNCORK the thing - which is just a fancy word for removing all the crap & restrictions the Cali law required, and putting the real (and very genuine) Honda parts in.

And what will you get then?
A beaut of a bike with grunt aplenty, also a decent top end etc etc, and reliable as a... erm, well, a Honda!
What's NOT to like?

Off you go now, no silly questions anymore: go buy the stuff, put them in and then take a small ride..... and then come on here honest & open minded, and admit that you were a silly dude assuming (yes, ass...) that the corked bike actually ran fine