21J's Husky FC350 update number 3

Husky FC350 update number 3

It’s been awhile since I updated the progress or lack thereof on my Husky, so here it is.

Actually about all I’ve been doing with it is ride it on MX tracks, exactly why I have it. It still works as well as it did the last time I wrote something on it. The KYBA (Yamaha) front end works very well for me. The only thing I’ve changed is the material I use to make up the difference in the fork diameter and the lower triple clamp. I started out using number plate graphics material but found I had to constantly check the lower triple clamp bolts as they would loosen. I now use soda can material as a shim and they don’t loosen as often. This is strictly a factory fix of course.

The one issue I still have with bike is pop stalling even though I have a Rekluse. It doesn’t happen often unless the motor is not up to operating temp but will still occasionally do it. I am convinced it’s me that causes it. I am an old rider who learned on the old two strokes when you couldn’t trust they would continue to run while going down hills or cornering while riding on trails. So those old habits of playing with the throttle still haunt me. And the modern fuel injected four strokes don’t like their throttles blipped off and on at slow speeds even with a Rekluse. I don’t know maybe it would work better without the Rekluse. Ain’t no way I’m going to give up my Rekluse (Although not using a Rekluse for MX would work except I’m addicted to it?)

A friend of mine who rides a KTM 450 almost exclusively at chalk Bluff where the trails are very tight and has very strange ideas on how to set up his bike to ride there and he’s a very fast rider up there, but he likes no engine braking which is hard to accomplish with a 450 four stroke. First of all he converted his clutch lever to a hand operated rear brake. (No clutch lever) He sets his Rekluse to free wheel as soon as possible and sets his idle at around as low as he can and have it still run (Four stroke fuel injection idle is normally around 2000 RPM +) So his bike stalls a lot and is a big source of frustration for him.

So he tells me about a fuel rail that is made and sells for about $75. Apparently someone wanted to get a KTM 500 up to 150MPH but it was running out of fuel at the higher speeds. The fuel entering the throttle body had two 90 degree bends before it reached the injector. They believed in that space between the two 90’s it was running out of fuel. So they developed a fuel rail that eliminates the two 90’s and goes straight into the injector. Apparently as a side benefit it helps with pop stalling. So my buddy and I ordered a couple of them. We’ve both installed them and he’s had one opportunity to try it. According to him once the bike was up to operating temp it did not stall. I haven’t had the chance to try mine yet, so when I do I’ll finish this article.

Well I went to Prairie City the day after the big cross country race to test out my new fuel rail. I found out a couple of things, first I didn’t enjoy riding my MX bike on yesterday’s course. It’s one thing to race a rough course on the day of the event you sort of get in the grove of it but trying to duplicate that the next day is difficult especially riding a bike suited for a motocross track. So in other words the bike and track beat the shit out of me. And the other more important thing is the bike still stalled.

I certainly thought the bike was warmed up enough. I was putting around in the rocks and ravines going very slow. Once I got out into the more open areas it didn’t stall again. I don’t know what to think at this point, I am obviously going to try it on a motocross track and see what happens.

I start thinking about old gas, winterized gas maybe it could use a little octane booster things like that. Or maybe I need to see where the TPS (Throttle position sensor) is set, maybe advance it a little.

Sierra Old timers had their first ride day of the New Year on Friday February 2^nd at Prairie City MX, track this gave me another shot at evaluating the fuel rail. It did stall on me a couple of times at first, but not on the track. But after that it didn’t.

I still haven’t changed the gas and the motor normally starts right up especially when warm but struggled a little on this probably the warmest day of the year so far. I’m still not convinced it’s better yet.

Had Bucky at SBB check the valves, the intakes were a little tight. It still stalled and was hard to start. I decided to have it tested and set up on a real KTM Diagnostic program. They basically ended up cleaning the injector. I did find out the idle I’ve been running is too low. (1900-2000) And I did have to put in a new battery which I think contributed a lot to the bike’s resistance to starting especially when cold.

I went to Prairie City to test again and this time the bike ran great, no stalling and started fine. I ended up raising the idle to the high 2100’s low 2200’s.

No practice before the first race of the season in Arizona, it’s raining. I’ll save the last paragraph for how things went.

Traveled to Arizona for the first Old Timer race of the season, got there too late to practice on Friday, so my first ride was Saturday mornings practice. Practice and the motos on Saturday went great the bike ran perfect. Unfortunately it rained all night and for most of us was to wet to ride, so I packed up and left.

This has been a long draw out report; you’re probably just as tired reading this as I am of writing it.

Doug 21J.