Dong fang dual sport not starting
 

Ok here is my problem. I have a Dong Fang df250rte and the thing won't start.
I've checked the obvious stuff. Spark is good, valves adjusted, carb cleaned and bike is getting fuel. The air filter is clean also. I put my hand on the carb throats and it sucked my hand good so I assume I have good compression.
Also I tried starting fluid and it didn't even pop.
The kill switch checks good too.
I'm stumped, anyone got any ideas?
By the way it has the 229cc pushrods engine.

ThAnks!

Is it 'trying' to start (i.e. starter whine)? Have you tried kick-starting it? Checked the battery? The CDI's are sometimes bad or go bad as I found on my TMEC enduro I had bought new a few months prior to it going bad.

Nope, it just cranks. The battery is good and kick starting has the same result as the electric start.
So it could be the cdi box even with a good blue spark?

Trouble free since new in 2012 now this.

You cleaned the carb? I would start there and anything else you messed with prior to the new problem.

After cranking the bike over for several seconds remove the spark plug and see if its wet with fuel.


If you have spark and fuel you should get some sputtering no matter how messed up everything could be.


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Yep carb is clean and there is fuel on the plug. I even tried a different brand new carb and it did the same thing.

I'm with you on that last part it should start or fire.

Could a bent pushrod cause it not to start?
The rockers looked like they were moving properly.
Even with that it should still fire or backfire I would think

Just for the heck of it try a new spark plug. Possibly internal broken plug losing its spark when its tightened down.


/

Thanks for the advise guys, I'll stew on this and check back tomorrow.
Maybe it'll come to me in a dream lol

I just couldn't resist - sorry. Somtimes you have to flong your Dong in order to get it ready for action.

Did he try the plug on the frame test to verify spark?

Is there a sidestand switch?

Disconnect it. If it starts up.. that it was.

How about the kill switch on the handlebar ? Sometimes it´s the simple things.

both these stop the spark... and he says it has spark...

but a plug can seem ok out of the motor & have a weak or no spark under compression..

can't hurt to replace the plug....




..

have yer checked the piston...
could be why it WOODEN start.
useing them go against the GRAIN of
most companys but theres a small
SPLINTER group of companys that use them..

http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/...17908997_n.jpg

Disclaimer--I am no mechanic nor claim to be, but have been able to troubleshoot and fix a few things here and there.

I had a 2009 TMEC 200 enduro I bought used--road it for a couple years, then replaced with a new TMEC 200 enduro. One day, the bike died and would not start. This was just as I arrived to work after 16 miles on my daily commute. A coworker took me home. Someone was posting the same thing here on chinariders with their bike--it was fixed with a new CDI as their old one had gone out.

My new bike had probably less than 1000 miles on it (my old one had about 10K at least that I knew of since the odometer/speedo was never working when I bought it). I still had the old bike and it was apart in a few pieces. I took out the old CDI, had my wife drive me down to my work, and realized I had forgotten the keys! I would not know if that was the fix since my wife needed the car later on, so I would not be able to retrieve my bike that day.

My coworker graciously took me to work in the morning. We work in the local state prison complex, and I had my bike parked outside the main gate so I could work on it and not have to get checked in (the evening before when I forgot the keys). I anxiously hopped out of the car (my coworker waited for me since our unit is a mile away from the main gate and they don't let employees walk around the complex anyway), put in the key, and the bike fired up like a champ! I called Excalibur who I had bought the bike from, and they sent out a new CDI under warranty. For good measure, I bought another one. I never did need either one.

To repeat--I am no mechanic nor am good at diagnosing, but did have this happen to me, so I always throw it out there. My bike was 'almost' starting; kind of like when a plug is fouled (I had that happen on my old bike, and I started carrying a new plug with me in my top case for quick roadside plug change). Since I happened to be following an active thread in which someone had a similar situation just a mere few days before me, and the helpful members here threw out all the suggestions, such as carb, plug, kill switch (still gets me on occasion :) ), etc. to no avail, and he narrowed it down to CDI, and that fixed it, that was where I started since I had my old bike and its CDI, and it fixed it for me. I know that CDI's are not expensive, so, after a plug change as 'Pete' suggested (very cheap and simple), if that does not do the trick, next, order a $10 (probably less) CDI off ebay and see if that solves it (unless you have someone you know with a Chinese bike with a similar CDI that you can borrow)

Roflmao! That's the reason I don't tell the brand when someone asks

That's great Pete maybe it is lol.
Thanks again fellas, I'll try the new plug when I get home from work.
Possibly see if I can find a cdi box. There are several China scooter dealers around that might have one. If they are open.
I'll let you know if it works

Hey Pete ... Is that the piston out of your Montesa Cota? It looks a trifle scorched. Two-stroke running a little lean?

I went ahead and changed the plug against all signs it was good,and it is running again.
Was going to change the cdi also but the parts place only had the AC box.
So if anyone needs an AC cdi pm me with your address and you can have it.

Thanks everyone

Glad to read it was a simple trick!

Sorry about the CDI (I feel guilty about mentioning it). Looking back, I should have mentioned to change the plug first (which is what I did when I had the CDI issue), and then worry about the CDI. I was hoping that you might have had a buddy with a Chinese bike that you could have borrowed their CDI, and I did mention that; I hope it wasn't too much money for you...

How is your Dong Fang overall? Is it mostly stock, or have you done the usual tricks (sprockets, carb, maybe even exhaust)? My friend is the manager for the company that distributes TGB scooters in the US, but they used to handle Chinese products. While they don't stock many Chinese products, they still distribute on a case by case basis. They were approached by a rep from Dong Fang about 2 weeks ago to carry their products. He asked me if I knew anything about Dong Fang, and I told him the most I knew was about the bobber, but I understand all their full-size bikes use the exact same 229.2 cc engine, and their bikes are DOT/EPA street legal for 49 states (Californians needs not apply).

The plugs can and do get an internal crack in the center electrode going down the middle of the porcelain. When there is no torque on the plug it will function and pass the spark test. When you install the plug the torque separates the two broken pieces and then no good no spark. From the outside appearance the spark plug can look good as new but it has an internal fracture.


/

No... the H6...
seems Montesa could do with wood what BSA couldn't with alloy....

spark plug.... Now who would have thought...



...

Sorry for the lateness, life got crazy there for awhile.
No worries Culcune, it was 5 bucks from a local-ish place that sell china scooters and atvs.
Except for the plug, its been trouble free. No problems caused by the bike. Its completely stock.
I should probably change the sprocket for a little more highway speed. Probably won't though. Its a beast off road.

Heck, The only thing that has ever fell off it was a bolt on the valve cover and I didn't use loc-tite on anything.

Problems I've caused due to curiosity, stupidity, and in a rush are:
first time adjusting the valves shortly after getting it together I took out the little silver bolt on the side of the valve cover and put it back. It had thread sealer on it. I didn't put any back on it. It fell out on the test ride. Blew oil everywhere!

Next was the spark plug

Then getting in a hurry putting it back together, somehow I've pinched a wire. A steady stream of smoke was coming up in front of the gas tank then died. The plastic jacket on the choke cable had melted off.
I haven't checked into any further after seeing that. That was shortly after the spark plug.

Thanks for the tip Adjuster!

Overall pleased with the dong fang