[snomo53]

First, Gotta thank everyone for help with my Spokes post. Buchana's was very helpful. Okay, My 2001 W 650 has the " rice crispies". When I roll off the throttle...Snap, crackle, pop...and other cool sounding noises that it couldn't have made new. It runs great, only 4400 miles..new & proper plugs. Any other W riders have this issue ?

 

[TrialsRider]

That's not really a W specific issue, your symptoms point to 2 likely conditions; fuel mixture is off or your valve clearances are off. ? is it harder to start now then before ? <- yet another symptom of valve clearances being too tight.

Raw fuel collecting and igniting in the exhaust will do it and an exhaust valve that leaks flame past the valve seat will do it.

Incorrect fuel level in the float bowl can contribute to rich or lean operating conditions uniquely during acceleration or deceleration, and that issue can be replicated for testing simply by raising or lowering the front wheel of the motorcycle a considerable amount while it is idling. Example: if you put the bike on a steep nose down slope and it suddenly stalls out, that is a clear indication that you need to adjust your carburetor float.

 

[TrialsRider]

... if you were to pull those nice new spark plugs right after it exhibits the exhaust pop issue and post some decent photos of the spark plugs, the guys here can tell you more about what is happening inside your engine.
Other things to look for beyond a plug chop: difference in operating temperature or exhaust temperature or compression test results between the 2 cylinders.

Something that should not be over-looked on that twin crank engine: crankcase ventilation. Your pistons go up and down together which moves a significant amount of air on every stroke, pretty much 650cc's worth. Are you running stock air intake and is it well serviced?
Dirty air filter? That would do it too.

 

[speedrattle]

check for exhaust leaks at the cylinder head or silencer joints. things like loose nuts or blown out gaskets

 

[mkwilcox]

Also check for vacuum leaks. Does spraying starter fluid (or flammable brake fluid) around the carb sides and intake while idling change the idle?

 

[TrialsRider]

Two more things to inspect:
"Kawasaki Clean Air (KCA) system. Fresh air is fed into the exhaust just beyond the exhaust valves for reduced emissions. "
and
"constant velocity carburetors are equipped with the Kawasaki Throttle Responsive Ignition Control (K-TRIC) throttle position sensor. Connected to the Digital Ignition system, K-TRIC varies ignition timing according to throttle position and engine rpm so that the ignition compensates for differing engine loads for crisp throttle response and better fuel efficiency."
You have a pollution pump feeding the exhaust port and a TPS (throttle position sensor) which is a part that is reported to be notoriously problematic on many modern motorcycles. The TPS controls your ignition timing and that would change the exhaust note.

... edit: the Kawasaki clean air system to the exhaust port is not actually 'pump' driven, it's a reed valve controlled port that uses low pressure in the exhaust to draw air towards the valve, so it is a passive cold air port and that reed valve is to prevent exhaust gasses from traveling the wrong path. Check the reed.

 

[TrialsRider]

betcha that's your culprit, reed valves operating in a dirty environment is a sure fail

 

[saddlebums]

Try the "Marble Trick." (Hope this link works -- it's to the W800 facebook page. You can go there and search "marble.")

Log into Facebook

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

www.facebook.com

 

[TrialsRider]

No the link did not work here, bit If I understand correctly "marble trick" is a fancy way of saying plug the rubber hose leading to it, I think I would just replace the reed plate with an aluminum plate myself, that would be a superior way to default the KCA