Honda 250 Recon won't start

[ProSport]

I have a 2004 Recon TRX250, we bought it new, never any problems. But it's been sitting all summer and today it won't start, even with a battery charger/booster. It turns over fast but won't start.

Where do you drain the gas on these things? I know nothing about working on these.
Thanks.

[reconranger]

Get a service manual!

Very common type of post....it's been sitting and now it won't run. Modern gas formulations readily gum up a carburator when the gas sits there. You will most likely need to clean the carburator, paying particular attention to the idle/slow/pilot jet.

To get the stale gas out of the tank, best to remove the tank and just dump it out. If you remove the plastic, it will be obvious how to get the tank off, for anybody with basic mechanical skills.

[ProSport]

Thanks but after another hour of charging I got it to fire up!!

But the battery may be fubar as it won't even turn over on the battery, but it will fire up with the charger. I'll charge it a few hours and check it later.

[reconranger]

Originally Posted by ProSport

Thanks but after another hour of charging I got it to fire up!!

But the battery may be fubar as it won't even turn over on the battery, but it will fire up with the charger. I'll charge it a few hours and check it later.

It has a backup recoil starter, so a dead battery is not a big deal in the short term! Put fresh gas in it, and do a lot of riding. That may clear out the carb for you, and make it easier to start in general.

There are fuel treatment products out there for when you store a machine for long periods of time. Me...I run Klotz Octane Booster, and besides a slight boost in octane to insure against ever getting detonation, it has a fuel preservative and an ester synthetic lube for the top end!