Bike issues 101 - died and won't start - Ninja 250

[shifted]

Had a bit of an issue this morning where the bike died on me about 1.5kms from home and had to walk it back home, quite shamefully.

2009 Ninja 250
~5,000kms now (bought at 3,600kms)

Before my ownership bike sat around for the better part of a year barely being ridden/started, owner wanted to get out of riding.

Funnily enough, about a month ago the bike died in the exact same spot but started 10mins later and was sweet - til today where the issue replicated itself but it wouldn't start at all. Before this it was riding fine.

Has a full tank of 98 in it.

Was riding along and it wouldn't rev past 4-4,500rpm, then suddenly just dropped revs and died entirely on the side street, wouldn't start but kept trying to turn over.

Anyone with experience with these things? I haven't worked on bikes before so I'm wondering if it is spark plug/air filter/fuel filter. Could it be the carbies seeing it was barely used? Recommendations? Going to take it apart tomorrow and try my luck replacing the spark plug and filters to start with.

Also, is there anything people can do to the bike when it is parked up that can play with it apart from the idle? Where I park it during work hours, I've come back to the typical thing of mirrors being pushed in etc. but I wasn't sure if anything else was ever played with...


Cheers,

Paul

[batmat]

Flicked it to the reserve tank?

[EVLO]

battery i'd say. my ducati was the same when the battery went, died at the same set of lights 3 times... once it's dropped a cell etc it wont recharge while you ride, so you drain it as you go.. hence roughly the same spot it dies...

*though reading again that doesn't explain the not revving over 5km, might have fouled plugs?

[shifted]

Flicked it to the reserve tank?

There's a reserve tank?


battery i'd say. my ducati was the same when the battery went, died at the same set of lights 3 times... once it's dropped a cell etc it wont recharge while you ride, so you drain it as you go.. hence roughly the same spot it dies...

*though reading again that doesn't explain the not revving over 5km, might have fouled plugs?

Yeah not sure, going to charge the battery tonight anyway and swap the spark-plug tomorrow - if the battery is shot will be replacing that too. Going to clean/replace the air and fuel filter though anyway. Not sure if I can get to the carbies to give them a clean easily enough but may go down that path as well.

Last time this happened (same story, wouldn't rev) it just started 10 minutes later and rode awesome. This time, no dice.

[EVLO]

you don't have to manually flick over to the reserve tank.. i had a 250r for my L bike.

[Jmoore]

do you have an aftermarket exhaust?

[XsQuiZiT]

I had a similar issue on my old 92 ninja.

It was a float issue causing occasional over-fuelling. It would run sweet most the time until I stopped then it would die. Sometimes I'd be able to keep the revs up high enough to stop it dying but it would miss and struggle to rev past ~5krpm.

[shifted]

do you have an aftermarket exhaust?

Nope - stock.


I had a similar issue on my old 92 ninja.

It was a float issue causing occasional over-fuelling. It would run sweet most the time until I stopped then it would die. Sometimes I'd be able to keep the revs up high enough to stop it dying but it would miss and struggle to rev past ~5krpm.

How did you fix this? Just in case this is the issue...

[Riggs]

Could be flooding as above

[shifted]

Well I'll try start it once I get home, just irritating if it happens constantly - so would like to fix it if possible.

Also, forgive the stupid question, but seeing I filled up yesterday and filled it quite full - does that cause an issue in bikes? This may be a retarded question, but this is my first road bike and the pit bike I had before that I only had a couple weeks...

[Turboesky]

How did you fix this? Just in case this is the issue...
Carby out and reset the float level. If the bike has been sitting around for a while they may be some built up shit in the fuel system that is making its way through. On the bottom of the carby there should be a small drain valve with a hose coming off it. (Looks like a small cap screw). Unscrew that a couple of turns and drain some fuel out into a clean container and see what it looks like.

[mr_mike]

The rectifier is something else to look at, its pretty common on bikes for them to overheat and cause ignition break down or for the bike to not fire at all. Then bike cools and fires again.

Also check the fuel tank breather hose, as the bike warms up sitting in the sun etc the blocked breather can cause fuel to stop flowing to the carbies. Then once bike cools tank allows air in again and the fuel can flow.

[shifted]

Well this was literally 3-4 mins of riding at most before it died, started it and ran the choke slightly for a couple minutes and put the riding gear on, then choke off and rode away. 1.5kms down the road she died (couple turns and a set of lights).

Just got home. Went to start it. After a couple attempts she fired into life and everything is sweet again, what a pingpingpingping.

I'll still take her apart tomorrow though.

[mr_mike]

try starting it without the choke, shouldnt need it really.

Check all electrical connections and give them a good clean with contact cleaner if bike has been sitting for a while there may be some moisture build up. Main fuses etc are usually under the seat

[mys1]

Lol at no choke.

Have ridden a few and all refused to start com cold without.

Should be a drain screw on bottom of carby bowls. Dump the fuel in them and try that, could be sucking up some shit. (VTR 250did this to me a long way from home)

Get the float re set and filters changed.

[S85FI]

try starting it without the choke, shouldnt need it really.

Check all electrical connections and give them a good clean with contact cleaner if bike has been sitting for a while there may be some moisture build up. Main fuses etc are usually under the seat

None of my 500cc + singles would start without choke. Choke on, crank over to compression stroke - good strong kick.... fired up every time. :)

[mr_mike]

Lets see, CBR250RR started no choke, YZ250F started no choke, 450SXF started no choke, Gen1 R1 started no choke, KTM 525 started no choke, 2011 CBr250R starts no choke.

Not every carby bike or engine needs the choke to start, it was a suggestion and when trying to guess a bikes issue over a brief forum description its just as valid as some of the other suggestions here.

[shifted]

Well I cleaned out the air filter today, bought the spark plugs, have to swing by Causeway tomorrow and get some other bits.

Apparently these bikes don;t have a fuel filter?? So from what I've read the recommendation is to fit one in - going to look into this and next weekend when it is apart again I will have to swap the plugs and put the filter in place. EDIT: filter is built within the tank by the looks, which makes sense. So that's off of the cards haha.

I've been running 98 - have read/been instructed by mates who have/have had 250Rs to stick to 95?

Have used contact cleaner on some connections, gave the airbox a clean as well when the filter was out, everything looks untouched and not played with.

[mr_mike]

Correct, most bikes will state 95 premium as fuel you should use.

Unless its been tuned on 98 dont waste your money.

[S85FI]

Lets see, CBR250RR started no choke, YZ250F started no choke, 450SXF started no choke, Gen1 R1 started no choke, KTM 525 started no choke, 2011 CBr250R starts no choke.

Not every carby bike or engine needs the choke to start, it was a suggestion and when trying to guess a bikes issue over a brief forum description its just as valid as some of the other suggestions here.

My KTM 525 EXC would never ever start without the choke in winter first thing in the morning when in the forrest..... :(

[mr_mike]

Yeah dead of cold is a bit different. Only time I ever had to use choke on my old R1 was when I left work at 3am and it was like 2deg

[S85FI]

Yeah dead of cold is a bit different. Only time I ever had to use choke on my old R1 was when I left work at 3am and it was like 2deg

When else does one use a choke unless its cold?

[shifted]

Forgot to reply to this.

Started running 95. No problems since. Go figure.