Carytowncat
March 6th, 2014, 02:45 PM
Hello,
I recently purchased a "lost cause" 2002 Kawasaki Ninja EX250 off of Craigslist for a comfy price because it had been sitting for years (over 10!). So much so that it only had the break in miles of 1400.
I seriously thought that the mileage was a typo in the ad, even at 14K miles the price was still right, but 1400? That would mean the bike had just been broken in and then sat for the last 12 years, which amazingly it had.
The first owner bought it, rode it, and then parked it for the winter. It never started again. Finally she sold it to a guy who tried everything, and replaced almost everything, in search of the problem.
He said "I think it is electrical" which I was happy to try my hand at because that is my specialty. I worked on it for a few days, tracing every wire and checking continuity at every connection and switch.
Everything was working perfectly. All of the switches were operating just right. Connectors looked brand new. Coils good, etc. It was getting more and more exciting imagining what the culprit might turn out to be.
Finally a clue from a Ninjette post tipped me off to the 100 OHM resistor needed for certain CDIs to work. So I checked the key switch and sure enough it was the wrong year (Missing the resistor).
I replaced the keyswitch with the right year, which was amazingly already included in a box of spare parts that he gave me when I bought her. Replaced it and she fired right up. It was like catching the hail Mary pass hearing her run.
I also had to rebuild the carbs and do a thorough cleaning... twice lol and clean the gas tank with a box of screws, patch a handful of holes in the tank with waterweld, oil and filter change, air filter, add blinkers, and well I just got back from a 20 mile ride in 36 degree weather :O)
I recently purchased a "lost cause" 2002 Kawasaki Ninja EX250 off of Craigslist for a comfy price because it had been sitting for years (over 10!). So much so that it only had the break in miles of 1400.
I seriously thought that the mileage was a typo in the ad, even at 14K miles the price was still right, but 1400? That would mean the bike had just been broken in and then sat for the last 12 years, which amazingly it had.
The first owner bought it, rode it, and then parked it for the winter. It never started again. Finally she sold it to a guy who tried everything, and replaced almost everything, in search of the problem.
He said "I think it is electrical" which I was happy to try my hand at because that is my specialty. I worked on it for a few days, tracing every wire and checking continuity at every connection and switch.
Everything was working perfectly. All of the switches were operating just right. Connectors looked brand new. Coils good, etc. It was getting more and more exciting imagining what the culprit might turn out to be.
Finally a clue from a Ninjette post tipped me off to the 100 OHM resistor needed for certain CDIs to work. So I checked the key switch and sure enough it was the wrong year (Missing the resistor).
I replaced the keyswitch with the right year, which was amazingly already included in a box of spare parts that he gave me when I bought her. Replaced it and she fired right up. It was like catching the hail Mary pass hearing her run.
I also had to rebuild the carbs and do a thorough cleaning... twice lol and clean the gas tank with a box of screws, patch a handful of holes in the tank with waterweld, oil and filter change, air filter, add blinkers, and well I just got back from a 20 mile ride in 36 degree weather :O)