March 29th, 2014, 11:16 AM | #1 |
ninjette.org member
Name: Matt
Location: Poconos
Join Date: Jan 2014 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Ninja 250R Posts: 20
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Dirty Carburetors? Nope! What could it be
I bought a used 2009 Ninja 250 in Feb. Girl owned, 2800 miles, no problems. Just mentioned the carburetors need to be cleaned out. You would have to have the choke on to keep it from stalling. Rode home, no problems. Went away for a month came back and it wouldn't fire up when I came back. Only way we could get it to start was by spraying starting fluid in the side of the air filter. So we take it apart and the carburetors and they were immaculate, i mean absolutely nothing on them, we cleaned all the jets and the floats anyway. Bike seems to work a bit better after replacing the gas and adding seafoam, but still stalls out. Any ideas?
Attached is a video I just took. Added Seafoam to it as well. http://youtu.be/F7Bvlc74MCw Last futzed with by ROSS11988; March 30th, 2014 at 01:24 PM. |
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March 29th, 2014, 12:00 PM | #2 |
ninjette.org guru
Name: Ray
Location: 48162
Join Date: Aug 2013 Motorcycle(s): 2012 Ninja 250 Posts: 450
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Have you tried replacing the old gas with fresh gas yet?
I would try that first before trying to diagnose other potential problems. |
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March 29th, 2014, 12:15 PM | #3 | |
Participant
Name: Dave
Location: South of Seattle
Join Date: Oct 2012 Motorcycle(s): '94 K75 std Posts: Too much.
MOTM - Aug '15
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Quote:
It might get better right away: if so, great! If not, let the bike sit overnight and try it the next day. The Seafoam/Gumout will have had a chance to soak into any crusties in the carb and loosen them up. Repeat previous day's activity. This technique can work wonders on small 2 and 4-stroke engines. (As I type, a buddy is on his way over with a weedwhacker that hasn't run for a few years . Guess what I'm doing this afternoon?) |
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2 out of 2 members found this post helpful. |
March 29th, 2014, 06:29 PM | #4 |
ninjette.org guru
Name: Lee
Location: Monroe, LA
Join Date: Feb 2014 Motorcycle(s): Rebel 250s, Ninja 250s VN750s (currently nine total) Posts: 465
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I'll preface this by saying I haven't been into the Ninja carbs yet, and hope I don't have to. But I've cleaned a bunch of other motorcycle carbs. Some were so varnished up or full of tank rust that it's obvious they need cleaning when you open them up. But there are carbs that aren't obviously dirty that also require cleaning. If the jets or any of the internal passages are blocked, even partially, the engine won't run right.
Sea Foam is not an aggressive carb solvent. It can't clean a really dirty carb, but can help loosen up light deposits. If you want to try using Sea Foam to clean a carb, I suggest adding it full strength to the carb. First, drain the carb and tighten the drain screw. Then disconnect the fuel line from the petcock. Using a very small funnel or syringe (free from my vet) add Sea Foam through the hose until the carb is full. I'd recommend you let it sit 48 hours or more. Then, drain it out as the engine can't start on straight Sea Foam. If that doesn't get the carb clean, it's time for Berryman's Chem Dip and a full cleaning. |
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March 30th, 2014, 09:45 AM | #5 |
ninjette.org member
Name: Matt
Location: Poconos
Join Date: Jan 2014 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Ninja 250R Posts: 20
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Well, we got everything put back together yesterday. Added new gas and it sounds much better. Looks like you guys were right, maybe just bad gas? At the same time we also replaced the spark plugs. God the 2009 Ninja is such a pain to take apart? This was Japanese made? My buddy said it still didn't sound right, but I thought it was good. Starts much better. Still needs choke, but after 30secs you can take it off. I bought Seafoam today and put an ounce in. Should I just let it sit in the can for a day or run it in between? Also whats the best way to clean the air filter? Gasoline?
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March 30th, 2014, 09:59 AM | #6 | |
Long Time Rider
Name: Blue
Location: Charlotte, NC
Join Date: Sep 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Kawasaki Ninja 250R Posts: A lot.
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Quote:
Run the bike as much as possible with the Seafoam in the fuel. If the bike idles rough, the pilot jets may need cleaning. If not, you're probably OK. Since the bike has not been run in a while, it will need to be ridden and warmed up good to notice any improvement. It's normal to need choke on this carbed bike especially in colder weather. The best way to clean the air filter is with carb cleaner or very hot water and Dawn. Then dried thoroughly and lightly re-oiled. If the filter is old and looks compressed it may be time for a replacement. Kawi recommends replacement @ 2 years. |
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March 30th, 2014, 01:16 PM | #7 |
ninjette.org member
Name: Matt
Location: Poconos
Join Date: Jan 2014 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Ninja 250R Posts: 20
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Added a video in the OP. Can only be turned out with full choke, shoots straight up to 6 thru 7K. You get a white smoke, Im assuming from the Sea Foam. Turned the choke off, was able to rev it a little on the throttle then it suddenly dies. Any idea?
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March 30th, 2014, 02:32 PM | #8 |
Long Time Rider
Name: Blue
Location: Charlotte, NC
Join Date: Sep 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Kawasaki Ninja 250R Posts: A lot.
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The pilot jets are clogged (and need manual cleaning) and the idle speed (idle adjustment knob) is set to high. If the carbs and the choke are functioning properly, the rpms should only go a around 3-4k rpms.
Your engine idle speed should be 1350 +/- 50 rpms. The engine should be completely warmed when it is adjusted. 2000-3000 rpms is a common idle speed range for when the choke is on. They key is reducing the amount of choke (small increments) during the warm up until the bike can maintain a steady set idle speed on it's own. It is also acceptable to ride off with the choke on a short distance until the bike is warmed. Never let your cold engine idle that high with no load. The white smoke may be a sign of Piston oil ring worn Cylinder worn Valve oil seal damaged Valve guide worn Engine oil level too high Warm exhaust condensation (cold ambient air) |
1 out of 1 members found this post helpful. |
March 30th, 2014, 03:25 PM | #9 |
ninjette.org member
Name: Matt
Location: Poconos
Join Date: Jan 2014 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Ninja 250R Posts: 20
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Pilot jets were cleaned. We couldn't believe how clean the whole thing was. Still put carb cleaner through it anyway. I'll set the idle speed lower. I'm hoping the bike is just cold and needs to be ridden
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April 2nd, 2014, 04:46 AM | #10 |
ninjette.org certified postwhore
Name: Sam
Location: Northern Virginia
Join Date: Nov 2008 Motorcycle(s): Ninja 250R 2009 Posts: A lot.
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If you still have to use the choke, I say one or both carbs are still not cleaned. Try this
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April 2nd, 2014, 09:47 PM | #11 |
Its not a 250,its a Ninja
Name: Shaun
Location: Little Rock, AR
Join Date: Jun 2012 Motorcycle(s): '11 CBR250R, '22 CFMOTO 300NK Posts: 278
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Rule of thumb-If you ever take the carbs out of the bike, and it has had any amount of time sitting, clean them. Ethanol is a king gummer of carbs. Try to run non-ethanol gas if you can, I am lucky and have one such gas station about 1 mile from my house.
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April 3rd, 2014, 05:22 AM | #12 |
motorcycle rider
Name: Bruce
Location: Victoria, BC
Join Date: Apr 2009 Motorcycle(s): '14 Yamaha V-Star 650 Custom (silver) Posts: A lot.
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+1 for Seafoam. If it's just gunked carbs the Seafoam will help. I've used it on both motorcycle and car and it does work as advertised.
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'14 Yamaha V-Star 650 Custom (silver) |
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