My bike is going to get me killed unless...

[dimeified]

Hey guys, there is a problem with my bike, or possibly me. When i start the bike up, if i dont have the choke towards me and then pull it towards me to warm up the engine it hestitates like it wants to stall for a second and then the revs raise. After a minute if i push the choke down and go easy on the throttle i get to the end of the street. Then when i go to make a turn and not crack, but give it some juice, because im getting on a busy road, the rpms drop and the bike stalls. I think it might be my user error, i think

1 - i need to pull the choke towards me before starting the bike, not after.

2 - im not waiting long enough for the motor to warm up before i get going.

What are your thoughts? Also it seems only the last 1/4 towards me of choke swing actually does anything at all, the first 3/4's doesnt really affect the idle. Is this normal or should i read the manual and adjust the cable.

One more question, do our bikes have a fuel valve that we need to shut off after we kill the ignition and shut off the bike?
Thanks guys.

[tjkamper]

I agree.

Pull the choke towards you before starting the engine. The RPM's will slowly rise up to about 2500. AS the RPMS continue to rise past 2000 - 2500 slowly push the choke forward to maintain this level. Let the bike run at 2000 - 2500 RPMS for a minute or so then push the choke completely forward. THe bike should be at your normal idle speed. I usually let it run for another minute or two at regular idle before I head out.

There has been the ocation when I don't have enough time to fully warm up the bike and it has the same hesitation you are discribing.

On another, yet related topic...

Do you have the same hesitation when the bike is warm and has been running for 10-15 minutes? If you do you might need to shim the needles.

http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showt...t=shim+needles

No fuel valve to worry about on the new gen. No reserve either so when you're out of gas you're out of gas.

[g21-30]

Originally Posted by tjkamper

you might need to shim the needles.

DING DING, we have a winner. Someone beat kkim to the answer. This is a typical "unshimmed" bike. Almost everyone's does this, prior to shimming!

You do NOT need to shut off a fuel valve. Fuel flow is controlled by engine vacuum. There is a fuel valve, but it is used for draining the tank, among other things.

[Cali619]

I had this issue when the bike was cold(gunning it from a stop) , what is the rpm when idle and choke off? I have shimmed my needles and changed the main jets on my carb and I never use the choke now to start the bike, just let it idle a bit after startup and it gets warmed up much faster now.

[tjkamper]

Originally Posted by g21-30

Almost everyone's does this, prior to shimming!

I didn't. I must be one of the lucky ones, because I never had any hesitation problems straight of the showroom floor. I think I am just one of the lucky ones that Kawi got the carbs right on. Now I've had other problems so its a trade off.

Even after a pulled snorkel I am still not running too lean and I never have any throttle response problems as long as the bike is warm.

I am anal about warming up engines. The shortest amount of time mi bike ever has to warm up is about two minutes.

The only few times I have had problems, have been with the bike cold (less than two minutes to warm up, because I was is a huge hurry), and going two up. If bike is warm two up is not a problem. If the bike is cold and I am solo then ther eis not a problem.

I'm convinced that Shimming is a good thing and may even be necessary for some bikes. But mine didn't need it and I don't have enough money for a lot of mods so I don't see any need to do it in the near future. If I ever do decide to spend the money and get an exhaust I will jet so I can fine tune it, but for now I'm more than happy with my carbs as they are.

[dimeified]

I dont get the hesitation when warm, and when choke is forward or off, i idle around 1600 rpm. I read that it should be around 1300, i saw in another thread how to adjust that. I'm still in the break in period so im going to hold off on shimming until after the 600 mile service. But im still a little hesitant to blindly shim without knowing what the af numbers will be.

[tjkamper]

Originally Posted by dimeified

I dont get the hesitation when warm, and when choke is forward or off, i idle around 1600 rpm. I read that it should be around 1300, i saw in another thread how to adjust that. I'm still in the break in period so im going to hold off on shimming until after the 600 mile service. But im still a little hesitant to blindly shim without knowing what the af numbers will be.

If you idle is at 16 you might want to bring it down. I hold mine probably about 1350 - 1400 and I heard that a lot of people like to have it arround 1500 The higher Idle seems to make the bike more responsive for them.

[kkim]

http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/What_is..._at_startup%3F

[Hokie11]

shimming = awesome startups! i put the choke about 1/4 away from fully towards me and it will start about 2500, then go up to 3500 within 20 secs. then i push choke all the way forward and am ready to go!

but i do hav same concern as you regarding choke... is it normal that only the last 1/2in of the choke (towards me) works? everything past that going towards the front is completely useless and does not help rpms at all.. normal?

[tjkamper]

Originally Posted by Hokie11

shimming = awesome startups! i put the choke about 1/4 away from fully towards me and it will start about 2500, then go up to 3500 within 20 secs. then i push choke all the way forward and am ready to go!

but i do hav same concern as you regarding choke... is it normal that only the last 1/2in of the choke (towards me) works? everything past that going towards the front is completely useless and does not help rpms at all.. normal?

I think this is pretty normal. Mine is like that and my IH pick up was the same. I think that is just the nature of the beast with manual chokes.

[tjkamper]

Originally Posted by Hokie11

shimming = awesome startups! i put the choke about 1/4 away from fully towards me and it will start about 2500, then go up to 3500 within 20 secs. then i push choke all the way forward and am ready to go!

but i do hav same concern as you regarding choke... is it normal that only the last 1/2in of the choke (towards me) works? everything past that going towards the front is completely useless and does not help rpms at all.. normal?

I think this is pretty normal. Mine is like that and my IH pick up was the same. I think that is just the nature of the beast with manual chokes.

[HKr1]

Originally Posted by Hokie11

but i do hav same concern as you regarding choke... is it normal that only the last 1/2in of the choke (towards me) works? everything past that going towards the front is completely useless and does not help rpms at all.. normal?

We never use more than 1/4 to 1/2 choke, works from 1/8 on. Summer time its not even needed

[im_a_ninja]

I have a serious carb issue with my bike...I pretty much dropped it the other day going up a hill because it bogged down and nearly stalled out when I gave it gas.

Today, I took it out after it got lowered and it stalled out 3 or 4 times with the clutch engaged bc there is something wrong with the carb. I asked about getting the carb adjusted and they said it would cost $105! The damn bike has 5 miles on it.....how is this not an issue covered under warranty?

I know it's new and just needs to be broken in but I can't even break it in b/c it bogs down, dies/stalls out when I try to drive away. When I start it I use the choke until it idles well. But as soon as I try to give it gas (whether I'm in neutral or trying to move in 1st) it stalls out.

I'm very frustrated.
My boyfriend's bike doesn't do this. (they are exactly the same)
I don't know how to fix it myself...but I really think it's a simple fix.
Any of you motorcycle savvy people think it sounds like the carb? something else?
Also, sometimes it will not shift into 1st. It clunks like it goes into gear and the neutral light goes off but it isn't actually in gear. Any ideas?

[kkim]

carb issue- how long has the bike been running when you are having these issues? these bikes take a long time in stock form to warm up (10-15 minutes).

how high are you revving it when trying to take off? Try revving to about 4-5k and then gradually let the clutch out for a smooth start after the bike is completely warm.

You can ride the bike with the choke on until it's fully warmed up. Try to keep the idle at about 2500rpm or less if using the choke to facilitate riding when the engine is still cold.

if all else fails, shim your carb needles...
http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=9465&

[im_a_ninja]

This is after a 5 or so minutes warm up. I actually told my friend that I was going to try it tomorrow with the choke on. It idles, even after driving around at about 1k-1500 rpms

The issues don't go away any of the time I've been riding. Most I've ridden at once is about 25 minutes. I end up putting the bike up after it stalls out multiple times and I'm ready to kick the crap out of it.
I'd say that when I take off I'm starting off aroud 2500 - 3k rpms
It just seems that this is where it naturally engages and starts to move. I'm afraid if I give it too much gas I'll not start out smoothly.
I dont know...apparently I just don't know how to ride this friggin bike. I have no issues at all with a hand clutch. I've ridden 4 wheelers/dirt bikes etc. Even on my boyfriends 250r I can do it better. It seems to be an adjustment issue with my particular bike.
I need a riding coach! LOL

any takers? :P

[kkim]

shim your needles.

[B2FiNiTY]

shimming the needles does amazing things.

[dimeified]

shiming a bike seems to be a mod that everyone does. using it as a band aid is a bad idea. I'd say first make sure you get the bike running right in stock form before doing any shimming.

It's like if a vacuum hose lets loose on your car, and leans out the mixture like crazy, you adjust the mixture way rich to compensate.

I'm not sure how great an idea, but bring the bike to a lawnmower shop, i would bet the local punk behind the counter there could adjust the carb or point out whats wrong for 20 bucks.

[kkim]

Bill, my comments were directed at Shannon, not you. Your bike does seem to have problem in the choke circuit, hers sounds like it is a lean bike from the factory. If it were something as simple as a vacuum hose, the bike would idle like crap.

Sorry for the confusion.

[dimeified]

thats ok, i skipped through the thread when i read it, my mistake