Engine knocking?

hoodadooda · January 15th, 2012, 08:31 PM

Whenever it's really cold out and I have to use full choke to get the bike started, she seems to "miss a beat" every now and then. Sounds kind of like a thump. Once the engine is warmed up a little, it no longer does this and I have never heard it do this when riding or when it's idling. It has done this each winter and every cool fall day when I have to use full choke since I bought her in 2009. I would like to just say it's the nature of the carbed bike, but I'd like some opinions first.

You can hear it in the first half of the video with the choke on full and the second half of the video is just my bike idling without the choke.

Link to original page on YouTube.

jdoucet93 · January 15th, 2012, 08:52 PM

Mine does the same thing. It's done it ever since it was brand new.

alex.s · January 15th, 2012, 11:59 PM

its called a cold engine. give it more gas

hoodadooda · January 16th, 2012, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdoucet93

Mine does the same thing. It's done it ever since it was brand new.

Good to know, thanks. Just making sure it's just me being paranoid and that nothing is wrong with the bike.

Quote:

Originally Posted by alex.s

its called a cold engine. give it more gas

I don't believe you're suppose to rev a cold engine. I try to keep the rpms low while the engine is still warming up. You have a fazer that you took apart, right? You might understand the mechanics behind it a little more than I do. I just want to know why it does that.

alex.s · January 16th, 2012, 12:22 AM

you shouldn't redline a cold engine but its bad for an engine to run cold. you want it to warm up asap. some mild revving after a few seconds of running is fine and will heat it up to temperature quicker and spin the oil around better.

edit: apparently i didnt watch your video all the way through first time around. it sounds like you are warming it up while it idles. once it gets up to temp, the choke screws up the fuel mix and its too rich. maybe the mix gets too rich to fire and misses. i always say only use the choke until it will take enough gas to pull you away. get the choke off asap and let it warm up under load

hoodadooda · January 16th, 2012, 12:38 AM

I definitely try to use the choke as little as possible and warm up the bike by actually riding it. I've read it in many places before about how to properly warm up your bike and idling for too long sticks out as something to be avoided. Trust me, I love my bike and try to take care of it. That's why the little things bother me lol. Also, that makes sense about the choke making the mixture too rich causing a miss. Thanks.

jpatt87 · January 19th, 2012, 11:43 PM

did you figure it out?

hoodadooda · January 20th, 2012, 04:21 AM

ya. nothing serious. just me being paranoid. I'm going with alex's theory on the mixture being overly rix with the choke on too long causing a miss every now and then. with it off, i have no problems. just have to warm up the bike properly and everything is in tip top shape.

HKr1 · January 20th, 2012, 05:54 AM

Sure doesnt rev very high with your choke on..?

Ours will rev to like 5000 rpm full choke cold, then you back it off real quick to 2500. As the bike warms up, it will wanna rev higher, so you back the choke off(a little at a time) to keep it at 2500. Then finaly the choke will be off.

NDspd · January 20th, 2012, 06:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alex.s

you shouldn't redline a cold engine but its bad for an engine to run cold. you want it to warm up asap. some mild revving after a few seconds of running is fine and will heat it up to temperature quicker and spin the oil around better.

edit: apparently i didnt watch your video all the way through first time around. it sounds like you are warming it up while it idles. once it gets up to temp, the choke screws up the fuel mix and its too rich. maybe the mix gets too rich to fire and misses. i always say only use the choke until it will take enough gas to pull you away. get the choke off asap and let it warm up under load

That's what I do, I only use max choke to get it started then I immediately back it off, tapering off as the bike warms up. Can't wait for a FI bike.

Jiggles · January 20th, 2012, 01:11 PM

I'm having a similar issue and thought I heard some pinging as well so I decided to try 91 octane to see if it helps at all. I wasn't sure if it was pinging or not so I figured this will answer my question =]

Skippii · January 20th, 2012, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NDspd

That's what I do, I only use max choke to get it started then I immediately back it off, tapering off as the bike warms up. Can't wait for a FI bike.

That is actually not related to fuel injection. Some EFI bikes still have the levers like the choke you have to push back to manually control the warm-up idle speed.
Posted via Mobile Device

hoodadooda · January 20th, 2012, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HKr1

Sure doesnt rev very high with your choke on..?

Ours will rev to like 5000 rpm full choke cold, then you back it off real quick to 2500. As the bike warms up, it will wanna rev higher, so you back the choke off(a little at a time) to keep it at 2500. Then finaly the choke will be off.

Oh it goes to about 4000 with full choke unless it's rather cold out which it was... so the engine doesn't like to rev that high being that it's absolutely stone cold. On warmer days, the choke will make it shoot right up to 3.5k-4k, but i don't use the choke on those days. It doesn't seem necessary.

January 15th, 2012, 08:31 PM	#1
hoodadooda MotorbikeLuv Name: Aaron Location: Henrico, VA Join Date: May 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Kawasaki Ninja 250 (sold), 2006 Daytona 675 in Tornado Red (sold), 2007 Ninja 650 Posts: 272	Engine knocking? Whenever it's really cold out and I have to use full choke to get the bike started, she seems to "miss a beat" every now and then. Sounds kind of like a thump. Once the engine is warmed up a little, it no longer does this and I have never heard it do this when riding or when it's idling. It has done this each winter and every cool fall day when I have to use full choke since I bought her in 2009. I would like to just say it's the nature of the carbed bike, but I'd like some opinions first. You can hear it in the first half of the video with the choke on full and the second half of the video is just my bike idling without the choke. Link to original page on YouTube.

January 15th, 2012, 11:59 PM	#3
alex.s wat Name: wat Location: tustin/long beach Join Date: Sep 2009 Motorcycle(s): wat Posts: Too much. Blog Entries: 5 MOTM - Oct '12, Feb '14	its called a cold engine. give it more gas __________________________________________________

January 16th, 2012, 12:22 AM	#5
alex.s wat Name: wat Location: tustin/long beach Join Date: Sep 2009 Motorcycle(s): wat Posts: Too much. Blog Entries: 5 MOTM - Oct '12, Feb '14	you shouldn't redline a cold engine but its bad for an engine to run cold. you want it to warm up asap. some mild revving after a few seconds of running is fine and will heat it up to temperature quicker and spin the oil around better. edit: apparently i didnt watch your video all the way through first time around. it sounds like you are warming it up while it idles. once it gets up to temp, the choke screws up the fuel mix and its too rich. maybe the mix gets too rich to fire and misses. i always say only use the choke until it will take enough gas to pull you away. get the choke off asap and let it warm up under load __________________________________________________

January 20th, 2012, 01:11 PM	#11
Jiggles Jigglin' your Jiglets Name: Sean Location: San Jose, Ca Join Date: Jun 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2009 K1300S, 2013 Ninja 300, 2011 Ninja 250R, Faster than Unregistered's ninjette Posts: Too much. Blog Entries: 1 MOTM - Apr '13	I'm having a similar issue and thought I heard some pinging as well so I decided to try 91 octane to see if it helps at all. I wasn't sure if it was pinging or not so I figured this will answer my question =] __________________________________________________ If the Ninja 250 doesn't have enough power for you, then you don't know how to ride it. AFM #676 Supersports are for n00bs

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
2009 ninja 250r engine ticking & knocking noise	ubxssangz	2008 - 2012 Ninja 250R Tech Talk	47	January 26th, 2017 12:15 PM
2012 NINJA 250 Engine Knocking/rattling?	drosvil	2008 - 2012 Ninja 250R Tech Talk	7	July 28th, 2014 12:13 PM
Engine knocking noise	vinnyirl	2008 - 2012 Ninja 250R Tech Talk	11	March 8th, 2013 12:33 PM
Engine Knocking Noise (w/Video)	simmr	1986 - 2007 Ninja 250R Tech Talk	16	July 30th, 2012 01:48 PM
Engine clunking, knocking under load.	Seattle_Chris	2008 - 2012 Ninja 250R Tech Talk	6	November 4th, 2011 01:33 AM

January 15th, 2012, 08:52 PM	#2
jdoucet93 ninjette.org sage Name: Josh Location: Lafayette Louisiana Join Date: Aug 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2009 R6 Posts: 509	Mine does the same thing. It's done it ever since it was brand new.

January 16th, 2012, 12:38 AM	#6
hoodadooda MotorbikeLuv Name: Aaron Location: Henrico, VA Join Date: May 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Kawasaki Ninja 250 (sold), 2006 Daytona 675 in Tornado Red (sold), 2007 Ninja 650 Posts: 272	I definitely try to use the choke as little as possible and warm up the bike by actually riding it. I've read it in many places before about how to properly warm up your bike and idling for too long sticks out as something to be avoided. Trust me, I love my bike and try to take care of it. That's why the little things bother me lol. Also, that makes sense about the choke making the mixture too rich causing a miss. Thanks.

January 19th, 2012, 11:43 PM	#7
jpatt87 ninjette.org member Name: Jeff Location: Richmond Join Date: Jan 2012 Motorcycle(s): Ninja 250 09 Posts: 31	did you figure it out?

January 20th, 2012, 04:21 AM	#8
hoodadooda MotorbikeLuv Name: Aaron Location: Henrico, VA Join Date: May 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Kawasaki Ninja 250 (sold), 2006 Daytona 675 in Tornado Red (sold), 2007 Ninja 650 Posts: 272	ya. nothing serious. just me being paranoid. I'm going with alex's theory on the mixture being overly rix with the choke on too long causing a miss every now and then. with it off, i have no problems. just have to warm up the bike properly and everything is in tip top shape.

January 20th, 2012, 05:54 AM	#9
HKr1 IC2(SW) Name: Kerry Location: Pensacola Join Date: Nov 2008 Motorcycle(s): . Posts: A lot.	Sure doesnt rev very high with your choke on..? Ours will rev to like 5000 rpm full choke cold, then you back it off real quick to 2500. As the bike warms up, it will wanna rev higher, so you back the choke off(a little at a time) to keep it at 2500. Then finaly the choke will be off.