Bike won't run above 5K rpm

edward2014 · October 19th, 2014, 06:33 PM

Just brought a 2005 Ninja 250.
Ask a friend to clean the carb and change the plugs.
Then the bike slow to response with throttle. Thus put on gas delay a second speed go up and release gas speed maintain high 1~2 second before slowly drop. When I ride on it, I notice even I put on full gas, the engine remain the same on around 5K and it lost power on high gear even swift down speed won't pick up.
Any experience rider suggest where should I begin to look for trouble?
Thanks,
Edward

jkv45 · October 20th, 2014, 06:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edward2014

Just brought a 2005 Ninja 250.
Ask a friend to clean the carb and change the plugs.
Then the bike slow to response with throttle. Thus put on gas delay a second speed go up and release gas speed maintain high 1~2 second before slowly drop. When I ride on it, I notice even I put on full gas, the engine remain the same on around 5K and it lost power on high gear even swift down speed won't pick up.
Any experience rider suggest where should I begin to look for trouble?
Thanks,
Edward

Depends on how skilled your friend is.

There's more to cleaning the carbs than just having them look clean - so it's very possible they need to be gone through again. It's also possible that they are not assembled and adjusted properly.

In your case, I would also check the intake snorkel and air filter. Having something restricting the intake can cause that type of problem, but there are more than a few other things that can also. A vacuum leak around the intake boots also comes to mind as a possibility.

Make sure he put in NGK CR8HSA plugs. Others "compatible" plugs can cause problems.

Make sure the gas is fresh.

Edit - I agree with what TDMX said below about syncing the carbs. Always a good idea to check them - especially after working on the carbs or when you feel you may have carb-related running issue. The comment about proper cleaning of the jets is true also.

TDMX595 · October 20th, 2014, 06:55 AM

+1 to everything jkv45 said. Carbs. Recheck the carbs.

The jets can look clean but still be clogged. Make sure a piece of SOFT copper wire can go through them. Don't use steel or anything else as you might damage the brass.

Did your friend do a carb sync? Do a carb sync.

edward2014 · October 20th, 2014, 11:30 AM

The friend that help had 30~40yr bike experience.
He said he use seaform to clean it and measure piston pressure and changed the spark plug.
He told me he is using NGK CR8HSA plug.
I told him the problem and he check again find the throttle cable have some strained and replaced both pull and push cable already.
Friend are quite busy that could not take care mine problem for coming weeks.
Thanks for the input.
Ed

JasonJ · October 21st, 2014, 04:31 AM

well if it ran better before this friend worked on it, he had best better MAKE the time to work on it again.

This is almost certainly sounding like a carb problem. 30-40 yrs of experience doesnt mean he is any good at it, or that he knows EVERY carburetor design and idiosyncrasy of every bike.

You still have not indicated how he adjusted the carburetors, if he shimmed the needles or not, and whether or not they have been synchronized.

edward2014 · October 21st, 2014, 05:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JasonJ

well if it ran better before this friend worked on it, he had best better MAKE the time to work on it again.

This is almost certainly sounding like a carb problem. 30-40 yrs of experience doesnt mean he is any good at it, or that he knows EVERY carburetor design and idiosyncrasy of every bike.

You still have not indicated how he adjusted the carburetors, if he shimmed the needles or not, and whether or not they have been synchronized.

I used to think of the same way.
It's hard to confront someone they are doing something wrong with my almost zero experience. People try to avoid it to think that way that tons of excuse float up. He is saying having a important trip and out of town 2wks. I don't know how much more time he is gonna stall.
Wondering should I sent for a bike service store for inspection for 2nd opinion. Those dealer here in San Gabriel reputation is not so good.
It seem really hard to find a trustworthy bike service shop here.
Thanks anyway.

csmith12 · October 21st, 2014, 06:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edward2014

He said he use seaform to clean it

Seafoam alone may have very little effectiveness overall to clean up a carb that needs some TLC. Sounds like your friend is very busy

but needs to take the time to do a proper carb cleaning.

Is there another friend that can assist/teach you how to clean it yourself? You can learn a lot in 2 weeks.

Things you can also check and do yourself with a few mins work and basic tools;
check the airbox - clean and clear of debris
air filter - in good shape and oiled properly
fuel filter - check for an inline and the one on the inside of the carb where the gas line connects

DaBlue1 · October 21st, 2014, 06:19 AM

It sounds like you have a carb issue, however your riding style can also affect performance as well.

Cold engines don't respond well to sudden and wide open throttle actions.
Are you letting the bike warm up properly before taking off? Use the choke at start up?
What is your warm engine idle speed?
Does the bike start and idle properly?
Are you shifting in the right gear at the proper engine rpm speed?
How is the overall performance on the bike, does it run OK once you get going?
How much knowledge do you have about doing maintenance on the bike?
Have you checked or inspected anything yourself like the engine oil level, air filter (too much oil on the air filter can affect performance) or proper fuel type?

edward2014 · October 21st, 2014, 06:33 AM

@csmith12
Thanks for your advice.
He changed the oil and filter already.
Maybe I should start take a look at the air filter.
I brought a ninja maintenance manual but lend to my friend.
He did show me some pic on his work on my bike.

I really not sure I should wait for him or messing around myself.

csmith12 · October 21st, 2014, 06:56 AM

Hmmm, removing the carbs on a pregen is not the easiest of jobs but not too hard, just time consuming. Surely he would do a proper cleaning if he went through all that work to remove them from the bike. Doing the job twice would suck.

Honestly though, they don't look all that clean on the outside, but it's what's on the inside that counts. I would also "think" he would have cleared the airbox of any debris during the carb removal/reinstall but maybe not.

Since you got two weeks to wait, might as well learn a few things in your spare time. Check that airbox and let us know the answers to DaBlue1's questions and we might be able to help you along the way.

DaBlue1 · October 21st, 2014, 07:29 AM

Your carb slides should be dry and clean on the airbox side. The oil film suggests that oil is being ingested into the intake either through the air filter or crankcase breather or both.

Smoke out of the exhaust, sooty tail pipe and spark plugs say a lot (also oil residue inside the carb boots). What do yours look like?

edward2014 · October 29th, 2014, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaBlue1

Your carb slides should be dry and clean on the airbox side. The oil film suggests that oil is being ingested into the intake either through the air filter or crankcase breather or both.

Smoke out of the exhaust, sooty tail pipe and spark plugs say a lot (also oil residue inside the carb boots). What do yours look like?

Haa, I don't really know. That's the photo my friend sent me during the work.
He changed my spark plugs also. I got my license in Sept and just own a 2005 Ninja 250R. Motorcycle need really special care to me as they are not easy cold start. Turning too much throttle too fast would kill it after cold start. A long road to learn.
Thanks.

TDMX595 · October 30th, 2014, 08:51 AM

Doing it yourself really isn't too hard. Just need a few screwdrivers and need to be careful about a few things. Plus, buying a 250 was a great choice because of all the wonderful 250 owners out there who have shared their knowledge via the internet.

Just in case you haven't run across it yet. As Alex posted in the 3rd sticky for this sub forum, Ninja250.org has a wealth of info if you want to try and tackle it yourself. It's located at http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/How_do_...n_the_carbs%3F. If you haven't read everything over on that FAQ, I'd highly recommend doing so.

If you don't want to do it yourself, and can't wait for your friend to try again, try to find a local motorcycle club and ask for their shop recommendations. Often you'll find a local shop that will treat you just as well if not better than a dealer.

I hope you get it figured out. The 250 is a great bike. Hopefully you'll get to experience it for yourself soon.

October 19th, 2014, 06:33 PM	#1
edward2014 ninjette.org member Name: Edward Location: Arcadia Join Date: Oct 2014 Motorcycle(s): 2005 Kawasaki Ninja 250 Posts: 24	Bike won't run above 5K rpm Just brought a 2005 Ninja 250. Ask a friend to clean the carb and change the plugs. Then the bike slow to response with throttle. Thus put on gas delay a second speed go up and release gas speed maintain high 1~2 second before slowly drop. When I ride on it, I notice even I put on full gas, the engine remain the same on around 5K and it lost power on high gear even swift down speed won't pick up. Any experience rider suggest where should I begin to look for trouble? Thanks, Edward

October 21st, 2014, 06:56 AM	#10
csmith12 The Corner Whisperer Name: Chris (aka Reactor) Location: Northern KY Join Date: May 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2010 250 (track), 1992 250, 2006 R6 (street/track), 2008 R6 (track) Posts: Too much. MOTY 2015, MOTM - Nov '12, Nov '13	Hmmm, removing the carbs on a pregen is not the easiest of jobs but not too hard, just time consuming. Surely he would do a proper cleaning if he went through all that work to remove them from the bike. Doing the job twice would suck. Honestly though, they don't look all that clean on the outside, but it's what's on the inside that counts. I would also "think" he would have cleared the airbox of any debris during the carb removal/reinstall but maybe not. Since you got two weeks to wait, might as well learn a few things in your spare time. Check that airbox and let us know the answers to DaBlue1's questions and we might be able to help you along the way. __________________________________________________ Goal: Shake A Million Hands \| Look through the corners \| Track Day Prep \| Closest track? \| The Mid-Ohio School

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October 20th, 2014, 06:55 AM	#3
TDMX595 ninjette.org newbie Name: Tyler Location: Texas Join Date: Oct 2014 Motorcycle(s): 2002 Yellow EX250 F16 Posts: 6	+1 to everything jkv45 said. Carbs. Recheck the carbs. The jets can look clean but still be clogged. Make sure a piece of SOFT copper wire can go through them. Don't use steel or anything else as you might damage the brass. Did your friend do a carb sync? Do a carb sync.

October 20th, 2014, 11:30 AM	#4
edward2014 ninjette.org member Name: Edward Location: Arcadia Join Date: Oct 2014 Motorcycle(s): 2005 Kawasaki Ninja 250 Posts: 24	The friend that help had 30~40yr bike experience. He said he use seaform to clean it and measure piston pressure and changed the spark plug. He told me he is using NGK CR8HSA plug. I told him the problem and he check again find the throttle cable have some strained and replaced both pull and push cable already. Friend are quite busy that could not take care mine problem for coming weeks. Thanks for the input. Ed

October 21st, 2014, 04:31 AM	#5
JasonJ ninjette.org member Name: Jason Location: Bay City, MI Join Date: Apr 2014 Motorcycle(s): 1980 Yamaha XS850G Midnight Special, 32k Miles; 2000 EX250F, <5000 Orig Miles Posts: 98	well if it ran better before this friend worked on it, he had best better MAKE the time to work on it again. This is almost certainly sounding like a carb problem. 30-40 yrs of experience doesnt mean he is any good at it, or that he knows EVERY carburetor design and idiosyncrasy of every bike. You still have not indicated how he adjusted the carburetors, if he shimmed the needles or not, and whether or not they have been synchronized.

October 21st, 2014, 06:19 AM	#8
DaBlue1 Long Time Rider Name: Blue Location: Charlotte, NC Join Date: Sep 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Kawasaki Ninja 250R Posts: A lot.	It sounds like you have a carb issue, however your riding style can also affect performance as well. Cold engines don't respond well to sudden and wide open throttle actions. Are you letting the bike warm up properly before taking off? Use the choke at start up? What is your warm engine idle speed? Does the bike start and idle properly? Are you shifting in the right gear at the proper engine rpm speed? How is the overall performance on the bike, does it run OK once you get going? How much knowledge do you have about doing maintenance on the bike? Have you checked or inspected anything yourself like the engine oil level, air filter (too much oil on the air filter can affect performance) or proper fuel type?

October 21st, 2014, 06:33 AM	#9
edward2014 ninjette.org member Name: Edward Location: Arcadia Join Date: Oct 2014 Motorcycle(s): 2005 Kawasaki Ninja 250 Posts: 24	@csmith12 Thanks for your advice. He changed the oil and filter already. Maybe I should start take a look at the air filter. I brought a ninja maintenance manual but lend to my friend. He did show me some pic on his work on my bike. I really not sure I should wait for him or messing around myself.

October 21st, 2014, 07:29 AM	#11
DaBlue1 Long Time Rider Name: Blue Location: Charlotte, NC Join Date: Sep 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Kawasaki Ninja 250R Posts: A lot.	Your carb slides should be dry and clean on the airbox side. The oil film suggests that oil is being ingested into the intake either through the air filter or crankcase breather or both. Smoke out of the exhaust, sooty tail pipe and spark plugs say a lot (also oil residue inside the carb boots). What do yours look like?

October 30th, 2014, 08:51 AM	#13
TDMX595 ninjette.org newbie Name: Tyler Location: Texas Join Date: Oct 2014 Motorcycle(s): 2002 Yellow EX250 F16 Posts: 6	Doing it yourself really isn't too hard. Just need a few screwdrivers and need to be careful about a few things. Plus, buying a 250 was a great choice because of all the wonderful 250 owners out there who have shared their knowledge via the internet. Just in case you haven't run across it yet. As Alex posted in the 3rd sticky for this sub forum, Ninja250.org has a wealth of info if you want to try and tackle it yourself. It's located at http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/How_do_...n_the_carbs%3F. If you haven't read everything over on that FAQ, I'd highly recommend doing so. If you don't want to do it yourself, and can't wait for your friend to try again, try to find a local motorcycle club and ask for their shop recommendations. Often you'll find a local shop that will treat you just as well if not better than a dealer. I hope you get it figured out. The 250 is a great bike. Hopefully you'll get to experience it for yourself soon.