My New (used bike) is already giving me trouble.. HELP

[venmichaels]

I recently purchased an 08 ninja 250r
It has 4,500 miles as of now.


The problem is that is CONSTANTLY Smells like gas everytime I start it up and ride it.
The gas smell doesnt go away... Even At stop lights I can smell it Very strongly.. Enough to get me light headed...(previous owner says he never noticed this, which I find extremely hard to believe)

Also, Every time I initially start it up it will have a rough/low idle and feel like it wants to stall out.. but as I start riding around the idle smooths out and raises it self to about 1.5-2k rpm..
The Bike seems to run fine as far as I can tell.. (but its my first bike)

Any info or suggestions would be very much appreciated!! Im very frustrated.

[adri99an]

Originally Posted by venmichaels

I recently purchased an 08 ninja 250r
It has 4,500 miles as of now.


The problem is that is CONSTANTLY Smells like gas everytime I start it up and ride it.
The gas smell doesnt go away... Even At stop lights I can smell it Very strongly.. Enough to get me light headed...(previous owner says he never noticed this, which I find extremely hard to believe)

Also, Every time I initially start it up it will have a rough/low idle and feel like it wants to stall out.. but as I start riding around the idle smooths out and raises it self to about 1.5-2k rpm..
The Bike seems to run fine as far as I can tell.. (but its my first bike)

Any info or suggestions would be very much appreciated!! Im very frustrated.

I think since it is your first new bike- you need to open her up and see what going on. It might be something as simple as a vacuum hose that is causing the rough idle- I've had that same problem. Did you get it checked out before the purchase?

[nah.uhh]

The bike Is carbed and cold blooded
If the idle smooths out after the bike is warm that sounds normal 2 me
Are you using the choke to start the bike?

If once the bike is warmed up the idle isn't irratic and steadys, I'd say you just need to ride with the choke on 2k for a street or 2

After the bike is warmed up set the idle to 1300-1350 (by the book) but go anywhere to 1500rpm, see what your bike likes

With the gas smell, I can smell gas when the tank is whistling sometimes, or when its really hot. but I haven't noticed/payed attention to it in a while, so I'm not sure

[Buffalony]

Was the cap modded?

adri99an is right though. check all lines.

[DaBlue1]

A few questions;

How much gas is in the tank? Don't overfill the tank. Fill up to the bottom of the filler neck. Too much fuel may be sloshed around and forced out of the tank overflow tube.

Do you see any gas dripping from the bike anywhere? If you see gas dripping, stop riding it and find the source of the leak. Check to make sure the fuel line is properly and securely connected. Also make sure the petcock is in the on position, NOT PRI.

Is the gas cap locked and secure? Make sure the cap is secure and locked. With the gas cap locked, you should not be able to smell a real strong odor of gas. If you do, make sure the rubber seals are intact and in good condition.

Do you use the choke to start the bike? A low rough idle can be the result of not using the choke at start up. The Ninja is cold blooded and takes a bit to warm up before the idle smooths out.

Have any mods been done to the carbs by the previous owner? A maladjusted carb may allow too much fuel in. there is a vent tube to allow gas vapors and overflow to escape.

[DaBlue1]

If you find that the smell of gas is overwhelming open up the visor of your helmet. Most of the time the smell will dissipate when you get moving.

[alex.s]

if it stays on prime it wont ride very far... or rev higher than a few k.
if it was coming out of his exhaust i wouldn't expect it to be flowing around the rider making him light headed...
my fzr had this problem at one point. it turned out one of my fuel lines was leaking very slowly from being old and worn out... a few drops on to the top of a hot engine can make a very noticeable smell. not something you want. you may want to do some digging or if you don't feel competent enough take it to a mechanic to get it checked out.
of course its also possible someone drilled the top vents too much to get rid of the kitty cat stuck in their tank... now fumes are pouring out?

[venmichaels]

Originally Posted by DaBlue1

A few questions;

How much gas is in the tank? Don't overfill the tank. Fill up to the bottom of the filler neck. Too much fuel may be sloshed around and forced out of the tank overflow tube.

Do you see any gas dripping from the bike anywhere? If you see gas dripping, stop riding it and find the source of the leak. Check to make sure the fuel line is properly and securely connected. Also make sure the petcock is in the on position, NOT PRI.

Is the gas cap locked and secure? Make sure the cap is secure and locked. With the gas cap locked, you should not be able to smell a real strong odor of gas. If you do, make sure the rubber seals are intact and in good condition.

Do you use the choke to start the bike? A low rough idle can be the result of not using the choke at start up. The Ninja is cold blooded and takes a bit to warm up before the idle smooths out.

Have any mods been done to the carbs by the previous owner? A maladjusted carb may allow too much fuel in. there is a vent tube to allow gas vapors and overflow to escape.

1. The gas is a little over half a tank.
2.i do not see any gas leaks.
3.yes gas cap is locked and secure, i made sure.
4. How do you use the choke to start the bike??? The choke always remains in the same position i never fiddle with is because Im not sure how it works. I leave it in the position that is towards the front wheel of my bike. I believe that means the choke is closed?? Am I suppose to open the choke when i first staart the bike??
5. Previous owner didnt own the bike long, so he doesnt know much history.

I wish i could have gotten the bike inspected before the purchase... but i was jittery... and wanted the bike so badly... now im regretting it....

[nah.uhh]

Originally Posted by venmichaels

1. The gas is a little over half a tank.
2.i do not see any gas leaks.
3.yes gas cap is locked and secure, i made sure.
4. How do you use the choke to start the bike??? The choke always remains in the same position i never fiddle with is because Im not sure how it works. I leave it in the position that is towards the front wheel of my bike. I believe that means the choke is closed?? Am I suppose to open the choke when i first staart the bike??
5. Previous owner didnt own the bike long, so he doesnt know much history.

I wish i could have gotten the bike inspected before the purchase... but i was jittery... and wanted the bike so badly... now im regretting it....

Choke pointed forward = off aka not using it, choke pulled towards you = on

Pull the choke towards you before starting the bike, start the bike, and play with the choke to keep the idle between 1500 and 2000 rpm. After a few seconds it will rise again, so keep playing with it to keep it in the proper rande (under 2500 rpm) once your ready to take off, drive off with the choke still on
Once you get rolling, a block or 2 down (depending on temp outiside) turn the choke all the way off.

After you've driven the bike for long enough to get it warmed up properly, check your idle speed, should be 1300~ rpm

[Buffalony]

Does the bike ever make a whining noise? Sounds like a long constant whistle.

[venmichaels]

Originally Posted by nah.uhh

Choke pointed forward = off aka not using it, choke pulled towards you = on

Pull the choke towards you before starting the bike, start the bike, and play with the choke to keep the idle between 1500 and 2000 rpm. After a few seconds it will rise again, so keep playing with it to keep it in the proper rande (under 2500 rpm) once your ready to take off, drive off with the choke still on
Once you get rolling, a block or 2 down (depending on temp outiside) turn the choke all the way off.

After you've driven the bike for long enough to get it warmed up properly, check your idle speed, should be 1300~ rpm

The bike ALWAYS idles at 1.5-2k rpm...

So your saying my idle is completely off?? it should be at 1300??? is that the factory spec?

[tjkamper]

Originally Posted by venmichaels

The bike ALWAYS idles at 1.5-2k rpm...

So your saying my idle is completely off?? it should be at 1300??? is that the factory spec?

The manual says 1300-1350, but most people like to put it at 1500. That is pretty much the accepted norm in the ninjette community.

Are there any modifications to the bike? There are a number of things that could be wrong and there also could be nothing wrong at all.

You are new to bikes. Something important to think about is that you are outside in the street and right next to the engine. When you're in a car you're inside closed windows and so not smells get to you. A light stench of grease, gasoline and antifreeze is normal, especially if it is hot outside.

There are some major things that need to be checked though. So first let us know if there are any modification. Specifically an aftermarket exhaust would be a dead give-a-way. There are a number of other mods that go along with puting on an after market pipe and if that is the case we can trouble shoot them one-by-one.

[DaBlue1]

Originally Posted by venmichaels

1. The gas is a little over half a tank.
2.i do not see any gas leaks.
3.yes gas cap is locked and secure, i made sure.
4. How do you use the choke to start the bike??? The choke always remains in the same position i never fiddle with is because Im not sure how it works. I leave it in the position that is towards the front wheel of my bike. I believe that means the choke is closed?? Am I suppose to open the choke when i first staart the bike??
5. Previous owner didnt own the bike long, so he doesnt know much history.

I wish i could have gotten the bike inspected before the purchase... but i was jittery... and wanted the bike so badly... now im regretting it....

I wouldn't worry about the overall condition of the bike just yet. When did you start smelling the strong gas odor and is it still happening. It sounds like something that can be narrowed down and fixed. I am wondering why the smell of gas is so overwhelming though and does not go away. I'm wondering if there may have been some overspill or if the tank vent tube has somehow come loose. The tank vent tube sits close to the top of the tank, but with the hose connected to it, it flows to the bottom and rear of the bike. You could stick your hand in between the front left fairing and tank to feel if the hose is connected. You will have to pull the fairing off to visually inspect all the other hose connections and physically touch the carbs to see if they are wet. If the bike engine is really dirty or oily it can make leak detection hard, but since gas only goes to 2 places (tank & Carbs) I would look there first. If the bike has been sitting and not running for awhile and it does not still smell strongly of gas, it may just be you have a real sensitive snout.

As far as the rough idle goes, using the choke is easy. Before you start the bike simply pull the lever towards you. Start the bike. The bike will start and the rpms should quickly rise to any where between 3-4k. As the rpms rise, use very tiny micro adjustments to slowly push the lever back, so that the rpm speed comes down. Do this until the idle speed is stabilized @ around 1500 rpm. Let it stay there a moment until you are able to blip the throttle without the bike dieing or rpms dropping. Once you're able to do that, completely push the lever forward and ride on. You will not need to do this every time you start the bike, just when the engine is cold. Once the engine is warm the idle should be around 1350k to just under 1500k rpm.

[clintalmighty]

cause motohouston people abuse their bikes.... I keed I keed

[Buffalony]

Originally Posted by DaBlue1

It sounds like something that can be narrowed down and fixed. I am wondering why the smell of gas is so overwhelming though and does not go away. I'm wondering if there may have been some overspill or if the tank vent tube has somehow come loose. The tank vent tube sits close to the top of the tank, but with the hose connected to it, it flows to the bottom and rear of the bike. If the bike has been sitting and not running for awhile and it does not still smell strongly of gas, it may just be you have a real sensitive snout.

*Throws hands up*

How about checking the thing closes to your snout first before you go ripping the bike apart.
If the gas cap mod was done by a previous owner, it is likely the gasket was drilled.
If an aftermarket cap was put on the bike, its probably vented almost directly.

Post #104
http://www.kawiforums.com/ninja-250r...ctures-11.html

Look at the under side of the gas cap and try to determine if the one visible hole in the bottom was drilled. If you cant tell try to post a pic or check the size with a drill set.

[venmichaels]

i Tried taking it to a shop.. They wanna charge 80/hr just to diagnose the issue... I dont have that kind of money...
They did visually inspect the hoses etc and said there was no visual leak...

Also I started sniffing around.. and i noticed that the gas smell was coming from the oil/crankcase i believe. When i open the cap and take a sniff, it smells like gas!

Is this normal??? what could be causing this??

[Buffalony]

Originally Posted by venmichaels

Also I started sniffing around.. and i noticed that the gas smell was coming from the oil/crankcase i believe. When i open the cap and take a sniff, it smells like gas!

Is this normal??? what could be causing this??

First. How many miles on the bike and what kind of oil is in it.

Second. READ the manual. Follow the manual and check to make sure your choke adjustment is correct.

Pull your air filter and see if it reeks like gas. Alittle is normal (thanks kelly) alot is not.

Gas in the oil is not good. After doing some reading on the net, gas in the oil can come from rings that arent broken in or did not seat correctly, Carb problems such as faulty or incorrectly adjusted floats, even just low rpm riding can introduce gas into the oil.

After smelling my own oil, it smells like gas and now has me on a hunt for the source of the problem. I have 5200mi on it. Does anyone elses oil smell like gas? how many miles on your bikes too plz. Thanks

[venmichaels]

i have 4500 miles on my bike....

i dont have a manual..
where is the air filter??

[venmichaels]

the gas smell is also coming from the exaust too

[Buffalony]

http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showt...ht=diy+snorkel

[Buffalony]

You smell it in exhaust too? You may have a float bowl problem. This can contribute to a rich mix in one or both of the cylinders. Fuel is probably blowing by the piston rings. I also believe I heard that the petcocks are vacuum operated on these bikes. If they stick open fuel flood are a problem. Then again good floats should stop the fuel right?

Pull the carbs, set em on bench, hook up a gas line and feed gas into them. if they dont stop fuel flow then they have to be taken apart and cleaned/ adjusted. I dont know of a way to check floats while on the bike. maybe a carb head can chime in on this.

Someone around here might have a download link to that manual and maybe the service manual as well.

[Buffalony]

correct me if i'm wrong, but to check if the petcock is working correctly could one just try draining one of the bowls?

[venmichaels]

lets say that I do I have fuel flowing into my crank case...

How much would a decent shop charge me to correct this issue???

Im not mechanically inclined at al..

[venmichaels]

does the ninja have an oil dipstick??? where is it located?

[kkim]

Originally Posted by venmichaels

i dont have a manual..

owner manuals are available for free on Kawasaki's website.

[DaBlue1]

Originally Posted by venmichaels

...i dont have a manual..

View it online.
http://www.kawasaki-techinfo.net/sho...9&lang_code=EN

[Buffalony]

sent link to Shop manual.