2011 Ninja 250 oil question

[meehow]

Hello all, so when I purchased my ninja back in November 2014 I had changed out the oil. I was told by my friend and even looked on this forum and it said I could use Rotella T6. I bought just that, and replaced the old oil with that. Up until recently I've been having issues putting the bike in choke. It will only stay at 1.5k on full choke, and when I take off the choke she just dies on me. It takes a few times to start it up for it to stay on, and even then the RPMs fluctuate from 1.5 - 3.5.
Does the oil have anything to do with this?
What could be the cause of this?
I would like some help, thank you

[pantera]

The oil does not have anything to do with your problem.It sounds like you have a carburetor problem,like dirty jets.

[jkv45]

As pantera said - the oil has absolutely nothing to do with your issues. T6 is a very good choice for the Ninja.

What does it idle at when it's fully warm? Have you checked the air filter lately? How old is the gas, and do you let it sit with a low level in the tank?

When the engine is completely warm, set the idle speed to 1200-1300 RPMs. Run ethanol-free gas if possible, and keep the tank filled as much as possible to avoid forming condensation. If you think the gas is bad, or you may have condensation in the tank, you will need to completely drain it before adding new or you won't solve the problem. Draining the floatbowls will show you if you have water or debris in the system.

If that doesn't cure the problem, pulling the carbs and giving them a thorough cleaning is in order. Read up on it before you do it, as there's more to it than just making sure the floatbowls are clean. When the carbs are off be sure to remove the caps covering the idle mixture screws so you can make adjustments - something that is very important in order to get it running its best.

[HoneyBadgerRy]

Sounds like clogged pilots, give the carbs a good cleaning.

[csmith12]

Welcome Mike!

Idle rpm fluxing normally means there is a problem with the gas flow or air flow. Check your filter/airbox, spritz some starting fluid around vac lines and then you could try running some seafoam or similar cleaning agent through the fuel system. If none of those work, you're due a carb cleaning. :\

Good luck to you!

[meehow]

If i was to seafoam the bike how would I go about doing this? Im not very experienced in this so is there a guide I could follow online?

Also the bike has a K&N air filter that is after market, its a reusable one

[SLOWn60]

Originally Posted by meehow

If i was to seafoam the bike how would I go about doing this? Im not very experienced in this so is there a guide I could follow online?

Also the bike has a K&N air filter that is after market, its a reusable one

Go to (phone) an auto section of Walmart or other specialty auto supply store to find a product called Seafoam. It's a bottle of about 750 ml (1 or 2 pints) of a liquid you add to your gas tank. Follow the directions on the bottle.

[jkv45]

Originally Posted by meehow

If i was to seafoam the bike how would I go about doing this? Im not very experienced in this so is there a guide I could follow online?

Also the bike has a K&N air filter that is after market, its a reusable one

Use Chevron Techron Concentrate instead. Add 1 oz per gal to the gas. Ride. Don't fill again until you have gone through most of the tank.

Not a bad idea once a season for any bike, but don't expect miracles.

[meehow]

Originally Posted by SLOWn60

Go to (phone) an auto section of Walmart or other specialty auto supply store to find a product called Seafoam. It's a bottle of about 750 ml (1 or 2 pints) of a liquid you add to your gas tank. Follow the directions on the bottle.

Yeah just picked up a bottle yesterday, should I mix it with fresh gas then? I siphoned out all of the old gas and now im with an empty tank for the bike.

[allanoue]

Originally Posted by meehow

should I mix it with fresh gas then?.

yes

[SLOWn60]

Originally Posted by meehow

Yeah just picked up a bottle yesterday, should I mix it with fresh gas then? I siphoned out all of the old gas and now im with an empty tank for the bike.

Yes. Pour the recommended amount into the gas tank (more is not necessarily better!) then add the gas. Run the bike at least 15 minutes to flush the whole fuel system then let it sit overnight. Repeat for a tank or two. If you're still having issues; pull the carbs and clean them. It's intimidating the first time but it's fairly easy and there's lots of youTube videos etc to study before you tackle the job.
Or; get a pro to do it right such as @ducatiman

I always recommend you try it yourself as it's a great way to learn and the bike is relatively simple to work on but if you're concerned; a service like ducatiman offers is reasonably priced and you know its done right.

[meehow]

Originally Posted by SLOWn60

Yes. Pour the recommended amount into the gas tank (more is not necessarily better!) then add the gas. Run the bike at least 15 minutes to flush the whole fuel system then let it sit overnight. Repeat for a tank or two. If you're still having issues; pull the carbs and clean them. It's intimidating the first time but it's fairly easy and there's lots of youTube videos etc to study before you tackle the job.
Or; get a pro to do it right such as @ducatiman

I always recommend you try it yourself as it's a great way to learn and the bike is relatively simple to work on but if you're concerned; a service like ducatiman offers is reasonably priced and you know its done right.

Ive looked at some different youtube videos on how to use seafoam to clean the carb.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xm5RZF6jCPQ
this one in particular shows him putting a 50/50 ratio into the fuel line, should I consider doing this as well? Would this give me better results or cleaning?

[SLOWn60]

I didn't watch the video (no time!) but here's my take on it:
If you really have enough varnish in your fuel system that you need an extra concentrated solvent to flush it all out you risk loosening globs of contaminant that will eventually plug up somewhere! Much like your cardiovascular system!
If after a tank or two of gas mixed with the recommended amount (on the bottle) of Seafoam and your problems aren't resolved then you really should remove the carbs and clean them properly! At that time it would be good to soak or replace those fuel lines.

[meehow]

Originally Posted by SLOWn60

I didn't watch the video (no time!) but here's my take on it:
If you really have enough varnish in your fuel system that you need an extra concentrated solvent to flush it all out you risk loosening globs of contaminant that will eventually plug up somewhere! Much like your cardiovascular system!
If after a tank or two of gas mixed with the recommended amount (on the bottle) of Seafoam and your problems aren't resolved then you really should remove the carbs and clean them properly! At that time it would be good to soak or replace those fuel lines.

Alright got it. I was looking for a quick way to get it fixed because I am selling it to someone tomorrow 1.17.16.

[SLOWn60]

.....You owe us each a cold beer!

[meehow]

Originally Posted by SLOWn60

.....You owe us each a cold beer!

If youre ever in Chicago, I'll buy you a whole dinner! Thanks so much for the help, I can already see a bit of difference after putting in fresh gas with the seafoam!

[SLOWn60]

[2fiddy-trackpair]

Seafoam is good stuff. I will run it through the fuel system every 3rd tank or so on all the bikes I own. Pretty cheap way to keep the fuel system clean.

[hfd1 tuner]

Write your congressman and thank them for ethanol....garbage hate the stuff at least on bike per week in shop with half clogged pilots....just wait if they ram e15 down our tanks....oh but it saves fuel bull what is the btu per pound rating of pure gasoline vs e whatever? Have to burn more fuel just for the same power......