I guess I'm gonna hafta do this myself!

DRivero · February 21st, 2010, 09:36 AM

The boyfriend and I split. It's been six weeks, and I guess he's not coming back.

What does this have to do with anything? Well, he's the one who got me back into bikes again, after a 25 year hiatus, and gave me the confidence to ride. He's the one who searched and searched and SEARCHED until he found my bike for me, a 2001 Ninja in near-perfect condition, for a ridiculously low price that I could afford. He's the one that fiddled and tinkered with it until he was sure it was safe and sound for me to ride. Unfortunately, he's now the one no longer around.

Aside from teaching me how to clean and lube my chain, and to take the fairings off and put them back on, he didn't get a chance to show me much about the mechanics or maintenance, although that was on the agenda. Without him around, now I just basically ride it. This will not do for much longer.

So, is there a Motorcycle Maintenance for Dummies book out there somewhere? I live pretty frugally, so I'd like to learn how to maintain it myself and, ideally, fix it if it breaks.

I think I can do this. I just need to know what I'm looking at. I'm not afraid to get dirty, and the other night my bike broke down on the side of the road and I fixed the problem....all by myself!

ckholloway · February 21st, 2010, 09:47 AM

I am pretty sure I saw a couple of repair books on ebay and that should be all you need. They have a ton of good information in them and will walk you through anything that needs don.

bdavison · February 21st, 2010, 10:00 AM

Its pretty simple with the ninja 250r....all you need is a service manual.
The ninja 250r is probably one of the easiest bikes ever to work on. There's not much to it, its a simple design. The most complicated part is getting all the fairing work off to actually do any work to it.

In general, most of your maintenance will be oil changes, checking tire pressures, checking brake pads, chain lube, bolts not coming loose anywhere, all the lightbulbs, etc. The more advanced maintenance like valve adjustments, etc. You can either do yourself with a service manual as a guide, or take it to a shop.

noche_caliente · February 21st, 2010, 10:37 AM

Check out the DIYs posted on this site - there's plenty of great info to get you started

ninja250.org has plenty of info specific to the pre-gen as well

kazam58 · February 21st, 2010, 10:37 AM

As was mentioned before, grab a service manual. Pay attention to the tables that tell you when to service certain things. That will tell you that after x amount of miles or x amount of time you should change your oil, lube your chain, lube your clutch cable, etc. That way you can stay on top of scheduled maintainence without falling behind and letting the bike get out of shape. Most of the basic maintainence routines are posted up as DIY's in the tech section of this forum. And if anything more serious ever comes up, anyone here will be glad to help you. To be able to work on the bike at home, the real key is to have some time set aside when you're doing it the first time, and to always have the right tools.

CC Cowboy · February 21st, 2010, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DRivero

The boyfriend and I split. It's been six weeks, and I guess he's not coming back.

So, is there a Motorcycle Maintenance for Dummies book out there somewhere? I live pretty frugally, so I'd like to learn how to maintain it myself and, ideally, fix it if it breaks.

I think I can do this. I just need to know what I'm looking at. I'm not afraid to get dirty, and the other night my bike broke down on the side of the road and I fixed the problem....all by myself!

Being the SOB I am I have to put 2 and 2 together and keep up my image. The title of the thread is, "I guess I'm gonna hafta do this myself!" and the first sentence is "The boyfriend and I split. It's been six weeks, and I guess he's not coming back." Now to quote Charley Sheen, " you don't need batteries, it's rechargable".

To get serious, the book you want is the service manual for the Kawi 250. Read it cover to cover and when you don't understand something PM the wise old master, Kelly.

Snake · February 21st, 2010, 10:45 AM

This link to WebBikeWorld has lots of articles covering motorcycle maintenance. I hope this helps.

http://www.webbikeworld.com/Motorcyc...s/articles.htm

DRivero · February 21st, 2010, 11:40 AM

Cowboy, I consider myself to possess a fairly healthy, dirty mind, but you out-dirty me by leaps and bounds. And, um, not that I have any reason for asking, but......um, they have rechargeable now?

Thanks, everyone. I do have the manual, on my hard drive.I suppose it's worth a trip to Kinko's to print it out. My problem is, I don't really know even the basics of motorcycle mechanics; however, I think the bigger problem I'm having is being intimidated. I suppose I'll have to just get right over that!
Posted via Mobile Device

Grn99Kawi · February 21st, 2010, 01:05 PM

I have the pregen service manual as a pdf.. I dont remember offhand where I downloaded it from, but a search on this forum might shed some light on it.. its definately valuable when it comes to repairs and maintenance.

Adam

CC Cowboy · February 22nd, 2010, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DRivero

Cowboy, I consider myself to possess a fairly healthy, dirty mind, but you out-dirty me by leaps and bounds. And, um, not that I have any reason for asking, but......um, they have rechargeable now?

Thanks, everyone. I do have the manual, on my hard drive.I suppose it's worth a trip to Kinko's to print it out. My problem is, I don't really know even the basics of motorcycle mechanics; however, I think the bigger problem I'm having is being intimidated. I suppose I'll have to just get right over that!
Posted via Mobile Device

It should say in the manual how to recharge the device.
As far as intimidation, that will go away with experience.

2WheelGuy · February 22nd, 2010, 02:26 PM

If you lived in my neck of the woods I'd lend you a hand so you wouldn't have to do it yourself. I can't see you having any trouble finding an obliging gentleman in South Florida.

mrlmd · February 22nd, 2010, 02:31 PM

Grn99kawi - anyway you could post or upload that manual here? I did a search and couldn't find any links to it, and it would be helpful to all of us if we had access to it.

mrlmd · February 22nd, 2010, 02:35 PM

And CC - good find, quick mind, I missed that, taking more sympathy on her plight. Glad to see there's a good sense of humor on here, from both of you.

BlueRaven · February 22nd, 2010, 04:15 PM

It's very easy to do basic maintenance on the bike but i don't dare to go any further than that right now unless i have an experienced person to guide me. I'm sure you'll make some friends that will help you learn to do more than what you already know.

DRivero · February 22nd, 2010, 04:47 PM

Blue, I'm sure you're right. There's a kid (okay, he's 25) that lives down the street that builds his own bikes (and then wrecks them, but that's another story); he lives, breathes and eats motorcycles, practicall. He's offered to show me the ropes a few times, but between his being a firefighter, having what I can only assume is an extremely active social life, and riding as much as he can, he hasn't really insisted, when it comes down to it.

Like I said, the bike broke down on me on the side of the road and I fixed the problem, but had I been regularly checking things, it wouldn't have happened (okay, add "check for loose bolts occasionally to to-do list). I've started reading my manual....I'm sure I'll have plenty of boneheaded questions!

Snake · February 22nd, 2010, 04:51 PM

There are no boneheaded questions. Try and do a search first and if you can't find it then someone here will be more than glad to answer your questions. We are one big happy family.

noche_caliente · February 22nd, 2010, 06:23 PM

Debbi - you can always post up or pm us if you want to do something and you aren't sure what to do - many of us have gotten quite proficient at walking folks through things online

BlueRaven · February 22nd, 2010, 07:03 PM

You can always try stocking your fridge with beer and "the kid" may come around and help you out anytime you need guidance

addy126 · February 22nd, 2010, 07:24 PM

The diy's in this venue are great for anybody to follow. U come up against a problem and there is an answer offered up from someone in this forum. I've done alot of mods, repairs etc just from the topics in here. It's truly easy sleezy once you do your first "solo" repair. The people in here are great for getting the job done.... you'll see

I've taken mine for service and hell I come back with missing bolts, washers, etc. I always go over the bike when I get it home and find something missing everytime. I just go back ask for the missing items to be replaced bring it home and repair it myself.

oh by the way.... your brunette avatar surpasses the blonde.... *compliment*.... it gives a more "smokey & mysterious" look.....

Flashmonkey · February 22nd, 2010, 09:02 PM

Here ya go: http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Main_Page

The pregen 250 is ridiculously easy to work on. Everything from changing the air filter, to adjusting the valves is relatively straight forward and well illustrated on the site linked above. Take your time, study the illustrations and instructions and don't rush through the operation. You'll be just fine. A lot of times you can google a few youtube videos of similar (and common) maintenance items as well. Just for reference.

Heh...I've even changed my own tires. Now THAT'S fun. Can't wait to do it for the gixxer *facepalm*.

February 21st, 2010, 09:36 AM	#1
DRivero ninjette.org guru Name: Debbi Location: South Florida Join Date: Nov 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2001 Ninja 250 (Sold); 2008 Ninja EX500 Posts: 273	I guess I'm gonna hafta do this myself! The boyfriend and I split. It's been six weeks, and I guess he's not coming back. What does this have to do with anything? Well, he's the one who got me back into bikes again, after a 25 year hiatus, and gave me the confidence to ride. He's the one who searched and searched and SEARCHED until he found my bike for me, a 2001 Ninja in near-perfect condition, for a ridiculously low price that I could afford. He's the one that fiddled and tinkered with it until he was sure it was safe and sound for me to ride. Unfortunately, he's now the one no longer around. Aside from teaching me how to clean and lube my chain, and to take the fairings off and put them back on, he didn't get a chance to show me much about the mechanics or maintenance, although that was on the agenda. Without him around, now I just basically ride it. This will not do for much longer. So, is there a Motorcycle Maintenance for Dummies book out there somewhere? I live pretty frugally, so I'd like to learn how to maintain it myself and, ideally, fix it if it breaks. I think I can do this. I just need to know what I'm looking at. I'm not afraid to get dirty, and the other night my bike broke down on the side of the road and I fixed the problem....all by myself!

February 21st, 2010, 09:47 AM	#2
ckholloway ninjette.org member Name: Corey Location: Oregon Join Date: Feb 2010 Motorcycle(s): none yet Posts: 142	I am pretty sure I saw a couple of repair books on ebay and that should be all you need. They have a ton of good information in them and will walk you through anything that needs don. __________________________________________________ Riding is not just something you do, It's a way of life!!

February 21st, 2010, 10:37 AM	#4
noche_caliente ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Kim Location: mundo de ensueño Join Date: Nov 2008 Motorcycle(s): '08 250 Posts: A lot.	Check out the DIYs posted on this site - there's plenty of great info to get you started ninja250.org has plenty of info specific to the pre-gen as well __________________________________________________ Progrip tank pad, blue rim stripes, blue Pazzos, Roaring Toyz lowering kit, Puig DB in dark smoke, Cortech sport tail, super mini tank, and saddlebags, OES swingarm spools and Intuitive frame sliders

February 21st, 2010, 10:37 AM	#5
kazam58 Sarcasm: Yea that'll work Name: Andy Location: Essex Jct, VT Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): '08 Ninja 250R Posts: 330	As was mentioned before, grab a service manual. Pay attention to the tables that tell you when to service certain things. That will tell you that after x amount of miles or x amount of time you should change your oil, lube your chain, lube your clutch cable, etc. That way you can stay on top of scheduled maintainence without falling behind and letting the bike get out of shape. Most of the basic maintainence routines are posted up as DIY's in the tech section of this forum. And if anything more serious ever comes up, anyone here will be glad to help you. To be able to work on the bike at home, the real key is to have some time set aside when you're doing it the first time, and to always have the right tools. __________________________________________________ '08 Blue - Seat Cowl - A-Tech CF Fender Elim - Zartan's Exhaust Hanger - Dynojet Kit - Drilled Slides - Snorkel Removed - K&N Drop In Air Filter - Tech Spec Grips - Sportisi Windscreen & VR Exhaust

February 21st, 2010, 01:05 PM	#9
Grn99Kawi ninjette.org sage Name: A Location: Long Island, NY Join Date: Apr 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2000 Honda CBR600F4 (sold) 1999 Ninja 250 (sold) Posts: 586	I have the pregen service manual as a pdf.. I dont remember offhand where I downloaded it from, but a search on this forum might shed some light on it.. its definately valuable when it comes to repairs and maintenance. Adam __________________________________________________ 2000 Honda CBR600F4 Silver and Red 1999 Kawi Racing Green Ninja 250 sold

February 21st, 2010, 10:00 AM	#3
bdavison Wartown, USA Name: Bryan Location: Warner Robins, GA Join Date: Nov 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Ninja 250R SE, 2007 Ninja 650R, and assorted other bikes Posts: A lot.	Its pretty simple with the ninja 250r....all you need is a service manual. The ninja 250r is probably one of the easiest bikes ever to work on. There's not much to it, its a simple design. The most complicated part is getting all the fairing work off to actually do any work to it. In general, most of your maintenance will be oil changes, checking tire pressures, checking brake pads, chain lube, bolts not coming loose anywhere, all the lightbulbs, etc. The more advanced maintenance like valve adjustments, etc. You can either do yourself with a service manual as a guide, or take it to a shop.

February 21st, 2010, 10:45 AM	#7
Snake ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Rick Location: Alexandria, Louisiana Join Date: Jan 2009 Motorcycle(s): 05 Blue Ninja 250 Posts: Too much. MOTY - 2017, MOTM - Jan '19, Oct '16, May '14	This link to WebBikeWorld has lots of articles covering motorcycle maintenance. I hope this helps. http://www.webbikeworld.com/Motorcyc...s/articles.htm

February 21st, 2010, 11:40 AM	#8
DRivero ninjette.org guru Name: Debbi Location: South Florida Join Date: Nov 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2001 Ninja 250 (Sold); 2008 Ninja EX500 Posts: 273	Cowboy, I consider myself to possess a fairly healthy, dirty mind, but you out-dirty me by leaps and bounds. And, um, not that I have any reason for asking, but......um, they have rechargeable now? Thanks, everyone. I do have the manual, on my hard drive.I suppose it's worth a trip to Kinko's to print it out. My problem is, I don't really know even the basics of motorcycle mechanics; however, I think the bigger problem I'm having is being intimidated. I suppose I'll have to just get right over that! Posted via Mobile Device

February 22nd, 2010, 02:26 PM	#11
2WheelGuy ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Craig Location: Silicon Valley, CA USA Join Date: May 2009 Motorcycle(s): '98 EX250, '02 EX250, '08 250r, '03 SV650, '98 GSXR750 '03 Hayabusa, '87 YSR50, '84 ZX900, +MORE Posts: A lot.	If you lived in my neck of the woods I'd lend you a hand so you wouldn't have to do it yourself. I can't see you having any trouble finding an obliging gentleman in South Florida. __________________________________________________ CraigHarris.org Pacific Track Time CraigsWeb See you at 2014 MotoGP Laguna Seca! We'll be camping on Fox Hill. AFM #278

February 22nd, 2010, 02:31 PM	#12
mrlmd ninjette.org sage Name: Marc Location: Crawfordville, Florida Join Date: Jan 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2005 Suzuki S50, 2006 Kawasaki Ninja EX250F, 1990 Honda PC800, 2000 Yamaha TW200 Posts: 848	Grn99kawi - anyway you could post or upload that manual here? I did a search and couldn't find any links to it, and it would be helpful to all of us if we had access to it.

February 22nd, 2010, 02:35 PM	#13
mrlmd ninjette.org sage Name: Marc Location: Crawfordville, Florida Join Date: Jan 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2005 Suzuki S50, 2006 Kawasaki Ninja EX250F, 1990 Honda PC800, 2000 Yamaha TW200 Posts: 848	And CC - good find, quick mind, I missed that, taking more sympathy on her plight. Glad to see there's a good sense of humor on here, from both of you.

February 22nd, 2010, 04:15 PM	#14
BlueRaven ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Lil One Location: NB Canada Join Date: Mar 2009 Motorcycle(s): '09 Ninja 250 Black Posts: A lot.	It's very easy to do basic maintenance on the bike but i don't dare to go any further than that right now unless i have an experienced person to guide me. I'm sure you'll make some friends that will help you learn to do more than what you already know. __________________________________________________ I'm not small, I'm fun sized

February 22nd, 2010, 04:47 PM	#15
DRivero ninjette.org guru Name: Debbi Location: South Florida Join Date: Nov 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2001 Ninja 250 (Sold); 2008 Ninja EX500 Posts: 273	Blue, I'm sure you're right. There's a kid (okay, he's 25) that lives down the street that builds his own bikes (and then wrecks them, but that's another story); he lives, breathes and eats motorcycles, practicall. He's offered to show me the ropes a few times, but between his being a firefighter, having what I can only assume is an extremely active social life, and riding as much as he can, he hasn't really insisted, when it comes down to it. Like I said, the bike broke down on me on the side of the road and I fixed the problem, but had I been regularly checking things, it wouldn't have happened (okay, add "check for loose bolts occasionally to to-do list). I've started reading my manual....I'm sure I'll have plenty of boneheaded questions!

February 22nd, 2010, 04:51 PM	#16
Snake ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Rick Location: Alexandria, Louisiana Join Date: Jan 2009 Motorcycle(s): 05 Blue Ninja 250 Posts: Too much. MOTY - 2017, MOTM - Jan '19, Oct '16, May '14	There are no boneheaded questions. Try and do a search first and if you can't find it then someone here will be more than glad to answer your questions. We are one big happy family.

February 22nd, 2010, 06:23 PM	#17
noche_caliente ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Kim Location: mundo de ensueño Join Date: Nov 2008 Motorcycle(s): '08 250 Posts: A lot.	Debbi - you can always post up or pm us if you want to do something and you aren't sure what to do - many of us have gotten quite proficient at walking folks through things online __________________________________________________ Progrip tank pad, blue rim stripes, blue Pazzos, Roaring Toyz lowering kit, Puig DB in dark smoke, Cortech sport tail, super mini tank, and saddlebags, OES swingarm spools and Intuitive frame sliders

February 22nd, 2010, 07:03 PM	#18
BlueRaven ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Lil One Location: NB Canada Join Date: Mar 2009 Motorcycle(s): '09 Ninja 250 Black Posts: A lot.	You can always try stocking your fridge with beer and "the kid" may come around and help you out anytime you need guidance __________________________________________________ I'm not small, I'm fun sized

February 22nd, 2010, 07:24 PM	#19
addy126 ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: addy126 Location: Tx Join Date: May 2009 Motorcycle(s): '09 Kawasaki N-250 + '09 Vulcan 900 Classic Lt Posts: A lot.	The diy's in this venue are great for anybody to follow. U come up against a problem and there is an answer offered up from someone in this forum. I've done alot of mods, repairs etc just from the topics in here. It's truly easy sleezy once you do your first "solo" repair. The people in here are great for getting the job done.... you'll see I've taken mine for service and hell I come back with missing bolts, washers, etc. I always go over the bike when I get it home and find something missing everytime. I just go back ask for the missing items to be replaced bring it home and repair it myself. oh by the way.... your brunette avatar surpasses the blonde.... compliment.... it gives a more "smokey & mysterious" look.....

February 22nd, 2010, 09:02 PM	#20
Flashmonkey Professional belly dancer Name: James Location: Toronto Join Date: Apr 2009 Motorcycle(s): 1992 GSX-R 750 Posts: A lot.	Here ya go: http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Main_Page The pregen 250 is ridiculously easy to work on. Everything from changing the air filter, to adjusting the valves is relatively straight forward and well illustrated on the site linked above. Take your time, study the illustrations and instructions and don't rush through the operation. You'll be just fine. A lot of times you can google a few youtube videos of similar (and common) maintenance items as well. Just for reference. Heh...I've even changed my own tires. Now THAT'S fun. Can't wait to do it for the gixxer facepalm.

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