1986 Ninja 250 Update

[DanteCoal]

Hey all, been a long time since I posted. Here's an update on how the Ninja is doing:

New fork seals and oil
- Don't think they'd ever been done.

New Chain
- Was the original chain. There was so much gunk in the front sproket case that I'm shocked the chain could move.

New Brakes Pads
- Both front and rear brake pads were the original pads on the bike. No joke. Back was work down to just bare metal, Front was... well, the inner pad was bare metal, the outer pad was gone and just the caliper piston was hugging the brake pad for stopping... -shudder-

New Meters
- Old ones were spun out so bad that the needles just spun, popped off, speed was reading all over the place, and the RPM was the only thing you could count on... until that needle popped off as well. The temp gauge still worked though. lol

Changed Oil
- Had to buy a new oil filter bolt since the old one was round. As in smooth, round. I had to use a pipe wrench to take it off. Filter was nasty dirty, and green. Didn't know an oil filter could turn green.

Cleaned. Everything. Twice. (Or more)
- Wheels were nearly black when I first got it due to the amount of oil and grime caked on, engine was coated about 1/4" thick in places with grit and grime that was just baked on. Plastics looked like someone had tried to keep them in as bad of shape as possible. And the rust. Spent a day just sanding rust off of the headers, exhaust pipes, and random parts.

Fairing Repair
- Sanding, ABS Cement, Modeling Clay, Sanding, molding, sanding, creating new fairing tabs, sanding, etc, etc. In the pic, where the left side turn signal is, there used to be a hole, approx 2" x 3" big. Haven't bothered with the sanding and painting yet, but it's a plan.

Painting
- Just minor stuff. The rear signal brackets, the rear plastic mount for the signals & plate, experimenting and trying to make it look better than the faded, rusty mess it was.

New Gas Tank
- Old one had a hole in it where the left front fairing mounts to, where the previous owner had put too long of a screw in it... over, and over, and over...

Misc Other Things
- Rebuilt the petcock, new air filter, new handlebars (old were bent), replaced almost every bolt on it, most with Stainless.

To-Do
- New right control switch (old is corroded to the point of uselessness)
- New Tires
- New Swingarm (Someone tried to drill / tap the old one... *facepalm*
- Replace some wires that are old / brittle.
- Rebuild Carbs (I have no idea... I'm hopeless with carb work for some reason)

Either way, it's looking better every day, and rides like a dream whenever I get the chance to take it out. =)

[DanteCoal]

Got a new right control and replaced it. But now I think I saw some rust forming in the tank while I was emptying it. >_<

Anyone have any suggestions of tank sealing kits? About to go get some tank gravel and my duct tape. lol

[c-dog]

Your bike looks really nice! All that work has really paid off.

[DanteCoal]

Thanks! It's really been a labor of love. I just can't figure out how the previous owner could let it get into such bad shape.

Also good news, worked on the wiring a bit more last night and it starts now! Well, I assume it starts. Everything makes good contact and the voltage is right. Haven't turned it over yet just in case there's rust in there waiting to kill my engine. >_>

[crazymadbastard]

thanks for the update, shes looking great!

[DanteCoal]

Well I finally got it all sorted out into good running shape. Got the new right control on and working, drained and replaced the old gas, and replaced some wires while I had the tank off and everything apart.

Took it around the block a few times, around the neighborhood, and it's working like a dream. Even took it to school tonight (Highway speeds (approx 65-80)) and it was amazing. So glad to have it up and running again.

Still really need to get the carbs rebuilt, new swingarm, new tires, and some cosmetic stuff (Powdercoat wheels, etc)

[c-dog]

Originally Posted by DanteCoal

Took it around the block a few times, around the neighborhood, and it's working like a dream. Even took it to school tonight (Highway speeds (approx 65-80)) and it was amazing. So glad to have it up and running again.

Great to hear, glad you have it all sorted out. Have fun cruising around on it.

[ducatiman]

you have PM

[dcj13]

Congrats! If it's running well, you don't have to touch the carbs.

[greenaero]

Good work! Well worth the effort.

[verboten1]

So much nicer looking than the 20 years of bikes that replaced it!

[Somchai]

A really nice bike

[Z1R rider]

nice looking ride, I likie