New to the Kawasaki Family. What am I in for

[elpato]

Hello fellow Kawasaki owners. First time poster to this website, hope I am doing this right. I have been a motorcycle enthusiast for over 20 years. Recently came across a 2005 EX250 for $700. Owner said he had just bought it and it ran for 5 minutes then quit on him. He had taken it to 3 shops and they told him carbs are the problem. I offered to help him fix it, but he said he just wanted to get rid of it and not deal with it. So I figured why the hell not. So fellow owners what am I in for??? Below is what I have found so far in 20 minutes of work.

Stripped down the bike.
Battery was dead- had next to no fluid in it. Filled with distilled water and it took a charge. I will use it now with plans to replace in the future if needed.

Carbs- gunked up really bad with alot of crap in the bowls.- They will remain together(connected) but torn apart and properly cleaned, with plans to sync at a later date.
Gas tank- had alot of crap in the inline filter I used when draining the gas. May have some rust inside of it from sitting.

Airbox- pulled it back and noticed alot of oil draining out of it. Oil sight glass is full (engine cold as I havent ran it yet).

Cylinders- upon pulling carbs I stuck my finger in both intakes. Left was dry, right was full of fuel. I pulled both spark plugs and hooked up battery and turned over engine and of course got the spray from the right cylinder. Then did a quick check for compression using the ole' finger over the hole, both felt ok. Will check compression at a later date...

***Transmission- This is the one that has me slightly worried that I may need to split the cases. It goes into first fine, but will not go into second gear at all. I have not pulled the clutch side case yet to look around and this is where I am coming to you tech experts for guidance. Pulling the engine and spliting cases in no way scares me as long as I have a manual for the bike, but I know that on some bikes there may just be a loose bolt or bent shift rod. So any suggestions here would be greatly appreciated.

Also a quick question about the lights as I am new to this bike. Do the headlights come on after the bike starts or when the ignition is turned on? I have no headlight with just the ignition on and cranking over the bike. Would like to know if I have to fix this as well or if it is normal. Sorry for the long write up, I just like to be as thorough as possible when I explain stuff. I look forward to this project and your guidance here. Thanks for your time and go easy on me if I have bitten off more than I can chew. I like projects that is why I bought this thing.

Elpato

[Monkeytofu]

Originally Posted by elpato

Carbs- gunked up really bad with alot of crap in the bowls.- They will remain together(connected) but torn apart and properly cleaned, with plans to sync at a later date.

Maybe the cause of one of your cylinders being too dry is because of your gunked up and clogged carbs? Just a guess on my part since I'm still learning about this stuff.

Originally Posted by elpato

Gas tank- had alot of crap in the inline filter I used when draining the gas. May have some rust inside of it from sitting.

You'll want to replace the in line filter every year or so. I bought some new tubing and a 90 degree in line filter from a motorcycle store and it works great. You can look at the fuel as it moves through the filter as well.

Rust can be removed through many different methods. You can use abrasion or electrolysis. If you just have a couple specs of rust I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Originally Posted by elpato

Airbox- pulled it back and noticed alot of oil draining out of it. Oil sight glass is full (engine cold as I havent ran it yet).

Is the air filter intact? Maybe the previous owner or a mechanic oversoaked the air filter when they cleaned it/ replaced it. My mechanic before I started working on my bike completely forgot to check on my air filter and when I finally got around to checking it the air box was filled with a ton of oily, spongy residue.

Originally Posted by elpato

Also a quick question about the lights as I am new to this bike. Do the headlights come on after the bike starts or when the ignition is turned on? I have no headlight with just the ignition on and cranking over the bike. Would like to know if I have to fix this as well or if it is normal. Sorry for the long write up, I just like to be as thorough as possible when I explain stuff. I look forward to this project and your guidance here. Thanks for your time and go easy on me if I have bitten off more than I can chew. I like projects that is why I bought this thing.

Elpato

Headlights working as intended. Good to see another classic 250 is going to be on the streets

[elpato]

Originally Posted by Monkeytofu

Maybe the cause of one of your cylinders being too dry is because of your gunked up and clogged carbs? Just a guess on my part since I'm still learning about this stuff.




You'll want to replace the in line filter every year or so. I bought some new tubing and a 90 degree in line filter from a motorcycle store and it works great. You can look at the fuel as it moves through the filter as well.

Rust can be removed through many different methods. You can use abrasion or electrolysis. If you just have a couple specs of rust I wouldn't worry too much about it.



Is the air filter intact? Maybe the previous owner or a mechanic oversoaked the air filter when they cleaned it/ replaced it. My mechanic before I started working on my bike completely forgot to check on my air filter and when I finally got around to checking it the air box was filled with a ton of oily, spongy residue.




Headlights working as intended. Good to see another classic 250 is going to be on the streets

Thanks monkeytofu,

I don't think the one cylinder was to dry as much as the float on the other one was stuck flooding it which could have caused a hydrolock of the cylinder causing a bent rod. I was glad I checked that before I cranked the engine.
The tank I will use a vinegar/water/salt solution that I used on a previous metal tank to remove any rust.
Airbox-filter was dry. I think the engine was overserviced with oil and run causing the crank case vent to vent oil into the airbox. It will be cleaned and the oil changed and serviced to the proper level.

Thanks for the feedback on the front light. I was worried about the light not working, but now can put that worry at ease. The transmission not going into second is the only real concern I have at this point.

[Jiggles]

Originally Posted by elpato

***Transmission- This is the one that has me slightly worried that I may need to split the cases. It goes into first fine, but will not go into second gear at all. I have not pulled the clutch side case yet to look around and this is where I am coming to you tech experts for guidance. Pulling the engine and spliting cases in no way scares me as long as I have a manual for the bike, but I know that on some bikes there may just be a loose bolt or bent shift rod. So any suggestions here would be greatly appreciated.

Kawi's are equipped with a positive neutral finder that prevents the bike from shifting into second when its not moving. The idea is when you are at a stop light you just push up on the shifter and it goes into neutral. Have you tried shifting into second while rolling the bike forward?

[elpato]

Originally Posted by Jiggles

Kawi's are equipped with a positive neutral finder that prevents the bike from shifting into second when its not moving. The idea is when you are at a stop light you just push up on the shifter and it goes into neutral. Have you tried shifting into second while rolling the bike forward?

Jiggles you just put my mind at ease a little bit.
No I literally saw this bike in the back of this guy's truck and bought it from him for $700. The bike overall is in excellent condition, so I figured for the amount and what needed to be done it was an ok deal. That combined with the fact that I like projects made me buy it. I had him follow me home and unload the bike into my garage where I proceeded to tear it down to parade rest. It has not run yet. I will give that a try though today and report back what I find out. Thanks for the input.

[Alex]

+1 on neutral finder. Transmission is likely fine.

[elpato]

Also while I am thinking about it. The fuel petcock does not appear to be stock and is stuck in place. In the manual it has what appears to be a vacuum line connected to the petcock, but mine has no place to connect a hose? Any leads on a stock fuel petcock? Thanks.

[ninjamunky85]

Welcome to the family elpato. Glad to hear your bringin the bike back to life, sad to see them just sitting in a garage. As far as being new to Kawi, there's a reason that the pre-gens, that's what we call the 88-07 model, were sold for 20 years. Cause they're a great little bike.

Cleaning the carbs should help solve some of your problems. Give her an oil change, I like Shell Rotella T-6 5w-40. Install an in-line fuel filter. You can get them at the local auto parts store, I think it's a 1/4 in line.

Oil in the airbox is common with these bikes. It gets pushed into the airbox at high RPM. I'ts no big deal, just watch your oil level once you get it running.

Also the bike won't shift into second unless you're moving, so I wouldn't worry about it until you get the bike running. Transmission failures are not common with theses bikes.

If you have anymore questions don't hesitate to ask, and once you get her shined up lets see some pics.

[elpato]

Originally Posted by ninjamunky85

Welcome to the family elpato. Glad to hear your bringin the bike back to life, sad to see them just sitting in a garage. As far as being new to Kawi, there's a reason that the pre-gens, that's what we call the 88-07 model, were sold for 20 years. Cause they're a great little bike.

Cleaning the carbs should help solve some of your problems. Give her an oil change, I like Shell Rotella T-6 5w-40. Install an in-line fuel filter. You can get them at the local auto parts store, I think it's a 1/4 in line.

Oil in the airbox is common with these bikes. It gets pushed into the airbox at high RPM. I'ts no big deal, just watch your oil level once you get it running.

Also the bike won't shift into second unless you're moving, so I wouldn't worry about it until you get the bike running. Transmission failures are not common with theses bikes.

If you have anymore questions don't hesitate to ask, and once you get her shined up lets see some pics.

Thanks Ninjamonkey I will most definately get some pics done once I get this thing running. I am hoping to get the carbs cleaned up today at work, and get them re-assembled tonight and try and fire it up today or tomorrow. I have to get an oil filter from the Kawi shop which is on the other side of the island.

I am an avid rider (not so much on the street) but have been away for awhile. My son is six and has ridden dirt bikes since he was 3. I plan on getting him on a track when he is old enough. But being stationed in Hawaii there are no tracks here . He is my mechanics assistant and tool getter for our new project. He will know more about fixing bikes by age 7 than most grown ups. And thats the way I like it. You all have a good one. I am off to lunch. Be back in a few.

[lgk]

Originally Posted by elpato

Also while I am thinking about it. The fuel petcock does not appear to be stock and is stuck in place. In the manual it has what appears to be a vacuum line connected to the petcock, but mine has no place to connect a hose? Any leads on a stock fuel petcock? Thanks.

that manual petcock is probably the other reason the motor's flooded.

just buy a complete assembly and rebuild kit from ebay.

[choneofakind]

don't buy a used petcock and rebuild kit. A brand new oem petcock is only $60 on cheapcycleparts.com. A rebuild kit alone is ~$30
Posted via Mobile Device

[davenay67]

Originally Posted by lgk

that manual petcock is probably the other reason the motor's flooded.

just buy a complete assembly and rebuild kit from ebay.

The carbs should not flood, even with a manual petcock, if the carb floats and float needles are set right and in good condition. I would fix the cause of the flooding carb in addition to a new petcock.

PS....Welcome.

[lgk]

Originally Posted by choneofakind

don't buy a used petcock and rebuild kit. A brand new oem petcock is only $60 on cheapcycleparts.com. A rebuild kit alone is ~$30
Posted via Mobile Device

you are right,
i thought the rebuild kit was $10...

[elpato]

Todays update and progress report... Frankenstein RUNS!!!!! Well sort of.

So I got the carbs disassembled and cleaned out. Blew out all the orfices with compressed air and re-assembled. I was ancy so I had to try and start it up. I tore apart and cleaned the fuel petcock and I definately do need to buy a new OEM one. Put some clean gas with inline filter and turned on the gas. Pulled the choke lever and hit the start button. Couple of turns and she fired right up! Thought I was the bee's knee's until the crank case breather hose started spewing a gas/oil mix like a fire hose. So I shut it down ASAP.

It appears that the less than knowledgable P/O let the gas flow into the cylinder where it got by the rings and down into the cases. My plan now is to buy about three oil filter and two cases of oil. Drain the crap that is in there, fill it completely with oil and crank the bike over (with out starting it). Drain. Fill oil to proper level, run for 10 minutes, drain. Fill cases completely with oil crank bike over (without starting it) drain. Fill oil to proper level and go from there. I left it filled over night as I know that the gas will cause the oil to dissapate from the crank bearings. So it sits now awaiting a proper flushing of oil.

I am figuring on fixing the oil buying a true fuel petcock and she should be ready to go. Wish me luck. Keep any suggestions coming as I am still learning about this bike.

P.S. The light works fine. Still have to find out about second gear though as I haven't moved the bike yet. Hope everyone is having a good day.

[ninjamunky85]

Sounds good. Keep us updated on your progress.

[elpato]

OK, so I used this weekend to try and finish up. Got all the bad oil out and new oil-x3 and filter installed. Got the bike mostly back together, fairings and rear wheel still off (airbox). Got some nice fresh gas in the tank. Bike fires right up, but has the slow to rev slow to fall. I will have to get back into the carbs and get that figured out. All vacuum lines are hooked up and or plugged. I have ordered an OEM petcock and am awaiting that to arrive. Bike still needs a complete cleaning and I found one seal by the water pump that needs to be replaced. Other than that this project is coming along niceley. I will continue to search the slow to rev slow to fall RPM issue more. I have found alot of threads about it, but with not alot of clear feed back on what the owners found the issue to be. I have not pulled the plugs and cleaned the air/fuel screws (like I should have done). That is where I am headed next. Still need to synch the carbs, but don't have a synching tool. I don't think that is where my problem lies either. I'm thinking it is still in the carbs needing another good cleaning or two. Hope everyone had a good weekend.

RIP- Ethio sorry to hear about this. Never like to hear of a fallen rider.

[7oxSin]

welcome, cant wait to see pics. the first bike i owned was a 01 ninja 250 that i built from scrap, took me a month but i loved it! you have any cosmetic changes planned? thats my fav part about pregens making them unique!

[elpato]

7oxSin no real plans to do anything with the bike. It is all stock and quite frankly that is the way I like bikes. I have a son who is into everything and that is where ALL my money goes. The fairings are in great condition with no scratches. Only things I have found wrong are the right foot peg is basically cut in half? And the fuel petcock was not stock and stuck in reserve. I have an OEM petcock on the way as well as some after market footpegs. I am still working on the RPM issue, but havent had alot of time to work on the bike lately.

[7oxSin]

grats on getting a bike in great condition! as for your son modding ur cash away i mod mine like a poor man, i spent 30$ on repainting it 20$ on putting lights on it, 22$ on new break and clutch levers the old ones where broken, and 20$ on getting vinyls for it. but when i got mine fairing where cracked up one even split in 2 and it was the most god awful color along with tons of horrible looking vinyls and barb wire stickers all over it.

here is a before and after pic.

[elpato]

I thought the more stickers you had on it made them faster? Is this not the case? I would like to have a pipe on it. That is the one thing that I can't stand is the dual exhaust. A two into one would be better, but there is no way I'm putting one on this thing unless it's free...

[7oxSin]

Originally Posted by elpato

I thought the more stickers you had on it made them faster? Is this not the case? I would like to have a pipe on it. That is the one thing that I can't stand is the dual exhaust. A two into one would be better, but there is no way I'm putting one on this thing unless it's free...

yeah if the full muzzy didnt come on this one i would have just drilled the baffles like i did my first one. but this muzzy makes it sound like a dam 600, ive had alot of riders think it was a 500 cus of the sound and the custom vinyls.