I dropped my ninja250!! help!

Message

snoot · #1 Unread post by **snoot** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 3:11 pm

I'm such a newb and I'm totally embarassed. I dropped my bike today in my garage while i was parking it.

I dropped it learlier this week at my school's parking lot (making a sharp turn to avoid a car that did not stop) and while I managed to pick it up, I was not able to get it to start. I had to call the motorcycle shop down the street to come over and turns out that it had some overflow cannister filled with gasoline.

SOOOOOOO.....here I am not more than a few days later, in the same predicament. I haven't tried starting it, because it's in my own garage. Do I have to take that cannister out every time I drop it? Not that I plan on doing it often.... Or should it start just fine? Everyone talks about how to pick up a bike, but i don't see anything anywhere about how to get it started after dropping it.

I don't even want to try starting it until it's had a time to settle. I spilled gasoline all over the garage floor.

I'm trying not to freak. I tried calling another motorcycle shop near me and he told me to bring it in, but I don't have a truck!

Thanks so much guys. I really would appreciate advice from some motorcyclists and not from a shop that just wants my business.

-snoot

Dragonhawk · Wed Jan 16, 2008 3:36 pm

Bummer.

I may or may not have dropped my Ninja 250 once or twice and also been... unexpectedly ejected from the seat one or two... (or three or four) times myself.

Only once would it not start afterwards. But I got it going again eventually. I suggest you do some research and start somehwere like this first:
http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Troubleshooting

Best wishes. I know it's frustrating and depressing when that happens.

Also, learn how to pick up a dropped bike. The Ninja 250 is very small and should never be tipped over long enough to start sloshing fuel around. Grab that puppy and get it upright again immediately. Here's some tips:
http://www.pinkribbonrides.com/dropped.html

Also, it may have NOTHING to do with the carbs. For example, when I dropped my SV650 once, the clip holding the wire to the clutch came loose. So the bike wouldn't even turn over. I was freaking out and couldn't understand WHAT the heck was wrong. The fact that it wouldn't even turn over was what made me start checking wiring. Finally, I saw the clip, snapped it back in place - BAM! Started right up, first try. So, look for stuff like that too. You never know.

Hope that helps. Best wishes.

snoot · #3 Unread post by **snoot** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 3:52 pm

i dont know why it took me so long to pick it up, i think i was in utter shock.. the first time i picked it up right away, of course, i was out in front of a car. it's not that heavy - i picked it up quite easily.

do you think that the carb is flooded? the first time, the tech took a screwdriver and unwedged this little cannister from the left side and shook it out. because i'm a girl, im sure, he wouldnt really explain what he was doing to it.

i'm also at even more of a loss because i don't have an owner's manual.

the faq at that site says that if gas is pouring out into the overflow to remove the carbs...but is it possible that i just dumped gasoline into my overflow and that's what he unhooked and drained?

i'd really like to fix this myself...taking it somewhere is going to be difficult.

Dragonhawk · Wed Jan 16, 2008 5:21 pm

snoot wrote:i dont know why it took me so long to pick it up, i think i was in utter shock.. the first time i picked it up right away, of course, i was out in front of a car. it's not that heavy - i picked it up quite easily.

Well, that's cool. Just don't let it lay down any longer than you can help it.

snoot wrote:do you think that the carb is flooded? the first time, the tech took a screwdriver and unwedged this little cannister from the left side and shook it out. because i'm a girl, im sure, he wouldnt really explain what he was doing to it.

i'm also at even more of a loss because i don't have an owner's manual.

Hm. You are asking the right questions but it's so hard to say. Honestly, I don't know that much. In my case, it was turning over, but just didn't seem to "catch" and fire up. So, I researched a lot online and apparently my float-bowls were dry. By trying to start it up a dozen times and priming the bowls, it eventually turned over. After that, it would start fine.

Are you encountering the same issue? I have no idea.

By the way - I have no clue whatsoever what the heck "float bowls" even are. I just recall learning about them and diagnosing a described problem on an Internet forum and working on the solutions that were suggested.

snoot wrote:the faq at that site says that if gas is pouring out into the overflow to remove the carbs...but is it possible that i just dumped gasoline into my overflow and that's what he unhooked and drained?

i'd really like to fix this myself...taking it somewhere is going to be difficult.

Stick with it. Really about the worst you can do is burn out your starter. That WOULD be very bad, but it won't happen if you don't keep cranking on it like a maniac. Keep researching. Keep experimenting. You'll figure it out and be very proud of yourself.

Johnj · #5 Unread post by **Johnj** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 7:06 pm

snoot wrote:the tech took a screwdriver and unwedged this little cannister from the left side and shook it out.

If you have a screwdriver try to do the same as the tech did. Remove the canister and shake it out.

Another thing, on my Kawasaki when it runs out of gas I HAVE to put the petcock into the PRIME (PRI) position to get the gas to start flowing again. As soon as it starts I put it in ON or RES.

I also suggest you look into a vo-tech school to learn some basic mechanics. That way you'll learn how to do your own maintenance.

snoot · #6 Unread post by **snoot** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 8:19 pm

Dragonhawk wrote:In my case, it was turning over, but just didn't seem to "catch" and fire up.

Yeah, that is what mine was doing too!

Johnj wrote: If you have a screwdriver try to do the same as the tech did. Remove the canister and shake it out.

My bf and I tried that, but it didn't spurt gasoline like it did when the guy did it. (and it didn't turn either)

Johnj wrote: I also suggest you look into a vo-tech school to learn some basic mechanics. That way you'll learn how to do your own maintenance.

I'd love to - and I plan to. I just really don't have the time right now (full-classes and work). And yes, I know that if I don't I'll just have to pay through the nose. I'll start with the service manual, do what I can, and then maybe in the summer....

UPDATE: It works! I just let it sit for a few hours, took the seat off to let the gasoline all over the place dry out (maybe it helped dry out my float bowls, heh), and then fired it up with the throttle all the way open and let it run for a while.

You guys are awesome!!! Thanks so much for your moral support. It's tough at the bottom. =)

Dragonhawk · Thu Jan 17, 2008 5:41 am

snoot wrote:UPDATE: It works! I just let it sit for a few hours, took the seat off to let the gasoline all over the place dry out (maybe it helped dry out my float bowls, heh), and then fired it up with the throttle all the way open and let it run for a while.

Awesome. Glad to hear it. (Incidentally, I think you need to FILL the float bowls, not dry them out. I could be wrong. There could be a Mr. Fusion and a Flux Capacitor in there and I wouldn't know it.)

Nice to know you're up and running again. The Ninja is a tough little bike.

Have fun out there!

Ninja Geoff · Thu Jan 17, 2008 5:45 am

Sounds like it was flooded a bit. Sorry the PM took so long to get back to. (I checked that before the rest of the forums

). But I agree with above, research, research, research.

PS - Kawasaki FSM. You'll have to go through the selections a little to get to the 250: http://www.kawasaki.com/DefaultFrame.as ... atalogId=1

snoot · #9 Unread post by **snoot** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 1:30 pm

Thanks, Geoff...

I'm at school and it won't start again. It sounds like it's going to, but it just doesn't catch. I didn't drop it or anything this time. I tried it with the fuel key on ON and RES.

Oh well....

I see that LA trade tech is offering a saturday morning motorcycle repair and maintenance class starting Feb 4. I guess I could find the time to take that.

Maybe it will start up in a little bit. I don't know what I'm gong to do if I can't get it started tonight. I can't leave it here...and I was planning on going out of town tonight.

=(

lunchmeat · Fri Jan 18, 2008 2:20 pm

Little tip - I own a 250 as well - if your engine is flooded, starting the bike up with the throttle open will equalize the gasoline/oxygen ratio. If you can't get it to start with the throttle open, try closing it and see if it catches. If it doesn't, try the choke. Rinse and repeat. I have this problem a lot, especially lately since my bike isn't cold-blooded (and I think I also need a valve adjustment). I think you're fine as long as your bike isn't stalling out when you come to a stop. (This will happen if your choke is too high when you're riding and come to a stop; your engine will flood. This can also happen due to cold, and in my case, a needed valve adjustment.)

Also make sure you're starting the bike in neutral - also doesn't hurt to hold the clutch in. In neutral it shouldn't make a difference, but try it anyway.