Page 1 of 2
:/ newby question
Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2007 10:41 am
by Duffy
When starting my bike and I switch over the choke, it doesnt start. Sounds like a car with a bad starter. It won't turn over. Fuel is on. Do I need to give it some throttle or something???? Bike is new (few weeks) and this is the first time I am having trouble starting it. So I don't know if I broke it. This is my first street bike and I have been making
alot of mistakes on it, clutch, shifting, rpm's and throttle no no's, so I don't know if this is normal, or my abuse is showing

Gawd, hope I didn't break it /me prays to the motorcycle Gods......

Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2007 10:50 am
by ANDS!
Battery? Does it make a clicking noise? If not it may be flooded - has the bike already been started for the day? If so opening the choke again will cause your bike to flood, and it'll make a "oh man it so wants to start but wont" noise.
Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2007 10:55 am
by Duffy
Does not make clicking noise. Just wont turn over wants to, but won't. It had been started earlier, like about 6-8 hours earlier. Engine was cold, so I choked it. That's what I was told to do at the MSF course. Was that the wrong information then? So only choke it once a day or something? When I hit the throttle it caught and started. I just don't like how I have to do that now, when I didn't before.
Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2007 11:24 am
by Veda
You're on a new Ninja 250 right? How much choke do you use? I have the same one and on a 50/60 degree day I put my choke lever about half way down. Haven't had a problem so far.
And I definitely use the choke more than once a day. In the a.m. when I leave for work and in the p.m. when I leave the office.
Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2007 12:38 pm
by Sev
Did you check the kill switch?
Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2007 1:25 pm
by Dragon on Wheels
Does it have gas? My dealer didn't fill up the tank and there was only a little bit in it. I had to get gas soon after getting it home.
Or, have you been riding it for awhile and then putting the choke on? I think that would cause it to stop running.(or maybe not starting if the bike is already warmed up)
Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2007 4:00 am
by Duffy
Kill switch in the on position. Also, my dealer didn't put gas in it either, funny though, when my friend bought his honda there they filled it up for him (cheap @#%(#&# jerks) So, yeah, on my 1st ride ever on the road, I had to stop and get gas and figure out how to fill it lol. I only put the choke on when it hasn't been running for at least 6hours and the engine is cold(er).
I put the high test gas in. Was told to by dealer. And when I was looking at the breakin sticker on the tach meter. He just said, "don't worry about that, just don't redline it and you'll be fine" So, that's what I have been doing. Driving normal, not extreme, not the stupid keep it under 4,000 rpms (is that even possible????) not redlining it, ave around 4-8,000. And going whatever speed is posted 45-70. Got it up to 80 on highway for about 7 minutes to get home when it was raining on me.
Also, Veda, you have said bike as me. When you are idle. EIther at a stop light, or in nuetral, does your idle high?? Mine idles around 3-4rpms. One time when I was riding with my friend who has a honda cbr1000 his was practically silent and he was looking at mine funny (we were at a stop light side by side) and asked if it always idles so high. Since it's new, and I'm new, I don't know if its suppose to do that.
Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2007 4:07 am
by jonnythan
Is this a new bike?
If so, I'd have been back at the dealer as soon as it started to idle high.
Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2007 4:20 am
by ANDS!
Same. It shouldn't be idling at that speed. And I dunno - when I had the VFR, it would do what it sounds like yours was doing - not turning over. Had to flush it before it would start because I flooded it by using the choke when I didn't need to.
Call the dealership and arrange to wheel it back in.
Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2007 4:54 am
by KarateChick
It's new so take it back for the starter problem. It's odd you are able to start it some times and not others, especially after you just ran it not long before. The only issue I had with mine was if it sat for 2-3 days in quite cold temps, then the battery drained pretty fast. Now that it's been warm out, it started fine after 2+ weeks sitting and with only 1/2 choke.
The idle sounds too high (you don't have the choke on at this point right?). Adjust it to 1000-1200 rpm - look in the manual for the switch - and have the dealer look at it anyways if you take it in.