1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.

from my g'day thread

Discussion in 'Kawasaki 250cc Twins' started by shadowrg, Apr 30, 2016.

  1. shadowrg

    shadowrg Member

    Messages:
    54
    Likes Received:
    46
    Trophy Points:
    28
    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2016
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    victoria australia
    My Bike:
    zzr250
    as my g'day thread my lovely zzr250 runs but doesnt want to start via the starter motor.

    i've had the bike at the shop with a mechanic friend of sorts, he pulled the starter motor off and can get it to spin with out problems, claims it was a bit dikie with a loose internal wire, fixed it and put it back on, claimed the starter solenoid is a bit dikie too but says it starts 50% of the time with a full charge on the battery. quoted $140 for the solenoid and $60 to install it. and said battery is fine and still cranks while in his shop (50% of the time)

    brought the bike home charged the battery it cranked for half a second at most and went back to clicking noises from the relay. decided that i would cross the terminals of the starter with a full charged battery. nothing. added on the battery from my ute (to cross out the battery which was told was fine) just clicking noise and sparky sparky from crossing terminals but no cranking from the starter.

    would of thought if the solenoid was fubar crossing the terminals (with ignition on) would bypass the solenoid and crank the engine.

    i also noticed while doing any of this my little trickle charger was showing only 8v while i was trying to start with the button and would show nothing when i crossed the terminals.... and was doing this with my utes battery connected aswell.

    i will be checking the wiring in the morning. but could this be solenoid, battery, faulty ground or short circuit (which would of been picked up by the mechanic) and getting a solenoid sent out next week but aint paying $140 from kawa,
     
  2. Grasshopper

    Grasshopper Well-Known Member Dirty Wheel Club

    Messages:
    1,060
    Likes Received:
    514
    Trophy Points:
    543
    Joined:
    Feb 19, 2014
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Tamworth NSW
    My Bike:
    Yamaha FZR 250 3LN3, Triumph Sprint ST 955i
    Welcome! Connect a thick wire straight to the starter motor and bypass the solenoid..... sounds like a stuffed starter motor by what you describe above....
     
  3. shadowrg

    shadowrg Member

    Messages:
    54
    Likes Received:
    46
    Trophy Points:
    28
    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2016
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    victoria australia
    My Bike:
    zzr250
    have done that, and had the mechanic pull of the starter and check it out. he told me that he had the starter motor running fine.
     
  4. GreyImport

    GreyImport Administrator Staff Member The Chief Contributing Member

    Messages:
    10,914
    Likes Received:
    6,709
    Trophy Points:
    1,168
    Joined:
    Jun 14, 2012
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Between a Rock and a Hard Place
    Location:
    North by NW NSW Oztralia - Tamworth
    My Bike:
    *Kawasaki ZXR250C *Yamaha FZR250R 3LN1 *Yamaha FZR400 *Triumph Bonneville 750 T140V *Triumph Daytona 675 *Triumph Tiger 800XC
    Check the ground cable to the motor and make sure it has a clean tight connection

    I would also be looking for damaged , kinked , worn wiring and connectors in the loom
     
    • Like Like x 1
  5. shadowrg

    shadowrg Member

    Messages:
    54
    Likes Received:
    46
    Trophy Points:
    28
    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2016
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    victoria australia
    My Bike:
    zzr250
    strange enough had the same thought after my last post so went and checked the connections to the engine and frame. all are good. i've ordered a starter motor and relay. so will check it all out just encase the starter isnt strong enough to crank the engine and the relay is fried. in any case will give me some spare parts for down the track if needed
     
    • Like Like x 1
  6. shadowrg

    shadowrg Member

    Messages:
    54
    Likes Received:
    46
    Trophy Points:
    28
    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2016
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    victoria australia
    My Bike:
    zzr250
    ah the bitter sweet of it all.... and sucks so badly i want to crawl up into a ball and just cry..... got a newer starter motor and solenoid today...

    old starter motor + old battery + new solenoid = same clicking
    old starter motor + old battery/utes battery + new solenoid = one click and nothing.
    new starter motor + old battery + old solenoid = same clicking
    new starter motor + old battery + new solenoid = same clicking
    new starter motor + old battery/utes battery + new solenoid = it runs (not in the bike).

    so the end of this story is battery + solenoid + starter motor fubar'ed themselves at the same damn time.

    will be putting the new starter motor in in the morning (solenoid is already switched) and hopefully picking up a new battery tomorrow aswell. and hopefully all my woes are behind me and the bike stays running for the near future

    till i can make the modds to it (rebuild/replace engine) upgrade everything i possibly can... there is a nice little rotor head mod for the ninja300 that looks interesting on the ninja300 forum site.
    just a matter of money time and patience.
     
  7. shadowrg

    shadowrg Member

    Messages:
    54
    Likes Received:
    46
    Trophy Points:
    28
    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2016
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    victoria australia
    My Bike:
    zzr250
    little update... apart from an unknown coolant leak which is very minor and will be fixed tomorrow arvo after work... the bike she's alive...

    new battery + new solenoid + old starter and she kicked over like a new born baby... tomorrow arvo she shall be put back together and testing the adjustment made to the carbies (cleaned + air fuel adjusted) she will go for a nice ride..

    thanks all for the suggestions, still baffled that a new battery works great but attaching my utes battery didnt fire the old starter..
    oh well, ours is not to wonder why ours is just to ride and enjoy.
     
    • Like Like x 5
  8. shadowrg

    shadowrg Member

    Messages:
    54
    Likes Received:
    46
    Trophy Points:
    28
    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2016
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    victoria australia
    My Bike:
    zzr250
    zeds back together again, had it running. found the coolant leak. was the O ring on the metal pipe from the water pump to the radiator. fixed it and she runs like a dream... is alot more responsive with the tweak to the carbies, now just need to put on her covers and take her for a spin.
     
    • Like Like x 3
  9. shadowrg

    shadowrg Member

    Messages:
    54
    Likes Received:
    46
    Trophy Points:
    28
    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2016
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    victoria australia
    My Bike:
    zzr250
    damn it... got the coolant leak sorted, bike back together. ran it stationary till the fan came on. reved it a bit all looked good..... went for a run 2 km and back and oil leak.... right were the coolant pump is... pulled the pump off cleaned it up gooped it, and the leak is still there just very very slight leak now... gonna pull it off tomorrow and re-do it and see if there is anything else around.. cause its getting to be one thing after another.
     
  10. GreyImport

    GreyImport Administrator Staff Member The Chief Contributing Member

    Messages:
    10,914
    Likes Received:
    6,709
    Trophy Points:
    1,168
    Joined:
    Jun 14, 2012
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Between a Rock and a Hard Place
    Location:
    North by NW NSW Oztralia - Tamworth
    My Bike:
    *Kawasaki ZXR250C *Yamaha FZR250R 3LN1 *Yamaha FZR400 *Triumph Bonneville 750 T140V *Triumph Daytona 675 *Triumph Tiger 800XC
    Welcome to old bikes :thumb_ups: :D
     
    • Like Like x 2
  11. maelstrom

    maelstrom LiteTek Staff Member Premium Member 250cc Vendor Contributing Member

    Messages:
    5,102
    Likes Received:
    3,472
    Trophy Points:
    1,148
    Joined:
    Dec 23, 2012
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Thailand
    Home Page:
    My Bike:
    Yamaha FZR400 3TJ1, Honda MC22
    Yes, funny that. It seems that o-rings, gaskets, electrical terminals and components, not much seems to be very good after 25 years. :)
     
  12. shadowrg

    shadowrg Member

    Messages:
    54
    Likes Received:
    46
    Trophy Points:
    28
    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2016
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    victoria australia
    My Bike:
    zzr250
    yeah, i have no idea why the heck the the O ring on the water pump let go, it looks fine. pulled it all apart, cleaned it up, put some gasket goop around the join and O ring, let it sit and cure for abit then ran it up to temp, went through the rev range, and seems to be holding. will take it for a run when the rain stops.. and see what happens while its under some load...
     
  13. Moo

    Moo Plodge Racing!!!

    Messages:
    1,040
    Likes Received:
    565
    Trophy Points:
    523
    Joined:
    May 7, 2014
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Perth WA
    My Bike:
    Ninja 250R
    welcome along and enjoy the frustration of old bikes :) we all secretly love it though
     
    • Like Like x 2
  14. shadowrg

    shadowrg Member

    Messages:
    54
    Likes Received:
    46
    Trophy Points:
    28
    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2016
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    victoria australia
    My Bike:
    zzr250
    ok. so the results are in. it wasnt the Oring for the water pump. was the bloody water pump itself.... i'm sure alot are aware there are 2 seals inside the water pump along the shaft. one side to keep the water in the cooling system and one to keep the oil in the engine.. WEEEEELLLLLLLLL... it should. but the seal next to the inside bearing failed... kawaka says its non-repairable so i have another water pump on its way should be here thursday, and have a new O'ring for it from kawaka, i hope once this is fixed i wont have to do anything to it for a while till i start planing some things,

    now i know this is usually taboo on forums, but i would like some input from the wider community and see if i've got a pipe dream (bomb) or onto something...

    first and foremost, i'm going to eventually buy a bigger bike, looking for a 650 lams hopefully a kawaka. so my 250 can become a project bike. and i wont be modding the 250 till i've got the bigger bike this is just an idea/theory so far.

    once thats done and a bigger bike is bought, the plans i'm mulling over are as follows. with explanations of thoughts

    hybrid the ex250h with a ex300 with a slightly bigger bore on the ex250h and slightly wider pistons to accommodate the bigger bore (ex250 and ex300 have the same bore just 300 has a different stroke)
    use the 300's internals to handle the added power,
    convert the carbies to the 300 EFI, custom exhaust, upgrade suspension and brakes, custom ecu. keep the 14 front sprocket but drop the back to 45 (currently 47)

    or even go so far as to get a set of rotary heads from a guy doing a conversion on the 300's (long way off from actually running yet by the looks of it)

    i'm not going i want 400cc or more or super fast that will take on a 1 litre., just a sleeper 250 with a slight power boost to make people wonder, and nothing over the top that will kill the frame of the bike, and i want to be able to keep the original engine number with the bike.

    my reasoning behind this, is the zzr250 is lighter then the ninja 250r and the 300 by up to 10kg, the base engine of the ex250h is around the same power if not alittle more then the 300 already. and i really dont like the look of the ninja's that much. i would like a zzr600 or zzr1100 once off the restricted part of the license (full but restricted) but thats 2 and a bit years off yet as neither are lams approved for obvious reasons.
     
  15. Linkin

    Linkin The Mechanic Premium Member Contributing Member Dirty Wheel Club

    Messages:
    4,730
    Likes Received:
    2,870
    Trophy Points:
    943
    Joined:
    Mar 18, 2014
    Location:
    Sydney NSW
    My Bike:
    FZR250R 3LN6
    If you want to mess around with ninja250/300 mix n match I suggest you take a look at ninjette.org

    It's a yank forum but they have lots of information and knowledge about nina250/300's
     
    • Like Like x 1
  16. shadowrg

    shadowrg Member

    Messages:
    54
    Likes Received:
    46
    Trophy Points:
    28
    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2016
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    victoria australia
    My Bike:
    zzr250
    good news and bad news on the 250 but not really that bad... no oil leaks, no water leaks, bike is running 90% like it should, one last thing then i get to start changing and modding... carbie tuning. because i had the carbies off, they need alittle bit of tuning because there are a few flat spots in the rev range now and she's very touchy with the throttle, but thats not really a drama and will be sorted hopefully by end of next week.... then i get to save up for a set of new fairings and new exhaust then the complimentary pod filter and then it will be done till i can find a wrecked 300 to experiment on.
     
  17. shadowrg

    shadowrg Member

    Messages:
    54
    Likes Received:
    46
    Trophy Points:
    28
    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2016
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    victoria australia
    My Bike:
    zzr250
    wish i could edit posts if there had been no responses so i dont look like a little fool.....

    pulled the tank off after having a thought that the throttle cables might be alittle loose and a vacuum line could be pinched which could explain the lack of power going up through the rev range only while on the road, but was fine in neutral. so re positions the vacuum line to the tank, ran a rev test and notice the chain was flopping around a good 8cm (mechanic may not of tightened it correctly when back tire was changed) so i tightened it alittle so its still got 2cm of free play up and down,

    took it for a quick run through the gears and rev range on the road and the loss of power is now gone, she revs right through the rev range with no flat spots at all... will have to run it to and from work tomorrow to see how it goes, so thats one thing ticked off the list i have to fork out for now down to new fairings and new exhaust and front tire.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  18. kiffsta

    kiffsta Senior Member

    Messages:
    9,066
    Likes Received:
    6,872
    Trophy Points:
    1,168
    Joined:
    Aug 7, 2010
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Brisbane
    nice work mate, sometimes its the simple things :thumb_ups:

    alas post editing is restricted to the big cheese
     
  19. shadowrg

    shadowrg Member

    Messages:
    54
    Likes Received:
    46
    Trophy Points:
    28
    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2016
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    victoria australia
    My Bike:
    zzr250
    well, now that i re-adjusted the fuel/air ratio, was tested and was able to make 150 (on private property ofcause), accelerates like a young pony, and sounds much better then it did when i first got it, and still gets around 250km to 18L tank. gotta love sitting at 100 on country roads that a pretty much straight and zero traffic. just dont much how cold it gets out here being as flat as it is, gotta rug up but still worth every moment of the ride.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  20. GreyImport

    GreyImport Administrator Staff Member The Chief Contributing Member

    Messages:
    10,914
    Likes Received:
    6,709
    Trophy Points:
    1,168
    Joined:
    Jun 14, 2012
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Between a Rock and a Hard Place
    Location:
    North by NW NSW Oztralia - Tamworth
    My Bike:
    *Kawasaki ZXR250C *Yamaha FZR250R 3LN1 *Yamaha FZR400 *Triumph Bonneville 750 T140V *Triumph Daytona 675 *Triumph Tiger 800XC
    good stuff mate ..... :thumb_ups:
     

Share This Page