New From Chilliwack, BC
#1
12-26-2012, 08:17 PM
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Chilliwack, BC
Posts: 21
New From Chilliwack, BC
Hey everyone,
I'm from Chilliwack, BC, Canada, home to some great riding trails and scenic drives. I recently purchased a 2011 Kawasaki KLX250S from a dealer here in town, got a great deal on it, brand new. It was the last one hanging around so they wanted to get rid of it. I've put almost 1000kms on it so far, but have had a couple issues with it. I haven't had it in for service yet because I'm not well-versed in the bike and I want to make sure I have the right information before I hand it off to somebody who I don't know/trust.
Hoping that I could get some help with a couple issues I have, I am actually an apprentice automotive technician but when it comes to bikes, it's all new to me.
First of all, have a lot of trouble on cold start. The bike has been sitting for a month now and it cranks and cranks and won't start. Fuel is on, choke on, everything is right but it just won't grab. Also, have an issue where between 5-7k RPM the bike makes a loud rattling sound, and it's definitely an internal noise, possibly from the head area of the engine. Obviously these are things someone would need to take a look at to diagnose, but I'm hoping perhaps for some insight as to whether or not these are a common issue or maybe someone has had similar problems. I'd like to arm myself with as much info as possible before handing my beloved bike over to the dealer's tech and crossing my fingers.
Thanks, all!
I'm from Chilliwack, BC, Canada, home to some great riding trails and scenic drives. I recently purchased a 2011 Kawasaki KLX250S from a dealer here in town, got a great deal on it, brand new. It was the last one hanging around so they wanted to get rid of it. I've put almost 1000kms on it so far, but have had a couple issues with it. I haven't had it in for service yet because I'm not well-versed in the bike and I want to make sure I have the right information before I hand it off to somebody who I don't know/trust.
Hoping that I could get some help with a couple issues I have, I am actually an apprentice automotive technician but when it comes to bikes, it's all new to me.
First of all, have a lot of trouble on cold start. The bike has been sitting for a month now and it cranks and cranks and won't start. Fuel is on, choke on, everything is right but it just won't grab. Also, have an issue where between 5-7k RPM the bike makes a loud rattling sound, and it's definitely an internal noise, possibly from the head area of the engine. Obviously these are things someone would need to take a look at to diagnose, but I'm hoping perhaps for some insight as to whether or not these are a common issue or maybe someone has had similar problems. I'd like to arm myself with as much info as possible before handing my beloved bike over to the dealer's tech and crossing my fingers.
Thanks, all!
#2
12-26-2012, 08:46 PM
supra,
Welcome to the forums. By the way, you have a supra? I like those.
The two problems you describe are both very common. The cold start can be most properly remedied by drilling out the enrichment jet to 0.018" diameter (just slightly larger than it's current size). There many threads on this, but if you fail to find one, just let us know. Another option that seems to work is draining and refilling the fuel bowl by: 1) either run the bike with fuel petcock off when putting it away to drain most fuel out of the bowl (I used this method before, shutting off the petcock about 0.1 mile from home), 2) with petcock closed lay the bike down so the fuel drains out, or 3) with the petcock closed, drain fuel out of the bowl by opening the drain on the bottom of the bowl. There's several other cold start tricks that others have used with mixed success. Search around, you'll find some of them.
The second one is very likely the automatic cam chain tensioner. When it doesn't automatically adjust like it should, the cam chain clatters around and sounds to me like a few rocks shaken in a metal coffee can. Right around 5 to 7K rpm like you describe. Get a Krieger manual tensioner. There's many happy owners of Krieger's work on this forum. Krieger Cam Chain Tensioners
Gear up and ride safe.
edit: many of us here like to do the work ourselves before handing over to the dealer's tech with fingers crossed. You'll find a wealth of information and very helpful folks around here.
Welcome to the forums. By the way, you have a supra? I like those.
The two problems you describe are both very common. The cold start can be most properly remedied by drilling out the enrichment jet to 0.018" diameter (just slightly larger than it's current size). There many threads on this, but if you fail to find one, just let us know. Another option that seems to work is draining and refilling the fuel bowl by: 1) either run the bike with fuel petcock off when putting it away to drain most fuel out of the bowl (I used this method before, shutting off the petcock about 0.1 mile from home), 2) with petcock closed lay the bike down so the fuel drains out, or 3) with the petcock closed, drain fuel out of the bowl by opening the drain on the bottom of the bowl. There's several other cold start tricks that others have used with mixed success. Search around, you'll find some of them.
The second one is very likely the automatic cam chain tensioner. When it doesn't automatically adjust like it should, the cam chain clatters around and sounds to me like a few rocks shaken in a metal coffee can. Right around 5 to 7K rpm like you describe. Get a Krieger manual tensioner. There's many happy owners of Krieger's work on this forum. Krieger Cam Chain Tensioners
Gear up and ride safe.
edit: many of us here like to do the work ourselves before handing over to the dealer's tech with fingers crossed. You'll find a wealth of information and very helpful folks around here.
Last edited by IDRIDR; 12-26-2012 at 08:48 PM.
#3
12-27-2012, 01:44 AM
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Chilliwack, BC
Posts: 21
Thank you very much for your information!
Unfortunately, I do not own a Supra, that's my dream car, but I have an MR2 that I rebuilt myself and have been restoring for four years now. This bike is my first bike, so it's all a learning process.
I would eventually like to do the work myself but I believe that in order to satisfy warranty requirements I must take the bike in for at least the first service, or so I'm told. I'll look into it further.
Again, thank you for your helpful information. I'll get going doing some more research and if I need any more help, I know where to go!
Unfortunately, I do not own a Supra, that's my dream car, but I have an MR2 that I rebuilt myself and have been restoring for four years now. This bike is my first bike, so it's all a learning process.
I would eventually like to do the work myself but I believe that in order to satisfy warranty requirements I must take the bike in for at least the first service, or so I'm told. I'll look into it further.
Again, thank you for your helpful information. I'll get going doing some more research and if I need any more help, I know where to go!
#4
12-27-2012, 07:04 AM
Don't let your dealer 'force' and adjustment of the auto cam chain tensioner by pushing it forward another tooth. This can put too much tension on the chain, which can be worse than too lose. Krieger has explained this issue, either on his site or other posts here.
My boss had an early 80s Supra. She used to let me drive it occasionally. Fun car! It would rip.
My boss had an early 80s Supra. She used to let me drive it occasionally. Fun car! It would rip.
#6
12-27-2012, 04:43 PM
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Washington
Posts: 21,060
Copy and past from one of my posts in the past. Read, try and report back. 
Shut down procedure.
1. After riding as you are pulling into your driveway, or to speed things up you can do this a block from your house, turn off the gas.
2. Let the bike run until it actually dies from gas starvation, (this may take 2-5 minutes) But that's ok it will give you time to put away your gear.
3. Park it and now you're ready for the next time you ride whether that be in a day, or a month.
Start up procedure.
1. Turn on the gas
2. Wait for 10 seconds
3. Start the bike as you always do
Now I know some of you are asking why not just drain the bowl and then you can start the bike. Well there are two reasons. It it harder to drain the bowl by hand than to let the bike do this as it runs out of gas, and by running the gas out using the motor, it assures that all of the small areas that would otherwise still have this junk they call fuel will be empty, ready for fresh, (fresher) gas to get in and do its job. Now all of that being said, I came up to work yesterday to let my son ride the moped up on the lawn and I cranked on the bike for a few minutes, and then I thought I wonder if I can drain the bowl and do the "after thought" procedure to get this thing going? Well I drained the bowl, turned the gas back on and two kicks and it was running. Keep in mind that the moped is a two stroke, and it has been sitting up at work in a mechanical room for about 2 months. So either way, whether running the gas out using the motor so you are ready to go next time (which I think is faster and more efficient) or you drain the bowl using the screw at the bottom of the carb, the results are the same, you get your bike started.
And I even guess some people would say that this is a hassle, but I gotta tell you that cranking on a bike for 5 minutes off and on only to run the battery down and still have not started the bike is way more of a hassle than a little time taken to get ready for the next ride. This last summer I rode my bike everyday for about 3 months, and it always started right up, but there are a couple of reasons. one it was warmer out, cold weather affects fuels in a negative way, and more importantly by riding the bike everyday I had gas in the bowl that didn't have enough time to "change". Next summer I will probably go back to leaving the gas on and not draining the bowl. but on the wife's bike the procedure will always be to run it out of gas since she doesn't ride as often as I do.
To get the bike started now since it was not shut down the above way, shut the gas off, open the drain on the bowl, or of that's too hard to do, just leave the gas on, lay the bike flat on the ground for 20 seconds, then tip it back up, and start it right up. But do the above procedure from now on and you wont have to lay it down again.
Shut down procedure.
1. After riding as you are pulling into your driveway, or to speed things up you can do this a block from your house, turn off the gas.
2. Let the bike run until it actually dies from gas starvation, (this may take 2-5 minutes) But that's ok it will give you time to put away your gear.
3. Park it and now you're ready for the next time you ride whether that be in a day, or a month.
Start up procedure.
1. Turn on the gas
2. Wait for 10 seconds
3. Start the bike as you always do
Now I know some of you are asking why not just drain the bowl and then you can start the bike. Well there are two reasons. It it harder to drain the bowl by hand than to let the bike do this as it runs out of gas, and by running the gas out using the motor, it assures that all of the small areas that would otherwise still have this junk they call fuel will be empty, ready for fresh, (fresher) gas to get in and do its job. Now all of that being said, I came up to work yesterday to let my son ride the moped up on the lawn and I cranked on the bike for a few minutes, and then I thought I wonder if I can drain the bowl and do the "after thought" procedure to get this thing going? Well I drained the bowl, turned the gas back on and two kicks and it was running. Keep in mind that the moped is a two stroke, and it has been sitting up at work in a mechanical room for about 2 months. So either way, whether running the gas out using the motor so you are ready to go next time (which I think is faster and more efficient) or you drain the bowl using the screw at the bottom of the carb, the results are the same, you get your bike started.
And I even guess some people would say that this is a hassle, but I gotta tell you that cranking on a bike for 5 minutes off and on only to run the battery down and still have not started the bike is way more of a hassle than a little time taken to get ready for the next ride. This last summer I rode my bike everyday for about 3 months, and it always started right up, but there are a couple of reasons. one it was warmer out, cold weather affects fuels in a negative way, and more importantly by riding the bike everyday I had gas in the bowl that didn't have enough time to "change". Next summer I will probably go back to leaving the gas on and not draining the bowl. but on the wife's bike the procedure will always be to run it out of gas since she doesn't ride as often as I do.
To get the bike started now since it was not shut down the above way, shut the gas off, open the drain on the bowl, or of that's too hard to do, just leave the gas on, lay the bike flat on the ground for 20 seconds, then tip it back up, and start it right up. But do the above procedure from now on and you wont have to lay it down again.
#7
12-27-2012, 07:35 PM
Welcome, Sup. Lotsa good advice on here for the KLX.
As for the warranty fears, do a Google for the Magnuson-Ferguson Act, however, in Canada different rules may apply. It spells out what repairs will and won't void a warranty. My advice, save all your receipts. (If you've ever re-built a "salvage-title" bike, you'll take this advice seriously. I have a notebook full of every receipt for my bike since 1997.)
Congrats on your auto-tech status. Seriously; good for you. We NEED guys who (actually) know how to properly repair vehicles. I see it in the trucking industry, alot. Stay with it.
Glad to have you with us. Post up a few pics and let us know how we can help. Gear up; stay safe.
As for the warranty fears, do a Google for the Magnuson-Ferguson Act, however, in Canada different rules may apply. It spells out what repairs will and won't void a warranty. My advice, save all your receipts. (If you've ever re-built a "salvage-title" bike, you'll take this advice seriously. I have a notebook full of every receipt for my bike since 1997.)
Congrats on your auto-tech status. Seriously; good for you. We NEED guys who (actually) know how to properly repair vehicles. I see it in the trucking industry, alot. Stay with it.
Glad to have you with us. Post up a few pics and let us know how we can help. Gear up; stay safe.
#9
12-30-2012, 06:12 AM
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Chilliwack, BC
Posts: 21
Thank you all for your advice!
And I appreciate the comment about being an auto-tech, and needing more guys, but I am actually a girl!
And we definitely need more girls in the trade for sure.
I have ran my bike "out of gas" and it started right up the next day. I'll be sure to use this procedure from now on. I don't think I'll be taking my bike in for service at all, I'll just get help and know-how from here, and from good friends who have been in the bike world for years. They own different makes and models, unfortunately, but they can probably help with the basics.
Once again, thanks!
And I appreciate the comment about being an auto-tech, and needing more guys, but I am actually a girl!
And we definitely need more girls in the trade for sure. I have ran my bike "out of gas" and it started right up the next day. I'll be sure to use this procedure from now on. I don't think I'll be taking my bike in for service at all, I'll just get help and know-how from here, and from good friends who have been in the bike world for years. They own different makes and models, unfortunately, but they can probably help with the basics.
Once again, thanks!