need maintenance help
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Junior Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3
need maintenance help
I'll be working on a lady friend's 2000 Ninja 500r tomorrow, need some pre-work info/advice. She just got the bike and it needs help.
Are there any online manuals to check out for it?
Are the spark plugs simple to grab out once the tank is off? Where's the oil filter? Is there an easy way to drain/flush the coolant?
As it is, it only idles with the choke fully open. I already put a bunch of SeaFoam in the fuel tank and let it idle for awhile to get it in there to sit overnight. I found the idle screw on it under the carb, but since the carbs are so gummed up or whatever, I cant tell which way actually makes the idle go up or down.....
Are there any online manuals to check out for it?
Are the spark plugs simple to grab out once the tank is off? Where's the oil filter? Is there an easy way to drain/flush the coolant?
As it is, it only idles with the choke fully open. I already put a bunch of SeaFoam in the fuel tank and let it idle for awhile to get it in there to sit overnight. I found the idle screw on it under the carb, but since the carbs are so gummed up or whatever, I cant tell which way actually makes the idle go up or down.....
RE: need maintenance help
hahaha, ya tryin' the pantless trick?
sorry, a funny. But you are not used to carbs/bikes I take it. If a choke is needed to let the ride run, the low circuit and while you are at it, the carb needs cleaned. Floats adjusted and carb synched afterwards. haha, you may have some work on your hands before things are done.
sorry, a funny. But you are not used to carbs/bikes I take it. If a choke is needed to let the ride run, the low circuit and while you are at it, the carb needs cleaned. Floats adjusted and carb synched afterwards. haha, you may have some work on your hands before things are done.
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Joined: Aug 2007
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RE: need maintenance help
the oil filter is hangin off the front of the bike right behind the front wheel, for the drain plug on the coolant refer here... https://www.kawasakiforums.com/m_169008/tm.htm and the spark plugs u need a deep slim tool to get them i believe...good luck on the carbs lol
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Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,350
From: Clarksville, OH
RE: need maintenance help
Frankly, I'd encourage her to fix her bike. If she wants a "turn-key" vehicle, she needs to ante-up. Don't misunderstand; I'm definitely for helping people. But, I'll help them help themselves by teaching them how to do it. It's the only way they understand, and get out of that helpless mentality. (Otherwise, you'll find yourself on "the hook.") So, what will she do if you're not around?
Teach independence; not dependence.
Teach independence; not dependence.
Thread Starter
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Junior Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3
RE: need maintenance help
ORIGINAL: jeffzx9
Frankly, I'd encourage her to fix her bike. If she wants a "turn-key" vehicle, she needs to ante-up. Don't misunderstand; I'm definitely for helping people. But, I'll help them help themselves by teaching them how to do it. It's the only way they understand, and get out of that helpless mentality. (Otherwise, you'll find yourself on "the hook.") So, what will she do if you're not around?
Teach independence; not dependence.
Frankly, I'd encourage her to fix her bike. If she wants a "turn-key" vehicle, she needs to ante-up. Don't misunderstand; I'm definitely for helping people. But, I'll help them help themselves by teaching them how to do it. It's the only way they understand, and get out of that helpless mentality. (Otherwise, you'll find yourself on "the hook.") So, what will she do if you're not around?
Teach independence; not dependence.
And thanks for the info iroc.
Super Moderator
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,044
From: So Cal
RE: need maintenance help
If she has the shop manual and has a little experience working on cars she should be able to handle the carb cleaning and basic maintenance. Hell if I can do it anyone can and I am as shade tree as they come.
Have her check in here for advice and tell her to use a camera to take pics as she gores along, they arte helpful to to post with questions and for reassembly as well.
Clean carbs, change oil, plugs and radiator flush should take you a long day or day and a half if it is your first time. Tell her get some cold ones, fire up the bbq and have a good day wrenching.
Have her check in here for advice and tell her to use a camera to take pics as she gores along, they arte helpful to to post with questions and for reassembly as well.
Clean carbs, change oil, plugs and radiator flush should take you a long day or day and a half if it is your first time. Tell her get some cold ones, fire up the bbq and have a good day wrenching.
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Junior Member
Joined: Sep 2007
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RE: need maintenance help
i already changed the oil, plugs and did an 'on vehicle' carb clean. It helped for awhile, now its doing something new.
Earlier today I was riding it and it seemed to be doing ok. I rode it a little while ago however and something new has started while riding. I'll be accelerating on riding steady and then the RPMs drop and twisting the throttle does nothing. If I bounce on the bike like a freakshow it will go again for about 10 seconds then starts loosing RPM, boing boing...better. Seems the bouncing helps, so I'm figuring something big came loose in the carbs and it causing a float to stick....sound about right?
Also, when I take this carb out tomorrow, what is serviceable without buying a kit? What gaskets are rubber/neoprene and what can be siliconed up? If your really bored feel free to drop some links with pics or something. She'll be over here tomorrow night, so she can help.
Thanks again
Earlier today I was riding it and it seemed to be doing ok. I rode it a little while ago however and something new has started while riding. I'll be accelerating on riding steady and then the RPMs drop and twisting the throttle does nothing. If I bounce on the bike like a freakshow it will go again for about 10 seconds then starts loosing RPM, boing boing...better. Seems the bouncing helps, so I'm figuring something big came loose in the carbs and it causing a float to stick....sound about right?
Also, when I take this carb out tomorrow, what is serviceable without buying a kit? What gaskets are rubber/neoprene and what can be siliconed up? If your really bored feel free to drop some links with pics or something. She'll be over here tomorrow night, so she can help.
Thanks again
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 168
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RE: need maintenance help
omg wow that sounds freakishly similiar to my bike ....when i twisted the throttle ...nothin, like it was already dead...my problem was 1 of 2 initial things....1 the little black box-ignitor box......2 my fuel feed needed rerouted ....im not implyin either is ur problem but the box was quite an adventure to say the least ...anyways good luck 
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RE: need maintenance help
ORIGINAL: Scrufdog
i already changed the oil, plugs and did an 'on vehicle' carb clean. It helped for awhile, now its doing something new.
Earlier today I was riding it and it seemed to be doing ok. I rode it a little while ago however and something new has started while riding. I'll be accelerating on riding steady and then the RPMs drop and twisting the throttle does nothing. If I bounce on the bike like a freakshow it will go again for about 10 seconds then starts loosing RPM, boing boing...better. Seems the bouncing helps, so I'm figuring something big came loose in the carbs and it causing a float to stick....sound about right?
Also, when I take this carb out tomorrow, what is serviceable without buying a kit? What gaskets are rubber/neoprene and what can be siliconed up? If your really bored feel free to drop some links with pics or something. She'll be over here tomorrow night, so she can help.
Thanks again
i already changed the oil, plugs and did an 'on vehicle' carb clean. It helped for awhile, now its doing something new.
Earlier today I was riding it and it seemed to be doing ok. I rode it a little while ago however and something new has started while riding. I'll be accelerating on riding steady and then the RPMs drop and twisting the throttle does nothing. If I bounce on the bike like a freakshow it will go again for about 10 seconds then starts loosing RPM, boing boing...better. Seems the bouncing helps, so I'm figuring something big came loose in the carbs and it causing a float to stick....sound about right?
Also, when I take this carb out tomorrow, what is serviceable without buying a kit? What gaskets are rubber/neoprene and what can be siliconed up? If your really bored feel free to drop some links with pics or something. She'll be over here tomorrow night, so she can help.
Thanks again
you shouldnt really need a kit for anything, unless something is broken.
as for the float, sometimes pieces of the rubber fuel line get cut off when you jam the line up onto the petcock nipple... they will hold the float valve open.
gaskets, you shouldnt need any unless the bowl gasket is damaged