digest number 6475

DSN_KLR650
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Mike Frey
Posts: 833
Joined: Sun Apr 04, 2004 10:53 am

nklr: running a bike that sat idle for 3 years

Post by Mike Frey » Sat Jul 02, 2005 3:26 pm

I volunteered (nice guy that I am) to clean up and get in proper running order a friend's 2000 Ninja 250 with only 400 miles on it. The bike sat outside for 4 years under a tarp. It's a shame, because the bike is immaculate other than some corrosion on the bolts and pipes. Cleaning it up and getting it started was no problem, but it was only running on one cylinder at first. I took the carbs off - easy but time consuming. You have to take off the rear wheel, the rear fender assembly, then the airbox, and finally the carbs. With the carbs upside down, bowls off, I saw that the offending carb had a stuck float valve. I cleaned that up, and now the bike will run, but idles poorly and stalls. (At high RPMs it's fine). I'm sure the carbs are still dirty, but am lazy and don't want to take it all apart (again). Anyone have any recommendations for a fuel additive combination that I can use and run the bike for 20 miles or so that might clean the system out - or am I resigned to taking the carburetors apart completely? I've seen much worse looking ones. Mike

Felicisimo Madarang
Posts: 8
Joined: Sun Mar 14, 2004 5:20 pm

nklr: running a bike that sat idle for 3 years

Post by Felicisimo Madarang » Sat Jul 02, 2005 4:55 pm

Sea Foam. <>

Jud Jones
Posts: 1251
Joined: Wed Mar 03, 2004 2:52 pm

nklr: running a bike that sat idle for 3 years

Post by Jud Jones » Sat Jul 02, 2005 5:57 pm

Try Yamaha carb cleaner, mix 50/50 with gasoline and use a pump oillcan to inject it into the float bowls through the fuel lines. Allow to sit for 3 hours or so, or leave it overnight. Start the bike and run it, and follow with a healthy dose of SeaFoam in the fuel.
--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Mike Frey" wrote: > I volunteered (nice guy that I am) to clean up and get in proper running > order a friend's 2000 Ninja 250 with only 400 miles on it. The bike sat > outside for 4 years under a tarp. It's a shame, because the bike is > immaculate other than some corrosion on the bolts and pipes. > > Cleaning it up and getting it started was no problem, but it was only > running on one cylinder at first. > > I took the carbs off - easy but time consuming. You have to take off the > rear wheel, the rear fender assembly, then the airbox, and finally the > carbs. With the carbs upside down, bowls off, I saw that the offending carb > had a stuck float valve. I cleaned that up, and now the bike will run, but > idles poorly and stalls. (At high RPMs it's fine). I'm sure the carbs are > still dirty, but am lazy and don't want to take it all apart (again). > > Anyone have any recommendations for a fuel additive combination that I can > use and run the bike for 20 miles or so that might clean the system out - or > am I resigned to taking the carburetors apart completely? I've seen much > worse looking ones. > > Mike

Rick McCauley
Posts: 526
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2005 1:28 pm

nklr: running a bike that sat idle for 3 years

Post by Rick McCauley » Sat Jul 02, 2005 6:04 pm

Personally, I have always believed that the only way to properly clean carbs is to disassemble and soak all parts in quality carb cleaner. In some extreme cases, new jets are even better. Todays carbs are so lean, that the slightest blockage will cause grief. Especially on jets as small as the pilot jets in a 250 twin. My .02 :-) Rick A17 Mike Frey wrote: I volunteered (nice guy that I am) to clean up and get in proper running order a friend's 2000 Ninja 250 with only 400 miles on it. The bike sat outside for 4 years under a tarp. It's a shame, because the bike is immaculate other than some corrosion on the bolts and pipes. Anyone have any recommendations for a fuel additive combination that I can use and run the bike for 20 miles or so that might clean the system out - or am I resigned to taking the carburetors apart completely? I've seen much worse looking ones. Mike __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Analog Aardvark
Posts: 280
Joined: Sun Mar 13, 2005 2:54 pm

nklr: running a bike that sat idle for 3 years

Post by Analog Aardvark » Sat Jul 02, 2005 8:54 pm

Three years is awhile, but... before I tore em apart I'd go to my friendly autoparts store, or if necessary marine/lawnmower store, and buy a can of this stuff called SeaFoam. You get about a pint of it and, if memory serves, for a bike you give half the bottle to a tank. I ran a bottle through, then added a second and ran that mostly through... the bike was still inconsistently running like crap, and I parked it for a week resigned to dissassembling (this was an inline 4). When I came back, she ran great and has since. Can only suspect that leaving the mix of seafoam in the carbs softened up some residue that then got coughed through. That bike was sitting a year or so though. Certainly worth the 3.99 though, as long as your willing to stick with it running crap that long. Good luck. -Luke ugly ducklin a17 --- Rick McCauley wrote:
> Personally, I have always believed that the only way > to properly clean carbs is to disassemble and soak > all parts in quality carb cleaner. In some extreme > cases, new jets are even better. Todays carbs are so > lean, that the slightest blockage will cause grief. > Especially on jets as small as the pilot jets in a > 250 twin. > My .02 :-) > > Rick A17 > > Mike Frey wrote: > I volunteered (nice guy that I am) to clean up and > get in proper running > order a friend's 2000 Ninja 250 with only 400 miles > on it. The bike sat > outside for 4 years under a tarp. It's a shame, > because the bike is > immaculate other than some corrosion on the bolts > and pipes. > > Anyone have any recommendations for a fuel additive > combination that I can > use and run the bike for 20 miles or so that might > clean the system out - or > am I resigned to taking the carburetors apart > completely? I've seen much > worse looking ones. > > Mike > > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam > protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com > > [Non-text portions of this message have been > removed] > > > > Archive Quicksearch at: >
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scott quillen
Posts: 154
Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2005 10:17 am

digest number 6475

Post by scott quillen » Tue Jul 05, 2005 4:05 am

I believe we all knew that...we were having a little fun with it ;^) Scott "John L. Altom" wrote: He didn't say it lifted the wheel in fifth. He said it had more noticable acceleration in fifth. He said it lifted the front wheel a couple of times but, not in fifth. Archive Quicksearch at: http://www.angelfire.com/ut/moab/klr650_data_search.html List sponsored by Dual Sport News at: www.dualsportnews.com List FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html Yahoo! Groups Links --------------------------------- Yahoo! Mail Mobile Take Yahoo! Mail with you! Check email on your mobile phone. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

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