2007 Ninja 250 I've Run Out of Ideas?

[kern16]

I have a friend who wanted a smaller displacement bike for when I have my RD350 out. He found this like new 07 Ninja 250 with less than 4K on the odometer. This forum has been so much help to me in the past I thought it might be worth a try to see if we can find the problem.
Thx N Advance

   Upon starting, the machine would idle erratically
   between 3k and 5,000 RPM. After a warm up, without
   choke, the bike would never idle or run. The
   exhaust headers looked like the bike ran lean in
   the past.

   The carburetors on the Ninja look like brand new,
   down to inspection marks.  Leak down test
   performed. Compression checked ok. Timing checked
   ok. Gas analyzer did not show bike running lean.
   No outside air entering the carbs. ECU appears to
   be "new", numbers checked with Kawasaki. New plugs
   installed ( the removed ones had the right
   coloring).

   Bought 2 carb rebuild kits from Kawasaki dealer.
   After installation, no change.

[oldbike54]

 Really sounds like the pilots jets are plugged .

 Dusty

[Lannis]

I have a friend who wanted a smaller displacement bike for when I have my RD350 out. He found this like new 07 Ninja 250 with less than 4K on the odometer. This forum has been so much help to me in the past I thought it might be worth a try to see if we can find the problem.
Thx N Advance

   Upon starting, the machine would idle erratically
   between 3k and 5,000 RPM. After a warm up, without
   choke, the bike would never idle or run. The
   exhaust headers looked like the bike ran lean in
   the past.

   The carburetors on the Ninja look like brand new,
   down to inspection marks.  Leak down test
   performed. Compression checked ok. Timing checked
   ok. Gas analyzer did not show bike running lean.
   No outside air entering the carbs. ECU appears to
   be "new", numbers checked with Kawasaki. New plugs
   installed ( the removed ones had the right
   coloring).

   Bought 2 carb rebuild kits from Kawasaki dealer.
   After installation, no change.

I had a 1992 Ninja 250 that I got from a friend to fix up and try to sell.

Same problem you had, went through all the same things you did, including buying a used set of carbs and trying them.   Could never get it to run.

Gave up and sold it to a guy who replaced the carbs yet again but THIS time with a set on which the float needle seats were not ruined, and he's got 40,000 miles or so on the little screamer now.

The needle seats in those carbs are not replaceable or fixable (as far as I know, at least not by the shade-tree mechanic), and any of them that sat around long with "mountain dew" in the fuel have eroded, leaky float needle seats.

Don't know that that's your problem, but that was my story and I'm stickin' to it ....

Lannis

[kern16]

Many THX Lannis
I bet you nailed it the bike had been setting up a long time! Good to hear from you I still have my V7R #198 haven't been on any of my forums N a long time. Life sometimes gets N the way if you know what I mean.....
Best Wishes

[Lannis]

Many THX Lannis
I bet you nailed it the bike had been setting up a long time! Good to hear from you I still have my V7R #198 haven't been on any of my forums N a long time. Life sometimes gets N the way if you know what I mean.....
Best Wishes

Two and a half years, now that I look.   And I do know what you mean about "life getting in the way".  Sometimes that's a good thing!     Sometimes not .... 

Lannis

[kern16]

I was afraid to look I knew it had been a while!
Thx Again

[Mike Tashjian]

My kids had a 07 Ninja and we had a very similar problem every Spring after the Winter layover which is usually 4 or more months in a heated garage.  Dusty is right that the pilot jet passage ways are suspect.  We would use a stabilizer and non ethanol fuel for storage and they would still require a dose of techtron to run through before they would totally clear up.  Only had to actually clean them once after the first Winter layover, before realizing they would be a problem.  A earlier 250 Ninja I worked on for a friend was left stored and not run for a couple of years.  Same issue, I cleaned the carbs and that solved the problem. Be diligent and pull every part and blow out every passage and you should have good results.   Mike

[Kev m]

The only run on choke symptom makes me think clogged pilots as well.

I would think that too much fuel from the floats wouldn't manifest that way.

[elvisboy77]

I had an 06 and 07.  Both would clog the carbs if it sat for more than 15 seconds it seemed like  Shame Kawasaki didn't put one big carb on.

I got tired of it and sold otherwise excellent bikes.  The carbs are a huge pain to remove and clean.

Good luck to you!  It can be fixed but...

[Utrider]

I picked one of these up from a frustrated guy for $300.00.  Had the EXACT same issue, and after cleaning the carbs still had a problem.  Dropped the fuel petcock and BINGO, cleaned out the screen, and it ran just like it was intended.  I thought for sure it was the pilot jet, also.  While you have it apart take a quick look at the screen on that petcock.

[Kev m]

I picked one of these up from a frustrated guy for $300.00.  Had the EXACT same issue, and after cleaning the carbs still had a problem.  Dropped the fuel petcock and BINGO, cleaned out the screen, and it ran just like it was intended.  I thought for sure it was the pilot jet, also.  While you have it apart take a quick look at the screen on that petcock.

Being that's such a simple thing to check I'd start with that.

[SmithSwede]

I have a 2012 Ninja. Love it.   Strongly agree this sounds like a fuel issue, gummed up carbs, jets, or fuel filter.  These things appreciate being run on a regular basis. 

Don�t laugh, but you should also check the plastic intake scoop leading to the air box.  I don�t know what it is, but dirt daubers love this thing.   Three times now I�ve had to remove big dirt dauber nests from this thing to get the bike to run right. 

[SmithSwede]

Ninjette.org is a good forum.  May want to check there.

[Lannis]

I have a 2012 Ninja. Love it.   Strongly agree this sounds like a fuel issue, gummed up carbs, jets, or fuel filter.  These things appreciate being run on a regular basis. 

Don�t laugh, but you should also check the plastic intake scoop leading to the air box.  I don�t know what it is, but dirt daubers love this thing.   Three times now I�ve had to remove big dirt dauber nests from this thing to get the bike to run right.

Or in the exhausts, come to think of it.   Mice or dirt daubers.    The #1 reason my lawn equipment won't start is mice or bugs living in the intake or exhaust.

Lannis