GPX250 hard to start when warm

Stopped for some petrol today for the first time and found I couldn't start
again.

When I did get it started and home I tried stopping and starting again and
it took rather a long time.

Cold it starts straight up.

What is this likely to be?
Also once warm the bike idles at 2000rpm. Is this normal?

Gavin.

 

Is your choke left on?
Also check and see if you haven't got the fuel knob on prime.
sometimes it's the simplest things.

 

Choke is off.
prime? I need a manual for this thing.

 

What year model GPX?

Turn the idle adjust down. It should idle at around 1200rpm (from memory -
have to check the book)

Sounds like you may have a (common) fueling problem.

Turn down the idle and see how you go.

 

There's a knob underneath the carbies on the left side of the bike
that allows you to set the idle speed. 1500rpm when warm is more
usual.

As for the hot starting issue, you need to adjust your valve tappets
(or get it done). When the clearances close up too much the valves
stay open just a teeny bit when the bike is hot, making it inclined to
stall and not want to start again. I learned that valuable (and
expensive!) lesson was at Wintersun, when Dad's CT90 exhibited exactly
that kind of behaviour.

You can get a basic "User's Manual" (as opposed to the Service Manual)
for about $15 from a Kawasaki dealer.


BTH

 

Don't worry, the fuel tap doesn't have a "prime" setting. Just an Off, Main and Reserve.

 

Paging Mike-S
Paging Mike-S

 

Hopefully it isn't too difficult. Is it similar to the procedure on my OHV
peuget 504. Once I get the manual I'll do it.

Gavin.

 

Not difficult, just fiddly. I did the clearances on mine while it was
raining on Sunday, and the procedure is:

1. Remove seat;
2. Remove side covers;
3. Remove bellypan fairing;
4. Remove mirrors;
5. Unplug indicators and remove upper fairing;
6. Remove fuel tank;
7. Unplug spark plug leads;
8. Unbolt the right (throttle side) ignition coil bracket & move out
of the way;
9. Undo the 4 bolts holding the rocker cover on;
10. Remove the rocker cover out the RHS of the frame[1];
11. Unscrew the large plastic cap on the LHS of the motor[2];
12. Use a 14mm socket on the bolt you just oncovered to rotate the
crankshaft clockwise;
13. Trun the crank around until the cam lobes are pointing upwards on
the pair of valves you are about to adjust;
14. Use a 9mm socket[3] to undo the locknuts and a very small blade
screwdriver to adjust the valve clearances to 0.13mm for exhaust
valves and 0.10mm for inlets;

While you have the top off the motor, undo the 3 bolts holding the cap
on the top of the camchain. If there's any looseness in the camchain
then you should get it replaced soonishly.

Reassemble in the reverse order of disasembly and you're done!

I also replaced the leaky right fork seal with a used one from a
bent-up set of forks that I have, because it was Sunday and I
therefore couldn't go and buy new ones. We'll see how it stands up.


BTH

[1] It takes a bit of fiddling and swearing, but it can be done. This
way you don't have to drain the coolant.
[2] Use a bit of steel about 3mm thick and 20mm wide as a screwdriver,
or you WILL chew up the slot.
[3] I use a 1/4" drive ratchet and a 1" extension, it seems to fit in
there best. Kawasaki will sell you a "special tool" that lets you
hold the adjuster whiel you tighten the locknut, but I doubt it'd save
much time.

 

In aus.motorcycles on 25 Oct 2004 15:44:35 -0700

Snip 14 steps and 11 re-assembly ones

Tappets on a Guzzi:

1) remove 8 bolts holding the rocker cover on
2) repeat for other side
3) remove 4 bolts holding alternator cover on
4) remove spark plugs
5) put 6mm allen key in alternator rotor, rotate motor till TDC on
compression stroke on one side, check you have it via the timing marks
through the flyhweel inspection hole if you feel like it. (if you do, and
you still have the rubber bung that covers the hole, there's another step.
The things appear to evaporate)
6) check inlet and exhaust on that side, .22mm more or less, adjust
using pliers and spanner, or a special tool you made out of a bit of
spare ally strip and spanner.
7) rotate motor till TDC compression the other side and do it.
8) replace covers, do up all those bloody bolts.
9) have a beer. You'll feel like it after 20 bolts.

at some point, eyeball pushrods to see if the buggers are collapsing and
thus causing that really horrendous clearance that you thought was you
not tightening the locknut properly last time....

Zebee
- now on a not quite so rattly old roundfin.

 

fidget two nuts from between the fins (unless you have a modified rocker cover,
in which case it's two allen bolts), and one center bolt.

Two bolts, unless you've drilled a hole in the cover just opposite the generator
bolt, in which case it's merely a matter of popping the plug out of that hole.

I find that putting them in the parts drawer instead of the timing hole improves
their longevity considerably, and does not degrade the engine's performance in
any way.

..15 inlet, .20 outlet, and two 10mm spanners (or one 10mm spanner and a 4mm allen
key if you have adjusters like mine).

Two bolts and four fiddly nuts entitle me to half a beer at least.

--
// Rik Steenwinkel '85 R80ST Skippy bike
// Enschede, Netherlands '91 R100GS/PD The Great Unwashed
// N 52.2158 E 6.88589 '90 K75C Kommutabike
// "Far away is only far away '81 MZ TS250/1+LSW Badkuip
// if you don't go there" '79 Honda XL250S TBD

 

That's one of the few things that I miss about riding a CX500 - even
less bolts than a Guzzi! ;-)

I rode The Jackal in this morning, and he's running a little hot.
I've already replaced the radiator cap, so I'll try a new thermostat
now.


BTH

 

In aus.motorcycles on 26 Oct 2004 14:59:09 -0700

Mate, everything has fewer bolts than a Guzzi.

Zebee
- who would say "including the Sydney Harbour Bridge" but as that
famously only has 2 bolts...

 

you didnt ride the Jackal for a while did you ??

its getting hot for you for being away for so long

 

You're weird!


BTH
"We'll be back - Oddball."