[Remix919]

Hey all, I recently bought a 2003 Kawasaki Ninja EX250. At the time of pick-up, the bike started up fine and my friend was riding it on the highway when he said he suddenly started to lose power, he thought it was a gas issue since the bike was a bit low on gas so he pulled off the highway to the nearest gas station. However, even after we put another gallon of gas in it, it still wouldn't start, it cranks over easily and I just got a new battery so I know its not a battery problem, but it just won't start all the way. I do feel air coming out of the mufflers. I also tried to spray starter fluid near the air intake box, but no luck. I ended up having my friend bring his truck and haul my bike back to my house, during which time I did have to lay it down, but very carefully (hate to do this, but I didn't have any other choice and didn't want to pay $120 for towing). I was just wondering if anyone had a similar problem like this or knew what the problem may be?

 

[tweakmon]

start with the basics: fuel + air + spark = run

check fuses first.

check that the carbs are getting fuel (open the drain screw on the bottom of the carb bowl and see if fuel comes out)

Pull a plug wire and check for spark.

Always start with the simple possibilities and work towards the more difficult ones.

 

[Remix919]

start with the basics: fuel + air + spark = run

check fuses first.

check that the carbs are getting fuel (open the drain screw on the bottom of the carb bowl and see if fuel comes out)

Pull a plug wire and check for spark.

Always start with the simple possibilities and work towards the more difficult ones.

Thanks tweakmon, I'll get started on those things and let you know if I discover anything.

 

[kkim]

http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Troubleshooting

 

[Remix919]

I just checked drained my carbs and they are definitely getting fuel no problem. Where is the fuse box located? Also, when connecting the battery, which wire is the power wire? Is it the one with the yellow wire attached or the black wire by itself?

 

[Remix919]

I checked all the fuses and they are all good, I just pulled the plugs and they seem ok to me, I've attached two pictures I took of them to see what you guys think.

 

[Remix919]

I just tried a spark test and I didn't get any spark, I put a spark plug into a boot that was out and touched the end to metal and tried to start, not getting any spark at all. Could it be the spark plug wires? I tried the test on both wires with both spark plugs and no spark at all. Do you guys think its a dead wire somewhere maybe?

 

[kkim]

http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Troubleshooting_101:General_engine_troubleshooting

read #3

hope this helps

 

[Remix919]

http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Troubleshooting_101:General_engine_troubleshooting

read #3

hope this helps

Thanks kkim, I've read over that article, but two questions:

1) From the pictures I posted, does it look to you like the spark plugs or fouled?
2) I'm assuming that you can only connect the battery one way right? One cord that connects to the battery is black and has an additional yellow cord connected to it and the other is just a black cord. I am assuming the black with yellow goes to negative and black alone goes to positive?

 

[kkim]

plugs don't look fouled, but they are a bit black... I'm assuming from you cranking the bike while having no spark.

does this answer your question on battery connection?

 

[Remix919]

plugs don't look fouled, but they are a bit black... I'm assuming from you cranking the bike while having no spark.

does this answer your question on battery connection?

Thanks for the pic, yea that answers my battery question, I was just confused since I usually work on cars, and usually a yellow wire is power, so I was confused as to why it was connected to the negative terminal on the battery, I guess it must be a motorcycle thing.

As for the plugs, I just wanted to make sure that I was doing the test right, even though it does seem pretty simple. I guess I'll just go buy some new plugs and test them to see if I get any spark.

 

[tweakmon]

hmm. No spark eh?

Check every fuse and make sure the kill switch is working OK. Check the wiring harness and make sure all connections are tight and none are rusted or corroded.

Then try starting it while holding the clutch in. This should bypass the kickstand switch and eliminate it as a possible suspect.

The plugs do look OK for the most part. I would replace them while you have them out.

Is it BOTH wires that have no spark, or just one?

 

[Remix919]

hmm. No spark eh?

Check every fuse and make sure the kill switch is working OK. Check the wiring harness and make sure all connections are tight and none are rusted or corroded.

Then try starting it while holding the clutch in. This should bypass the kickstand switch and eliminate it as a possible suspect.

The plugs do look OK for the most part. I would replace them while you have them out.

Is it BOTH wires that have no spark, or just one?

Hey, I checked all the fuses and all are fine. I think the kill switch is working properly since if I have the kill switch off, the bike doesn't even turn over. Is it weird if I have the clutch down, the bike won't even crank? It will only crank if I leave the clutch up, it was like that when I bought the bike and didn't have a problem starting.