Motorcycles BS Thread 2.0

Anyone like the new Honda Rebel? I think they look nice and they upped the engine size slightly too.http://cdp.azureedge.net/products/U...BEL_500/50/MATTE_GRAY_METALLIC/2000000006.jpg

 

I like it, cool looking little bike

 

You have chosen to participate in a very risky activity, all motorcyclists have. Please be nice to everyone, different brand of bike, different type of riding, different skill level, everyone. Some people will choose to wear All The Gear All The Time, such as you have but others decide to wear as little as possible.

Contrary to the general public's opinion you do not have a death wish, you have simply decided to participate in a form of transportation that has additional risk.

Motorcycling is risk management. Some accept more risk, some try to reduce the risk. This is your choice.

 

Ive got a jacket for sale. See above post

 

Sent you a PM, thanks!

 

Anyone need handguards? Going to sell my cycra ultra probends ($170 set new) for about half.

 

Threw in my other piece of L-track tonight to give some more tiedown points in the rear.

 

Hey everybody,

Just an update: I got my first bike this past weekend. It's a 2007 Ninja 250 and I snagged it for $1,100. It runs and drives great and has a fresh PA state inspection, and I've already put over 50 miles on it.
On the downside, it has 20k miles and has been dropped several times as evidenced by a cracked cowling and some scratches to the fairings. With that said, it's perfect because I wanted a starter bike that wasn't in pristine condition, because I knew I would have a high risk of damaging it while I improve my skills... which leads me to my next point:

I dropped it yesterday.

I was practicing low-speed turns in a big empty parking lot. I took one of my turns too wide and ran the front tire off the edge of the pavement into the wet grass, and down she went. I jumped off and quickly hit the cut-off switch so the engine would stop running. I righted the bike and got it back on the pavement, but it wouldn't start and I ended up draining the battery. The lights got dim and the starter stopped cranking, with only the solenoid buzzing when I hit the start button.

My house was only two blocks away, so I ran back (carrying all my gear ) and grabbed the Taco and a set of jumper cables. Here is where it gets weird.
I had the jumper cables attached but the bike still would not crank. I could tell the moto battery was getting juice because the lights in the gauges were glowing brightly again, but it would not crank. The solenoid would just buzz loudly and the tachometer would dance around. I made sure everything was correct, including being in neutral and having the kickstand up.

I had no options and couldn't push the bike home due to the hills leading to my house. Ultimately, I took a leap of faith and decided to pop-start it in first gear. To conserve the battery, I kept the ignition off and ran it up to speed while straddling it (that was a workout), then hit the key, popped it into first and slipped the clutch. It worked! I limped it home and put it back in the garage, happy that I didn't have to pay somebody $150 to tow it two blocks to my house. It's currently sitting on a battery tender.

My question for the collective minds is this: why wouldn't the starter motor on the bike crank with the jumper cables attached?

 

literally the worst bike i ever owned. sorry. i bought one in highschool and it was the biggest pos.

not sure what tire is on there but the factory one is the slickest tire i ever rode on. id change it out asap.

had multiple problems of the bike not starting after it was on its side (because of the shitty tires). never figured out if it got flooded from the carb or what not but same scenario you had. i also think the float would stick sometimes.

starter was bound/solenoid not working fully if it wasnt starting again.


If you want to jump start bike i would make sure the vehicle your doing it from isnt running as well.

 

First off it is probably a bad idea to jump start a bike from a car. Sounds like your bike flooded and perhaps your starter overheated. Maybe is your bike was on its side long enough or a float stuck open and one of the cylinders filled with gas, at 125cc each it does not take much. There are many different nuances to a carbureted 12 year old motorcycle. If the carbs are a little dirty and it is not running perfectly before any hiccup can cause a problem. For sure when you go down, check out yourself first. Then right the bike and take stock of the situation. Make sure you are following the starting procedure correctly. When your adrenaline is pumping and you are doing something out of the ordinary, like hooking your bike up to your truck via jumper cables, things can get missed.

Glad you are practicing. Did you take your states MSF or rider course? Do that before anything else. If you have not done that what are you practicing? If you did that go back and study the fundamentals. "Low speed turns in a big empty parking lot" and running off the edge tells me you are not looking where you want to go, but rather where you think you might. Stop that!

Have fun, bike looks nice and clean. Great bike for $1,100 and great bike to learn on.

 

Yep, took the MSF course and passed. Learned a lot!
I was in the parking lot to practice my low speed turns and further improve my balance on the bike. I was doing well until I went too wide and got close to that edge. I'm pretty sure I was looking down and that was a critical mistake.

You're right about the adrenaline. I got a little ahead of myself after picking up the bike, when I should have righted the bike and just stopped for a few minutes. Looking back, I should have just let it sit so I could plan things out step by step. I don't think the starter overheated, though. It cranked for only three or four seconds before it stopped cranking and the solenoid began to buzz.

 

@MagtechPA let us know what happens when you try to start it today.

You picked a great first bike to learn on, and you are practicing off road, with gear. You are making great choices thus far.
@Sacrifice brought up a good point about tires. Since your bike is 12 years old, did you check the date code on the current tires?
A good rule of thumb is 5 years maximum life for motorcycle tires. Replace immediately if in that age range.
Enjoy and welcome to the club.

 

Thanks for the advice everybody, I will give it another shot tonight and see what it does. I will check the date codes on the tires for sure, I hadn't thought about that. I know the front one still has the nubbies on it, but that certainly doesn't mean that it's new.

I'm hoping that all I need to do is replace the battery and it will be back to normal. I'm just baffled that it wouldn't crank at all, still trying to figure that out.

 

So it started right up on the first try and ran great. I let it warm up to operating temp, shut it off and waited 10 seconds, then tried to start it again. It cranked for a split second the the solenoid started buzzing again. I guess the diagnosis is bad battery.

Front tire is 2016, rear tire is 2013. Tread is great on both, but will be replacing those as well.

 

Definately a bad battery, I also had parasitic draw from accessory LEDs before that would cause the bike to die really quick if key/lights left on for any amount of time.

 

Do yourself a huge favor, and go buy a battery tender at WalMart if you don't already have one. It'll be well worth the $30. You'll have a little pigtail to keep installed on the bike, and you can just keep it plugged in to a charger while it's sitting in the garage. The Tender will also come with some leads that make jumping the bike easy, just don't do it from your car! Buy the tiniest jump box you can find and keep it in your tool kit or better yet in a tank bag where you can charge your cell phone too!

Motorcycle batteries are pretty weak and finicky. Extreme temp changes and extended periods of discharge will kill them quick. If it's over 3 years old, it's suspect. AGM batteries are worth the money and the house brand at Batteries Plus is pretty decent. I've also run the Duracell AGMs and never had problems. Odyssey makes the best if you're going to keep the bike for a long time. I ran one in my BMW over 7 years and proactively replaced it before a long trip. It's STILL Holding a charge, and I use it around the garage 3 years later. If you have access to a basic Voltmeter, it's pretty easy to check your battery. Charge it up and go through the steps here before you waste any money: https://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/how-to-test-a-motorcycle-battery

As pointed out, when your bike laid over on it's side, a cylinder filled with gas. The starter was just not strong enough to compress the gas and turn the motor over, and push starting delivered more torque. My opinion on the tires is that if they're not dry rotted, I wouldn't swap them. Run them a couple hundred miles and see if they don't get stickier. It's unlikely that you're going to be riding hard enough to come anywhere close to their limits while you're just learning. No street tire will keep you from sliding in the situation you describe. When practicing low speed turning, or riding slowly on loose/ wet surfaces; avoid the front brake altogether! Practice your low speed turns while slightly dragging rear brake and you'll see what I mean. Should make things a lot easier.

I love the Ninja 250 and it's a PERFECT starter bike and yours looks bad ass! Once you get some seat time, that bike will be great on track days. It's a lot more fun to ride a little bike fast than it is to ride a big bike slow.

 

Solid advice from hookembevo. I also would NOT replace the tires. Keep a close eye on them, but you are doing that in your pre-ride check right?
I have a 72, 79, 81 & 2007 in the garage with original tires. The older bikes are just vintage stuff to putt around the neighborhood on, but the 07 I would not hesitate to take on a 80 MPH highway trip.

 

All right man. It’s a motorcycle BS thread. Let’s see them old bikes @SCQTT!