FZR250 New bike and a few questions

[McFatty1000]

Ok, got the bike back from the shop today, $900ish later and the o-rings, seats, bowl gaskets, air filter, intake rubbers, fuel filter are all done, I supplied my own sparkplugs and needles to be put in too (Have to double check that they put the latter ones in? Its not on the job sheet), had a good clean, balance and tune, valve clearances should have been checked (again, need to double check) and had the cam chain adjusted. I'm pretty happy with it so far - it even starts now, before was a bit hit and miss...

Couple of questions: the camchain - would they have had to drain the oil for this? I'm planning on doing a change sometime this week anyhow but was suggested by a friend they would have had to do this for that? Also, forgive my noobness, does the cam chain adjustment have any bearing on the valve timing? (This is why I paid lots of money for someone else to do...)

Lastly, its still bogging down at takeoff, although I'm pretty sure this is rider error rather than the bike, however, once it does, it wont rev up until I wait for about a minute (Side of the road) trying to get it going - have to hold the throttle wide open just to get it to idle....
Any ideas on what would be going on, and the best way to not bog it down at takeoff?

[ducatilover]

Camchain has an automatic tensioner, they would have pulled it out and cleaned it while doing valve clearances, no need to drop the oil.

Bogging down, get it to do it right next to home and check the plugs.
Best way not to bog on a 250/4 is clutch slip really. And you'll look and sound like a dick

[FJRider]

Couple of questions: the camchain - would they have had to drain the oil for this? I'm planning on doing a change sometime this week anyhow but was suggested by a friend they would have had to do this for that? Also, forgive my noobness, does the cam chain adjustment have any bearing on the valve timing? (This is why I paid lots of money for someone else to do...)

With my limited experience of cam chain adjusters ... no they would not need to drain the oil.
Valve timing would only be an issue if the chain slipped over a tooth on the top cog. (unlikely)

Lastly, its still bogging down at takeoff, although I'm pretty sure this is rider error rather than the bike, however, once it does, it wont rev up until I wait for about a minute (Side of the road) trying to get it going - have to hold the throttle wide open just to get it to idle....
Any ideas on what would be going on, and the best way to not bog it down at takeoff?

If you are used to riding bigger bikes ... it's easy (and common) to not want to make it rev. (just sounds wrong) Ride it like you stole it ...

[McFatty1000]

Sweet, ok, so rev the guts out of it on takeoff - not used to bigger bikes, just twins and singles of the same size. And I haven't taken this one to a car park to practice everything all over again either.
Hoping that my fuel use will drop under 8 litres per hundy kms now too

[FJRider]

Hoping that my fuel use will drop under 8 litres per hundy kms now too

Doesn't work like that ... on bigger bikes you just go further ... use MORE petrol.

My FJ uses 7.1 liters per 100 km's (average) when I behave myself.

[McFatty1000]

I'm hoping my 250 will be a little better than that. If I behave.

[ducatilover]

Yours should manage just under 5l/100km.
It shouldn't bog down unless you're loading it up at very low rpm

[JustNick]

Ok, got the bike back from the shop today, $900ish later and the o-rings, seats, bowl gaskets, air filter, intake rubbers, fuel filter are all done, I supplied my own sparkplugs and needles to be put in too (Have to double check that they put the latter ones in? Its not on the job sheet), had a good clean, balance and tune, valve clearances should have been checked (again, need to double check) and had the cam chain adjusted. I'm pretty happy with it so far - it even starts now, before was a bit hit and miss...

Couple of questions: the camchain - would they have had to drain the oil for this? I'm planning on doing a change sometime this week anyhow but was suggested by a friend they would have had to do this for that? Also, forgive my noobness, does the cam chain adjustment have any bearing on the valve timing? (This is why I paid lots of money for someone else to do...)

Lastly, its still bogging down at takeoff, although I'm pretty sure this is rider error rather than the bike, however, once it does, it wont rev up until I wait for about a minute (Side of the road) trying to get it going - have to hold the throttle wide open just to get it to idle....
Any ideas on what would be going on, and the best way to not bog it down at takeoff?

Howzit going mate, have you checked out the exup valve to make sure it's working properly? I had similar issues with bogging down at take off with my old fizzer and found that the exup cables had been munted at some time and that the valve had been wired open. The bike did run ok in this condition but was REALLY gutless at take off.

[McFatty1000]

Hey, yeah, the exup is going - the cables are getting a bit tired though so I'll have to replace them at some point - it must be me loading it up to much at low revs, have only had the bike going for about ten days total in two months of ownership so really not used to riding it just yet, especially around town.
I'll give the exup another look at just in case though

Good to know that I should expect about 5l/100km - is this an average or a best scenario for moderate riding?

When it bogs down, what it actually happening internally? Flooding/starving/something else? I figure if I get some idea of this I can better combat it.And is bogging down bike specific in what happens internally?

[ducatilover]

Can be a lot of things when it bogs, lack of vacuum to pull enough petrol through, or flooding. All depends on the engine. As to why yours bogs, if it's EXUP and it's working, I'd say flooding.

I've average 5l/100 on 4 cyl 250s over long rides with some serious thrashing in the middle. You could get lower, but nobody buys one to treat it nicely

[McFatty1000]

Ok, quick update: not bogging down much at all now I've put a few tanks through and gotten used to it a bit more myself so I'm putting that mostly down to rider error on takeoff when she does. However, the fuel economy is quite low, sitting at 6l/100km and doesn't seem to be getting any lower (Its like that no matter how I ride), doesn't seem to get any higher than that either though. Any thoughts on what might be causing this? Or how I can reduce the fuel use? My friends on a cbr600 and a gpz500 are getting about the same/slightly better fuel use as me and they don't ride around like nanas and my other friends fzr250 gets closer to 4.5l/100km...

[Akzle]

Ok, quick update: not bogging down much at all now I've put a few tanks through and gotten used to it a bit more myself so I'm putting that mostly down to rider error on takeoff when she does. However, the fuel economy is quite low, sitting at 6l/100km and doesn't seem to be getting any lower (Its like that no matter how I ride), doesn't seem to get any higher than that either though. Any thoughts on what might be causing this? Or how I can reduce the fuel use? My friends on a cbr600 and a gpz500 are getting about the same/slightly better fuel use as me and they don't ride around like nanas and my other friends fzr250 gets closer to 4.5l/100km...

1) use premium. all the time. i've been known to fill up 2/3rds with normal and the top of the tank with gull octane (if i wants to thrash it a bit n blow out the cobwebs, pure gull makes it idle 2k over and doesn't have the range)

2) in order to use less fuel: park the bike, go watch TV.

3) big bikes often have comparable "economy" with 250/4s, there is an optimum rev range for your engine, i'm guessing it rings out at 20 or so, so your optimum fuel usage range if probably around 12k (guess) less or more will affect your economy.

IF the carbs got balanced properly it will be running as schweet as you're going to get it. a) buy bigger bike b) sell your kidneys for fuel money

[ducatilover]

If it's all running fine, just live with the fuel usage. My 600 uses less than most 250s do

[Akzle]

If it's all running fine, just live with the fuel usage. My 600 uses less than most 250s do

that's because you don't ride!

[ducatilover]

that's because you don't ride!

Can't argue with that