FZR250 putted out on the Pukerua Bay water front!

[Hack0r]

So for the second time in just over a week on my new bike, I've had to push it!

The first time I ran out of petrol on the Upper Hutt motorway at 9pm. I flicked it on to reserve, and nothing. I've assumed since then the pipes are backwards. Ended up pushing my bike 2 or 3 kms to get petrol.

Today it was absolutely poring down, I had plenty of petrol. I noticed my bike running on 3 instead of 4 Cylinders, then 2 of 4 at this stage I could ride any longer. Had to push my bike up the hill into Pukerua bay. Then catch the train, I was a hour late for work! I'm guessing seeing as I've never had a problem in the last 2 weeks, and this is the first time I have taken it in the rain that the leads are sealing and water has seeped in.

- :( I do not enjoy pushing my bike!

[hayd3n]

sounds like it needs a bit of loving how much did you pay for the bike?
ive had a bike splutter in the rain it was water in the plugs

[oneofsix]

So for the second time in just over a week on my new bike, I've had to push it!

The first time I ran out of petrol on the Upper Hutt motorway at 9pm. I flicked it on to reserve, and nothing. I've assumed since then the pipes are backwards. Ended up pushing my bike 2 or 3 kms to get petrol.

Today it was absolutely poring down, I had plenty of petrol. I noticed my bike running on 3 instead of 4 Cylinders, then 2 of 4 at this stage I could ride any longer. Had to push my bike up the hill into Pukerua bay. Then catch the train, I was a hour late for work! I'm guessing seeing as I've never had a problem in the last 2 weeks, and this is the first time I have taken it in the rain that the leads are sealing and water has seeped in.

- :( I do not enjoy pushing my bike!

Not a nice hill to push a bike up. I presume you were on the north side of Puk heading south, where there is no shoulder to speak of. Sounds like you need to spend some quality time in the garage with the bike.

[riffer]

Get your bike to the gargre.

Take off the tank.

Get a dry rag and clean all the water off the coils. Get some Vaseline©. Smear it all over the coils and the low-tension wires to the coils (they are the skinny ones).

Now get that rag and clean all the spark plug leads and the plugs over the spark plugs. Also clean out all the water from the plug holes around the plugs. Plug the leads back in. Smear some Vaseline© around all the plug ends as well.

Congrats. Your leads are now winter-fied.

[White trash]

Get your bike to the gargre.

Take off the tank.

Get a dry rag and clean all the water off the coils. Get some Vaseline©. Smear it all over the coils and the low-tension wires to the coils (they are the skinny ones).

Now get that rag and clean all the spark plug leads and the plugs over the spark plugs. Also clean out all the water from the plug holes around the plugs. Plug the leads back in. Smear some Vaseline© around all the plug ends as well.

Congrats. Your leads are now winter-fied.

Not everyone has access to the awesome stocks of Vaseline you have lying around.

[Hack0r]

Vaseline good idea!, paid $1300 for it. But had to replace the fork seals, did that myself.


Yes I was heading south that hills a bitch! I got a good sweat going, no way I could leave it where I had to stop.

There were trucks behind me when I lost power to, no cool.

I'm hoping to catch the train back there tonight and ride it home, hoping its dryed out. I had it sitting in the rain and started it no problem, so I'm guessing its riding in the rain thats got the water there.

Guess I'll be pulling it apart tonight

[dogsnbikes]

Vaseline good idea!, paid $1300 for it.

Thats a shit load of vaseline :rofl:

[Blackshear]

Check all of your spark plug leads, and while you're at it, the spark plugs condition.
Could prolly check for a bad gas cap seal, see if there's water droplets in the tank by swishing shit around.

I had my bike run like ass when it rained, turned out it was a shitty spark lead.

[Hack0r]

Thats a shit load of vaseline :rofl:


Hahaha Yeah well it has sooo many uses!

[Hack0r]

Check all of your spark plug leads, and while you're at it, the spark plugs condition.
Could prolly check for a bad gas cap seal, see if there's water droplets in the tank by swishing shit around.

I had my bike run like ass when it rained, turned out it was a shitty spark lead.

Yeah I was thinking about changing the plugs anyways, unless they cost a fortune.

[Sarah311]

So for the second time in just over a week on my new bike, I've had to push it!

The first time I ran out of petrol on the Upper Hutt motorway at 9pm. I flicked it on to reserve, and nothing. I've assumed since then the pipes are backwards. Ended up pushing my bike 2 or 3 kms to get petrol.

Today it was absolutely poring down, I had plenty of petrol. I noticed my bike running on 3 instead of 4 Cylinders, then 2 of 4 at this stage I could ride any longer. Had to push my bike up the hill into Pukerua bay. Then catch the train, I was a hour late for work! I'm guessing seeing as I've never had a problem in the last 2 weeks, and this is the first time I have taken it in the rain that the leads are sealing and water has seeped in.

- :( I do not enjoy pushing my bike!

So that was your bike!! I was thinking how random - a bike parked on the side of the road all on its own, and something told me the owner was not over the road at the shops lol!
P.S the cost of plugs will be ZERO compared to pushing your bike another meter!!

[Hack0r]

So that was your bike!! I was thinking how random - a bike parked on the side of the road all on its own, and something told me the owner was not over the road at the shops lol!
P.S the cost of plugs will be ZERO compared to pushing your bike another meter!!

haha Yep that was my bike. I was planning on leaving it by the shops but ran out of energy!

On a up note, caught the Train back to my bike at 11pm. Started first pop :) confirmed water shorted something. I'll be sorting that out in the morning. Thanks for everyones suggestions.

[ducatilover]

You sure it was water and not a blockage in the tank vent or fuel tap? Hope you get it sorted.

[FJRider]

The "reserve" issue will inside the tank ... not just a case of lines back to front. There may be two lines from the tank .. but one will be the vaccum hose ...

The reserve takes petrol from the bottom of the tank and main takes petrol through an extended fitting a few inches above the bottom. Short of replacing the fuel tap ... not a lot usually can be done to remedy this.

[Paul in NZ]

Try to avoid running the bloody things on reserve - sometimes all sorts of shit gets sucked into the carbs when you do...

I assume you live up Kapiti way? I have a little experience on shitty old FZR400's and assume the 250 is not too different. Sing out if I can help.

[Hack0r]

Pulled off the flarings this morning. Plugs where fine, must have been water shorting it out. Fill all the gaps with Vaseline, hopefully that fixes the issue. Wont know till it pours down I guess, just hope is not while I'm heading to work.

Yeah I just moved to Waikanae for 3-6months, and I work in Wellington.

Back to the fuel issue, I had be running it on reserve to see if it was piped wrong. I accidently ran it out of gas, 100m from work this morning. Flicked the switch to on and away it went so I must be correct. 150kms to reserve :S I should really lay off the gas :P


Thanks for your offer Paul, I have a manual actually for a fzr400 (no english version for mine) and I've managed to work everything out so far. haha If i get stuck with anything I'll flick you a message :)

[ducatilover]

The reserve tap cannot be "piped" wrong, it's a single pipe from the tank that carries fuel :yes: Hope it was the water that was doing it

[Hack0r]

You sure it was water and not a blockage in the tank vent or fuel tap? Hope you get it sorted.

Yeah pretty sure, It was running a cylinder down for over 1k because I had no where to stop, then when it went down to 2 cylinders LOL I had no choice.

[Hack0r]

The reserve tap cannot be "piped" wrong, it's a single pipe from the tank that carries fuel :yes: Hope it was the water that was doing it


Hmm, not sure then guess I'll have to look it up in the manual. It is opperating in reverse, so I cant see how water would affect it? I guess its working lol I could just relabel it haha.

[ducatilover]

Hmm, not sure then guess I'll have to look it up in the manual. It is opperating in reverse, so I cant see how water would affect it? I guess its working lol I could just relabel it haha.

It wouldn't operate in reverse, the attachment on top of the fuel tap is a two level fuel filter, as said earlier in the thread. Usally they can only go on one way.
I'd say the problem was water then, enjoy the bike dude :scooter::drinkup:

[RobGassit]

Replace your plug leads. Car ones from Supercheap can be cut to fit.

[jaffaonajappa]

Thats a shit load of vaseline :rofl:

Vass. Shit Load. Wheres the Honda?
:facepalm:

[FJRider]

Back to the fuel issue, I had be running it on reserve to see if it was piped wrong. I accidently ran it out of gas, 100m from work this morning. Flicked the switch to on and away it went so I must be correct. 150kms to reserve :S I should really lay off the gas :P


My FJ has a fuel switch for reserve .... NOT a tap as such. All the switch does is at a set level in the tank ... a sensor cuts out power to two plugs ... as a warning that you are low on fuel. It also has a low-fuel warning light. Which gives me 60 km's when it is steady on. I leave the reserve switch ON all the time because of this ... and trust the light. No problems with this so far.

[F5 Dave]

Replace your plug leads. Car ones from Supercheap can be cut to fit.
No they can't.

Bike leads are copper strand wire. Cars are usually carbon. Don't mix the two.

I'd be tempted to question if you had a fuel filter.. notorious for causing kinked fuel lines that starve gas.

[Hack0r]

No they can't.

Bike leads are copper strand wire. Cars are usually carbon. Don't mix the two.

I'd be tempted to question if you had a fuel filter.. notorious for causing kinked fuel lines that starve gas.


Yeah new fuel filter, lol I swear it run in reverse. On = Res and Res = On, I havent had a look at the manual yet or pull it apart. But today again while I was on RES, it started to putt out, flicked it to ON and away I went. Filled her up just under 11L which is about to my reserve according to the manual.

[RobGassit]

No they can't.

Bike leads are copper strand wire. Cars are usually carbon. Don't mix the two.

I'd be tempted to question if you had a fuel filter.. notorious for causing kinked fuel lines that starve gas.

Mind if I ask why carbon leads shouldn't be used?

[F5 Dave]

Bike ignitions aren't as big & the enormous coils cars have (or had) don't care. Bikes usually run copper wire cables & resistor caps. Replace them with pretty coloured car stuff & then the problems start a while later with funny running as they almost work ok. Its not uncommon.

[RobGassit]

Bike ignitions aren't as big & the enormous coils cars have (or had) don't care. Bikes usually run copper wire cables & resistor caps. Replace them with pretty coloured car stuff & then the problems start a while later with funny running as they almost work ok. Its not uncommon.

Well I stand corrected then. I've done it that way before and done 35000 k's on a set from the local auto electrician. Wasn't my intention to put the young fella crook. The symptoms he describes still sounds like HT breakdown to me, common when they get old and it's cold or wet. Maybe you could steer him where to get Copper ones from if you think it's worth a shot. I don't think he wants to pay bike shop prices.