1986 Honda Rebel 250cc

[rebelgirl]

Hi, I have been having a problem with my bike. I am just a newbie lady and need some advice. My 1986 Honda Rebel 250 goes like a rocket. Except about every month it decides it does not want to start. I stick new spark plugs in it and then she fires straight away, never misses a beat for a month then dies again. Doesn't use oil, blah blah. Would anyone out there in KB land know what the hell is goin on?? Stupid mechanic here doesn't know or probably more to the point doesn want to know!! Just thinks i am a stupid female on a motobike, and doesn't know how to start it!! AAAARRRGGGHHHH!!! So frustrated. Cos I know its not me!!!! :oi-grr:

[crashe]

Hi, I have been having a problem with my bike. I am just a newbie lady and need some advice. My 1986 Honda Rebel 250 goes like a rocket. Except about every month it decides it does not want to start. I stick new spark plugs in it and then she fires straight away, never misses a beat for a month then dies again. Doesn't use oil, blah blah. Would anyone out there in KB land know what the hell is goin on?? Stupid mechanic here doesn't know or probably more to the point doesn want to know!! Just thinks i am a stupid female on a motobike, and doesn't know how to start it!! AAAARRRGGGHHHH!!! So frustrated. Cos I know its not me!!!! :oi-grr:

Send a pm (private message) to Riff Raff as she used to own and ride a 250 Honda Rebel. She may have had the same sort of problem and maybe able to help you out.

[Nagash]

Could be the battery is losing it's charge? Just bloody slowly. Has it been changed at all in it's history?

Other than that i've never experianced this problem on my rebel so wouldn't be able to help.

[Waylander]

Could be the battery is losing it's charge? Just bloody slowly. Has it been changed at all in it's history?

Other than that i've never experianced this problem on my rebel so wouldn't be able to help.
Wouldn't explain why it would start fine with a new plug.

What do the old plugs look like when you swap them out RG?

[xwhatsit]

I had a very similar problem. Plugs looked whitish, so chased the problem all around the bike. Suspected carburettion for a long time due to the white plugs; it wasn't that, but the carb is running beautifully now as I spent so much time trying to tune it.

Turned out to be the ignition system. Coil/CDI were stuffed (or mismatched, who knows). Once the plug wears even only a little (mine only took 100kms or so), it's slightly harder to get a spark out of -- and if your ignition system is weak like mine was, then that can be just enough to stop it from starting.

Check out the ignition system. With the so-called `old' plugs (which might be just barely worn), see if you're getting a nice big blue fat spark. If not, perhaps your coil is shagged.

Or maybe it's just a simple case of rich running/oil inside the combustion chamber and you're fouling the plugs; in which case they'll look very black.

[rebelgirl]

The plugs are very wet looking and sooty looking. When the bike is warm it starts straight away, its just a cold start problem. Guarentee if i put a new set of plugs in it would fire.

[crashe]

The plugs are very wet looking and sooty looking. When the bike is warm it starts straight away, its just a cold start problem. Guarentee if i put a new set of plugs in it would fire.

Can you perchance take a pic of the sparkplugs in the state as you described and post them up here on this thread..... that should help the lads know what is going wrong.

[Waylander]

The plugs are very wet looking and sooty looking. When the bike is warm it starts straight away, its just a cold start problem. Guarentee if i put a new set of plugs in it would fire.

How long since the oil and filter have been changed?

[rebelgirl]

Thanks to all that gave me some input as to what the problem might be. I took it back to the shop and they cleaned the carb and did something to the air filter. Lets keep fingers crossed that they fixed it!! :doh: