New bike, Annoying problem, Please help.

[mr_fett01]

Hi all,

I have just bought my first bike, second hand. Got a trusty GN250. It was dropped off on Tuesday and I got all my gear on Friday from Wellington Motorcycles and was going to go for my first ride today, this is when my problems started.

I tried to start the bike, the engine turned over but did not start. I added some choke as it had been a few days since it had been dropped off. I tried again and the engine turned over but still did not start. Then I noticed that the neutral light had gone off so I thought maybe I had flooded the engine so I left it for a bit and tried again. Nothing. No light no nothing.

I thought that maybe the battery was flat so I got out the jump leads and tried that. When I connected the last point the engine started whirring which was odd because I had not turned the ignition to on. I disconnected and started to do some reading and the only thing I could come up with is that the ignition switch has failed or a fuse has gone.

Is there anyone out there in the Lower Hutt region that may be able to help. I was gutted when I had fine day and the kids were sleeping and I could not go for my first ride. Any help would be appreciated.

[yachtie10]

Have you made sure
The kill switch is off (i mean it is not activated)
It should be in neutral (as in out of gear)

best of luck

[mr_fett01]

Yes. Kill switch is off and yes it is out off gear. Def think its a electric issue.

[duckonin]

Don't panic it should be a simple fix, there will be someone who can help you..

[98tls]

Is it a new GN?

[mr_fett01]

No, its not new. its a 2005 that I bought of trade me.

[YellowDog]

Just give the guy you bought it aff a call.

He'll know exactly what is wrong!

[mr_fett01]

I have been in contact wit the previous owner and they said they never had an issue like this. Plus when I viewed it it was running fine and they rode it to my house to drop it off.

[98tls]

Losing the neutral light is odd,wonder if you have blown a fuse when you tried jump starting it? fuses have you checked them?If it was flooded chances are you would have smelt it,aside from that i dunno,from cold regardless of time not run i would suggest using the choke first up fwiw.Whirring noise could only be the starter motor.Gns have come a long way since i had anything to do with them,are they clutch in or it wont start?Sidestand switch etc?

[YellowDog]

If the ignition light have come on, why don't you try bump starting it down a short hill in second gear.

[Mschvs]

Problem is .... you bought a GN250 .......



JK

[paddy]

I don't have a GN myself - so I don't know where all of the switches are and what they look like. That's not much help there. Given it's your first bike, that you are a new rider, and that it sounded like it was running fine before, I'm inclined to think that it's "user error" rather than a problem with the bike. Don't get me wrong - I don't mean that in an offensive way at all. Hopefully there are some Kiwibikers that are down your way and can swing by but in the meantime:

Fuel cock:
There will be a tap under the (left?) edge of the fuel tank. This probably has three positions: off, on, and reserve. Off is obviously off. On allows you to drain most but not all of the fuel from the tank. Reserve will let you empty the tank. I don't know if the GN has a fuel gauge or not but back in the day most bikes didn't. The idea was you rode with the petcock in the "on" position until the engine faltered and then moved to the reserve position in order to ride to the next closes petrol station.

Fuel contents:
Obviously it will be harder to start if the fuel tank is empty. You might laugh but plenty of more experienced bikers have been there. Seems to happen more often if you have a kickstart for some reason.

Neutral:
The neutral light should be on if the bike is in neutral (baring a blown bulb or other electrical issue). The bike won't turn over (or will lurch forwards) if you try and start it in gear. You also won't be able to push the bike more than a few inches if it is not in neutral. Neutral can be a pig to find on some bikes.

Kill switch:
In addition to the ignition you will have a "kill" switch on the right? handlebar. I can't tell you what position this will need to be in as I don't have a GN but mine has a nice picture beside it. I guess yours will be similar.

Choke:
You will probably need the choke fairly well open to start from cold. You can also twist the throttle through a couple of full turns before you start the bike. This will squirt some fuel directly into the carburettor.

Jump starting:
If you are trying to jump start - make sure the bike is 12 volts. Some are 6 volts. Forget push/crash starting until you have some riding experience under your belt. Otherwise it will be just that: crash starting.

Hope that helps. Sorry I'm not any closer. Good luck.

P.

[mr_fett01]

There are no lights at all, ignition\neutral\headlights. I think maybe a fuse blew. Not sure if there is a sidestand switch on this bike. I couldnt see anything visible.

Can I get a fuse from any hardware store or does it have to be a bike shop?

[98tls]

Problem is .... you bought a GN250 .......



JK

Pot calling kettle black. JK

[paddy]

It's probably a blade fuse (unless it's an older bike). It will be just like the ones in your car (unless it's an older car). They are all coloured. Just make sure you put one in of the same colour. The just pull out. You should be able to look through it sideways and see if the "filament" is blown. Repco, Supercheap Auto, The Warehouse, auto electricians, bikes shops, etcetera should all have them.