First Gear...

[TiN]

hmm, I had planned a good 50-mile running-in trip for this morning, but it was cut short

Initially, it was because I thought the 1st gear wasn't functioning properly, but then it started to pi$$ down anyway...

Basically (back to the 1st gear issue), I have to rev it (clutch in) to my makeshift "redline" (5k) and then release the clutch and continue putting in loads of gas, which usually takes me over the 5k "limit", otherwise the engine will just die...is this normal?...it can't be 'cos I've never had to do it that way before!

Any ideas will be useful...

Also, I'm thinking about making a mini treadmill-type thing to fit under the rear wheel (when on a paddock stand) so that I can accumulate a few miles in the comfort of my own garden (ok, so the miles won't show up on the counter, but I have a maths A-level )...I'm keen to be out on the road, but I don't like the idea of being restricted like a moped rider...

Tin

[Phil.S]

ERR Definatley not normal mate,
i assume you have warmed the bike up properly(at least 5mins)
before you try to ride,i know with mine that if i try to take off before
its warmed up i have to rev the bollocks out of it to get it up my
driveway(hell of a slope) and also i have to start it in first with clutch in,
it jumps forward a little but then when its warmed up all is fine.
i assume that this is because the gear oil isn't circulating at first.
I also think that it would be better to do your running in on the road,
as it doesnt have the same stresses put on the engine if its on stands.
and if its on a stand i assume that it would be at a constant speed and
that will glaze your pistons.
running in miles aint that much really if you can ride as much as possible.
i managed to do 100 miles a day just bumming around on it.
ok its not fast but remember any moped rider that overtakes you is
yet another target accumulated for when your ready,and the old can't
be bothered at the moment will save face.

[Kickstart]

Hi

Probably a dead spark plug, fouled up from slow riding while running in. Try a new plug.

Dont try running in with just a roller. You will not do the engine any good at all, and in reality it would do less damage to not run it in at all.

All the best

Keith

[TiN]

[Kickstart]

[Springbok_Tony]

I am becoming paranoid as to getting the NSR now...
Soo many things can go wrong.... what will i do?
blah blah blah, is it often that a new bike will f*ck up?

Cheers for any reply, Tony...


P.S Sorry to invade like this Tin, but i hope u sort out the problem!

[retrofly]

Hi
All bikes are unrealiable bastards especially 125's, but they aint half fun.

I hope that answers your question, no matter what bike you gets something is bound to go wrong with it, ive spent over £600 on my second hand NSR in the 5 months ive had it (sigh)

Luke
____________________
"The food was not undelicious"
-Homer Simpson (Exceptional beast : Underachiving Human)
www.geocities.com/retrofly

[Kris]

Well mines okay and I treat her like sh*t to be honest. Never had a problem (cept crashing!) even though Ive missed a service by 2500 miles :o (bye bye warranty!)
Only nice thing I do to the bike is warm her up properly and use good oil.

Am I just lucky or what?

Since I messed about with the exhaust restrictor, got fed up and banged it back in place, I've had an indicated 100mph out of her on a downhill section of the M25. (intake plate not touched,and exhaust restrictor still there) Is this normal?
Laters

[Phil.S]

Have you tried leaving it for longer to warm up ?
is it a brand new one ?
if so sometimes they forget things setting it up ie putting oil in and
putting spark plug lead on tight.
i tend to take a long time in warming my engine up,
after the revs start sputtering i turn off the choke and rev it up to 5k
and down again until it stops blowing all that smoke out and even then
i only ride up to 5-6k untill i am happy its running hot enough,
you can usually tell by the sound of the engine.
otherwise mate i don't know.
p.s I got my NSR brand new and haven't had a problem with it yet.

[Kris]

Take it back to where you bought it (was it a dealer?) they may have missed out a few vital checks before delivery (all dealers are stupid)
If you cant do this, Id suggest you ask your local garage for any ideas, cos it sounds well dodgy.

Sorry mate, not much help AGAIN

[G]

The only money I've had to spend, excluding consumables, on my second hand 91 NSR is due to me stacking it... the engines been really reliable, starting on the second try after being left in the garage for two months.

[G]

[touches wood]

[TiN]

Well, the worrying thing about this situation is that I had actually ridden the bike about 4 miles with the 1st gear normal, before I stopped in the ASDA carpark (maybe it was a curse...)

I'm gonna test it out again before I take any major actions, but unfortunately I don't have that much spare time at the mo (oh, and the weather's $hit)...

Just one more question (before the next one ): Does it do any harm if I just warm up the engine for a few minutes every day, but not actually ride it?...and do any of you guys (and gals) actually switch the fuel tap off whenever you park (like it suggests in the manual)?

Cheers,

Tin

[RFT]

the fuel tap depends- parking at work or overnight (both places are inside out-of-sight) then I usually don't bother, but if I'm leaving it for long periods or parking it "in public" then I generally do switch it to off. in the first instance cos I don't want to rely on what has proved to be a dodgy float valve and in the second your average opportunist tea-leaf wont bother to check. A mate of mine had his kawa AR125 nicked from outside my old house in manchester a few years ago and the theif abandoned it about 50 yards down the road after the carb had run out of gas. not a guarantee, but it doesn;t help to give yourself all the chances you can...

My bike's new so i've had to run it in as well, bit the problem I found was that it wouldn't warm up out of the blue sector without actually being ridden, no matter how long I left it (10 mins plus) so i have to do the first quarter mile or so very gingerly on the throttle but with the bike sounding like a bag of spanners. also if one uses the more gradual run-in procedure someone gave me on the site (start at 5000rpm and go up 500 every 100 miles) you do get up to speed a bit quicker, plus the more frequent "rewards" are a bit more of an encouragment to keep to it.

as to your specific moving-off problem, not had it. in fact one of the most surprising things about the bike was how it will pick up from low revs, I was expecting (from reviews I'd read) that I'd have to have ten grand up before I could move away from traffic lights. one idea comes to mind though- might your back brake be binding? that might explain the large extra effort you're needing to put into moving off...

Rich T
____________________
2 strokes is all it takes...

[TiN]

Mine takes ages to get out of the blue area too...

My problem with moving-off is not so much the amount effort required, but rather the fact that the engine dies after the bike has started moving, unless I have at about 5000 revs and sustain it after moving-off...

As I have said, I will try the bike again before I make any calls...

Tin

[Viper]

Ok then Tin.
Right here are things from my view.
The practical and non-technical guide for fixing your problems....

First things first,..... dont panic.

From what you describe (having to whack the revs up to above 5k, otherwise it dies) is EXACTLY what my bike does. And due to my lack of caring, my bike has done that 'dying phenomena' on and off now for about the past 9mths!!

In all honesty, the length of time you warm it up for has not got much to do with it. I have riden about 25miles into a journey before, when then it decides to start doing it. It is very unpredictable.

However, to 'cure' the problem in my own little way, i just adapted to suit the bike. Whenever i come up to a halt at traffic light now, i always hold the bike at about 3k, just in case, the revs start to drop when i pull away.
I have got to know my bike very well now, so i can tell when it is going to do it. And if revs do start to die, wack the choke on, and then you'll be able to pull away again.

Also when your bike is warm, you dont see the oil in the window, as it busy circulating round. Thats normal.

From my experiences, I dont believe that the spark plug has much to do with it, but i could be wrong.
I think its more a problem with the mixture....

But this is where it is technical, so hopefully Keith will come in at this point...........

[TiN]

Thanks for the info Viper...and as I have said, I'm not exactly rushing for the mechanic!...but it's just that I don't want to thrash i too much whilst I'm still running it in...

...I will take it out again this weekend and see how it goes...

Back to my query earlier (it's probably stupid, as usual :oops: ): does warming the bike up every day but not riding it damage the engine?

Tin

[Dylan]

If it was wet you might have got water in air filter, which causes it to stuter real bad. It happened to me on my RK when i lifted up the flap to fill up with fuel and all the water ran down the flap and into the airbox!!!!
Dyl

[Kris]

Tin mate, you worry too much.
When my bike was off the road for a few months, I used to religiously (spelt wrong?) warm it up every few days. After a fornight or so I thought FUCK IT, and warmed it up once a week or less! It doesnt need running every day, my mate leaves his unused for weeks on end and it hasn't EVER given him any cause for concern. Do it if you want, it wont damage the engine though (as far as I know) but I would make sure you give it a few revs now and then so that the carb gets cleared out etc.

[Hibby]

Hi,

Sounds to me that you need to adjust the mixture, easy to do just a case of turning a screw. I believe the correct position is 2.5 turns open from fully closed.

Hibby

[TiN]

[Stevo]

Hi guys, i dont know if its different for 2 strokes, but i can leave my bikes in the garage for months without running them if i want. I have a ZX6R J1 that i put away in the garage in october and it hasnt been started up since! All i did was to clean it, de grease the chain and lube it, and then i ran the motor with an empty tank till it conked out, to drain the fuel out from the carbs. I have fitted an automatic battery charger, so that i could leave it switched on all winter. As long as you keep the battery charged you should not have any trouble, very important if you have an alarm or immobiliser system, cos they can get knackered if it goes flat.
Im gonna get my bike out next wk and all it should need is a gallon of unleaded, and it should fire up straight away!
Cheers.

[TiN]

Well, the problem's still there...it seems to kick in sometime after the engine has warmed up...

...went for a quick ride this lunch time and the first few starts and stops were fine, but on the way back it started to die on 1st again...

A fired it up a few hours ago (when engine was cold and transmission oil window empty), and it was fine again, it pulled away easily at low revs...then I switched it off, and returned to it about 20mins later...the transmission oil window was pretty much full and the problem returned...

I shall be giving Motorcycle-City a call tomorrow (well, in about 9 hours actually!), and see what they have to say...

I appreciate what Viper said about adapting to the bike, but this is a serious problem that will make low-speed manouvers (sic) impossible!...I can't take my test on it in this state!

Tin

[TiN]

Hey Keith, it looks as though your suggestions were pointing the right direction! (note to self: listen to Keith) ...There is probably something wrong in the spark plug direction, when the AA bloke pulled the plug out, the end was covered in oil...he cleaned it, and then plugged it back in...

...apparently, this can be caused by "excessive choking", what exactly does the "excessive" bit mean?...I usually leave it on choke for about 30-60 secs...is this too long?

The damn dealership/workshop is in absolute chaos at the moment so they can't do anything until the middle of the week anyway...I haven't been out for a ride yet, but I hope to do so soon...

Tin

[Kickstart]