'09 Ninja 250 won't start

[Bweixz]

I just bought a pretty much brand new ninja, it has 990 kms on it. When i purchased it, it started up fine and everything. After it got to my house it just wouldn't start up, the previous owner said the weather is too cold. But i brought it inside my house, and it still would not start. I checked the spark plugs, gas level, engine fluid (synthetic oil), fully charged battery, tried to jump start and push start, but it still will not start. It turns but the engine just will not start. . . I have no idea why Please can anyone help me out I am a new rider. What happens if i press the ignition button for too long as i have been trying to turn on the engine for a while now.

Thanks!

[daisoman]

Bring that bike back. There should be no reason why it's not starting other then electronics not connected properly or faulty

[GreyGhost]

What happens if i press the ignition button for too long as i have been trying to turn on the engine for a while now.

Thanks!

Bad things, take it easy on your poor starter. 5 or 10 seconds on followed by a minute or two off is a good safe practice. If you try to do 2 minutes on, there is a good chance your starter burns up and needs replaced.

Where did you buy your bike (ie.dealership or private (this seems likely as you talk about a previous owner)?

My guess is something like a sidestand, neutral or kill switch problem (not sure if 250 has all of them). You wouldn't be the first person foiled by a kill switch flipped off.

[Brian P]

There is a sticky thread about 250 Ninja hard-starting issues in this very forum section. Read it.

A bike that is 2 years old with 990 km on it has been sitting around doing nothing for a long time. That's a bug, not a feature.

[Bweixz]

I purchased the bike from a private sale, he tells me the bike has to be warm ... I called Ted Rose and he told me to change the spark plugs and if that doesnt work, theres something up with the carbs. So basically i went wrong by purchasing a 2 year low kms bike . . . it just doesn't make sense since before it got delivered to my house it was working fine.

[elton_t]

how come you folks never realize he never mentioned the use of choke

i owned the ninja before(10) it requires full choke during the slightest cold weather.

my bike would have flooded already if you try so many times starting it

[Bweixz]

Yeah my choke would always be on full, I have a feeling i have flooded something, how can i fix the flooding problem? is it the carbs that are flooded?

Thanks for all the help!!

[Scuba Steve]

The idle jets are plugged it is normal and happens all the time to these bikes. PM me if you want more help or PM Kneedragger on this site if you want someone to fix it. Don't worry it will be fine but stop trying to start it before you wreck it.

[elton_t]

Yeah my choke would always be on full, I have a feeling i have flooded something, how can i fix the flooding problem? is it the carbs that are flooded?

Thanks for all the help!!

I see. Since you have cranked so many times you will need to recharge your battery on a tender FIRST. Get it fully charged then try again. Otherwise your battery is gonna go cuz when the voltage falls below 12V your battery is pretty much drained 90%, you will have to get new batt afterwards. Motorcycle battery cannot be drained!

For the flooding condition, it should go if you let it sit. After you start it and ride it for a bit the flooding condition will be clear.

Before you try to turn over the engine again, please charge the battery. Please.

After it is charged put back the battery, this time you twist the throttle 1/4 while holding the ignition button. Allow max 4 seconds. If it struggles, try 1/2 open the throttle, next 3/4 then fully open it. There is no way you cant start it this way. But you need a fully charged up battery to do this.

Please charge the battery first i cant emphasize how many times i have said this.

let me know how it goes.

if you have a multimeter, you can check the voltage of the battery. normal sitting battery should be 13V+, minimum 12.8V. If it falls below 12.4V you will find it crank slowly and hard to start. Below 12V you batt is dead.

[caboose483]

There is a sticky thread about 250 Ninja hard-starting issues in this very forum section. Read it.

A bike that is 2 years old with 990 km on it has been sitting around doing nothing for a long time. That's a bug, not a feature.

Do this.. before you do anything else.

Hard-starting in cold weather is a very common issue with the 250R.

[250R-ICE]

- first check to see if the kill switch is on-or off
- then check to see if its in neutral
- pull choke lever back to full on position
- when its cold i find holding in the clutch then press the starter button works better

[Brian P]

Doubt if the issue involves kill switch or side stand switch or neutral switch or anything of the sort. On most bikes, including the one under discussion here, if that circuit is not permissive then the engine won't crank. We are dealing with a "crank but no start", not a "no crank".

For a "crank but no start" on a Ninja 250, read the sticky thread and do what post #1 instructs (basically, squirt a bunch of propane into the airbox and get the engine going on that - propane won't foul plugs if you get the mixture wrong because it's not in liquid form inside the engine). If it is possible to start the engine on propane, you have a carb issue. Idle circuit may need to be cleaned out, idle mixture screws may need to be adjusted (if you are lucky, this will solve the problem), next size bigger pilot jets will help a lot (most of them need this).