'09 Ninja 250 won't start

Bweixz

Bweixz

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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!
 
Bring that bike back. There should be no reason why it's not starting other then electronics not connected properly or faulty
 
Bweixz said:
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!
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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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
how come you folks never realize he never mentioned the use of choke:confused:

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
 
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!!
 
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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.
 
Brian P said:
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.
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Do this.. before you do anything else.

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

You seem to be freaking out a bit. First thing is read and get yourself familiar with the issue and your bike, then follow the advice given by Brian

If you try working on your bike not understanding what you are doing you can cause more damage.
 
Bweixz said:
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!!
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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.
 
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Brian P said:
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).
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Of cos there is no issue with kill switch/stand or neutral switch, he could crank the engine no problem.

What you are suggesting propane, idle circuit, idle mixture screws, bigger pilot jets are all symptoms of older bike people have messed with. OP has a virtually brnad new bike out from factory. Last guy rode 900km obviously he wouldnt have done all the carburetor work.

If OP is seriously considering doing what you suggest he might be in bigger trouble than he is now. Lol.

But your info is definitely helpful and informative for someone who has an unknown or old ninja
 
elton_t said:
What you are suggesting propane, idle circuit, idle mixture screws, bigger pilot jets are all symptoms of older bike people have messed with. OP has a virtually brnad new bike out from factory. Last guy rode 900km obviously he wouldnt have done all the carburetor work.
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Or (as documented) symptoms of any ninja that hasn't had it already adjusted after purchase. Another victim of emissions controls over functional products.
 
elton_t said:
What you are suggesting propane, idle circuit, idle mixture screws, bigger pilot jets are all symptoms of older bike people have messed with. OP has a virtually brnad new bike out from factory. Last guy rode 900km obviously he wouldnt have done all the carburetor work.
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WRONG

Ninja 250s are calibrated right on the bleeding edge of being too lean FROM THE FACTORY

The majority of the hard-starting ones are not modified in any way, except for having sat for just a little bit too long with fuel in the float bowls.

If you had a stock Ninja 250 and never had cold-starting issues then you were lucky, and had one whose factory calibration erred a smidge on the rich (actually, "less lean") side, and you never let it sit too long with fuel in the carbs.

Friend's wife has a 2006 Ninja 250 that she seldom rides, and it has been miserable for cold-starting ever since it was new. Definitely 100% factory stock. The only thing that successfully fixed it, was rejetting the carbs to give it a little more fuel right off the bottom.

It's the STOCK ones that are trouble ... not the ones that have been correctly modified to fix the too-lean condition.
 
Brian P said:
WRONG

Ninja 250s are calibrated right on the bleeding edge of being too lean FROM THE FACTORY

The majority of the hard-starting ones are not modified in any way, except for having sat for just a little bit too long with fuel in the float bowls.

If you had a stock Ninja 250 and never had cold-starting issues then you were lucky, and had one whose factory calibration erred a smidge on the rich (actually, "less lean") side, and you never let it sit too long with fuel in the carbs.

Friend's wife has a 2006 Ninja 250 that she seldom rides, and it has been miserable for cold-starting ever since it was new. Definitely 100% factory stock. The only thing that successfully fixed it, was rejetting the carbs to give it a little more fuel right off the bottom.

It's the STOCK ones that are trouble ... not the ones that have been correctly modified to fix the too-lean condition.
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We are talking about 08+ ninja. Personally I owned the 2010 ninja 250 i didnt find it extremely lean like you said, kawasaki only expect us to ride in warm weather? of course no. like i said the things you mentioned are not going to help OP but making more trouble for him in the future. He is a beginner for god's sake. Just let him twist the throttle the engine will start and the flooding condition will disappear, you can't let him take an easier route!? I am 100% sure he wont ride in this cold weather not to mention snow and rain. He only wants to start the damn bike. There is an easier method out there but what you are asking him to do is out of his ability and not worth the trouble disassembling the carburetor and the bike!!
 
I have a stock 2009 250r , and I've never had cold starting issues. At the beginning of every season after my bike has sat in the garage for 4 months, the bike may take a few tries to start. But it starts without any special treatments mentioned above. It may be true that these bikes come lean from the factory but that shouldn't mean that they require jetting, new pilot screws etc. Try the simple options first.
 
08+ have the same issues as the prior models. Just because YOU got a good one doesn't mean everyone else did.

I'm pretty sure that at this point, the bike that the original poster owns is not going to start without opening a toolbox first and spinning some wrenches. I am also pretty sure that it is NOT a flooded-carbs (i.e. too rich) condition that cranking the engine with the throttle open will miraculously solve.

If the original poster doesn't have the tools and experience to fix this (which I agree is rather likely) then they need to take it to someone who does.
 
Brian P said:
08+ have the same issues as the prior models. Just because YOU got a good one doesn't mean everyone else did.

I'm pretty sure that at this point, the bike that the original poster owns is not going to start without opening a toolbox first and spinning some wrenches. I am also pretty sure that it is NOT a flooded-carbs (i.e. too rich) condition that cranking the engine with the throttle open will miraculously solve.

If the original poster doesn't have the tools and experience to fix this (which I agree is rather likely) then they need to take it to someone who does.
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Sorry did you take my bike into account? Mine didnt have starting issues also.

you are so sure about everything, have you seen OP's bike in person?

If the carburetor has gas left in it for long time like OP's bike did, it will get gummed up hence having trouble to start. The needle can get stuck. The more tries he does, more fuel is going to the carbs hence creating the flooding condition. I don't think you have take this into account, have you? There are MANY ways a bike can get flooded, not only running rich. I have worked on my bike a lot, i know opening up the throttle will help A LOT for these types of problems. For such simple task there's no need for even a screwdriver. Just because YOU like to take bike apart doesn't mean everyone else does. Sounds familiar? lol
 
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