1989 Kawasaki ZXR250 Problems

[Fozzie]

Hi all, I have been helping Jin get her ZXR250 going again as it has been sat in the garage for a while. Here is the story.

It was bought and ran quite well, other than conking out due to running out of fuel once it was alright but very loud and screamed up the rev range.

Here is where the history of its problems stem from. I find one day after it hasn't been run for a few days the bike will turn over but it is very weak. It must be the battery I decide so I charge it and it works. It was running a month or 2 ago when I decided to pull it apart and clean the carbs and air filter and give it some fresh juice. I left it in that state and came back to it another couple of weeks later.

But absolutely nothing, I hooked up the charger to the bike and flicked the ignition key but it was a dead stick. The lights on the dash barely came on and then the bike would just click rapidly on the starter button. So time for a new battery.

The new battery has been fitted and the dash lights up as it should, I also fixed an oil leak and filled it with new oil before I did it. But the bike now when I push the starter doesn't do a single thing. It makes a single loud click from the battery area but then refuses to do any more.

I think the starter solenoid has gone or the relay, I will be checking out the fuses when I can but I wanted some feedback off you guys as its a 1989 bike as pictured below. So it's not from my era of bikes that I usually work on.

http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/Gallery/Kawasaki%20ZXR250R%2089.jpg

Thanks

[Matt Strange]

I would check the battery voltage (at least 12.8V) then the earth lead first.

Check voltage across the battery terminals. Then disconnect the earth and put the positive lead on the battery and the negative on the earth strap *edit* ignition 'ON' for this. There should be virtually no difference in voltage between the two, if it's 0.25V or lower than the initial battery voltage your earth is buggered (say the battery is 13v & you get 12.74V doing this test). Check connections, then the leads resistance which should be virtually 0.

Have you tried applying battery voltage to the starter using a jumper wire??

[eastanglianbiker]

i would give the soloniod a tap when you press the starter button or short it acriss the 2 big wire terminals if it starts ok then you know its the solonoid,otherwise check wire going to starter motor incase its got hot and started to melt.otherwise it could have a lazy starter motor in it which will need stripping and cleaning and maybe new brushes in it

[Colin the Bear]

Will it bump? It's not siezed has it?