Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

I have a few questions about my bike.... i would check the normal owners manual but my bike didn't come with one and i cant find a pdf download anywhere... if someone has one and is willing to let me scan it, i can make it a pdf (id prefer a c-model manual)....

anyway....

what is the recommended tire pressure and chain tension ? what kind of gearbox oil does the bike use (im assuming its ATF of sorts) ? and how much, what weight engine oil should i be using, and how much (any recommended brands ?), whats the oil filter model number ?

iv noticed some days the bike doesn't really like going into 2nd gear, especially when pushing it a little, it tends to just pop into neutral unless i change hard with my foot (compared to other gears) is this normal ?

any other basic bits of info that i need for regular maintenance too would be good


cheers
Dan.

I don't have a manual, but can answer some basic Questions.

Chain slack about 30-35mm

Gearbox oil- The engine and gearbox in your bike, like many other bikes, is the same. ie- what lubricates your crank, lubricates your gearbox and your clutch. Most bikes like yours enjoy a nice high quality mineral or preferably a good quality Synthetic oil. I would use a lighter rather than a heavier viscosity oil, such as a 5W-40 or similiar. Car oils are not recommended, as they do not work well with wet clutches (waits for argument). Most larger shells/BP's/Mobils have motorcycle specific oils on the shelf if you are unable to get to a bike shop. As to the capacity, if you bought a 4L bottle you'd have some left. just fill it to the top of the site glass, bike upright!!!

Gearchange- You may fix the problem with correct chain adjustment and fresh oil. If not it could well be a worn selector fork or shift drum, which is a pull apart lots of money, unless you do it yourself, job!!!!

Hi again, I will try to answer your questions in order, firstly the bike has been owned by someone else so the chance that OEM or suggested fluids being used in the past is pretty remote & there is also a fairly high likelyhood that the bike has been thrashed a bit too,
The Tyre pressure will depend on what is fitted & the reccomended pressure will be on the side wall of the tyre... I would suggest 32psi front 36 rear as a base.
For chain tension you want a bit of slack with the rider on the bike say 15mm up & down from centre resting position.
As for Oils motul 5100 should be perfect for the 250 but any similar oil will work ok just make sure its changed frequently ....
No good having a really good expensive oil if you dont keep it fresh with regular oil changes....filter ? your local kawaka dealer can help out here.
With the gears it is probably a sign that there is a bit of wear but if you concentrate on positive gear changes you should be able to overcome the problem.... just my 2 cents worth
+ for more info try http://www.zxr250.com

Thankx for the tips guys, ill order the Oil and Filter , will do the change on the weekend... assuming i can find some where that sells the stuff...
and then see what kind of effect that has on the box...

another quick question...is the choke supposed to hold on or should it flick off when i let go of the leaver ? (mine just returns to off when i let go)

The ZXR250 has a spring on the choke that returns it when you let it go. Most other bikes don't have this.

You shouldn't need it much anyway - just enough to get it to idle without stalling.

oracle_sod wrote:another quick question...is the choke supposed to hold on or should it flick off when i let go of the leaver ? (mine just returns to off when i let go)

mine does the same i just use it till it gets warm by manually holding it annoying but ey lolz

motul oils are great mine loves it
15mm-20mm slack with YOU sitting your weight on the bike
tyre pressures as above....
oil filter.....kwaka dealer...
air filter might be worth changing kwaka dealer should have one the about $55 so try cleaining yours first hehe
and spark plugs may need changing (quite time consuming)
cheers and good luck mate

oh and hopefully with some good oil the shift will be smoother or maby just needs a few regular oil and filter changes to help it if not as rob stated positive changes will get your mind over it

my choke does the same need to hold it till it warms up

Actually don't rely on your dealer at all. These bikes are all grey imports so most dealers won't have info and factory parts are almost impossible to get.

I have a workshop manual and am happy to chase up filter numbers etc for you if needed. just let us know. Actually i found the manual free online somewhere. Will see if i can find the link for you. But be warned it's one of those old KHi manuals that just don't seem to read right after the japanese ahve litereally tranlated into ingrish.

And to confuse you more, mine is an A model and the choke stays on the same as my other 3 kwakas. So i dunno what your C should do.

The only time I've seen the choke slip back on its own has been when an over-enthusiastic punter has lubed the choke cable within an inch of it's life - see if you can find a can of surface rust and force a little into the choke cable, it should start staying open on it's own within a few days

wait im confused... so should it return on its own or not ?! lol ....

thankx for the help btw
iv just ordered a Filter, 4l of Motul 5100 10W-40 and im trying to decide between Silkolene and Belray Super Clean chain lubes..


gearbox was being painful last night again... although that could have something to do with the fact i was freezing my ass off it was pouring down and could barely move my limbs... ahh the pleasures of riding.... lol !

anyway... other than that i think the bike has been great, iv already gone through 3 tanks of fuel in the past 2 weeks, just cant get enough of riding it...

oracle_sod wrote:wait im confused... so should it return on its own or not ?! lol ....

Yes.

mine does the same thing into second, but it can be avoided by shifting below about 11k rpm. my guess is worn selector forks from the fat wanker who last owned it trying to do wheelies.

as for an oil filter, you can use hi-flo HF303s. they should be $10-15. if you're in sydney, metropolitan motorcycle spares at granville carries them.

I've yet to see a manual that specifies the chain slack in any position other than fully extended suspension. Once it is correctly set in that position it is loose enough through the whole range of swingarm motion, making rider weight irrelevant to the adjustment. Now I haven't seen that many manuals, but I suspect they're all like this.

MiG wrote:I've yet to see a manual that specifies the chain slack in any position other than fully extended suspension. Once it is correctly set in that position it is loose enough through the whole range of swingarm motion, making rider weight irrelevant to the adjustment. Now I haven't seen that many manuals, but I suspect they're all like this.

But you have to remember that the measurement with the rider seated, which will compress more than half the suspension, is where the majority of use will occur, so Its a good starting point in the middle. If the chain is loose at full extension it will be really loose when the suspension comes to about middle if its travel... a loose chain will wear heaps & a tight chain will wear & stretch heaps so you cant win really but worse is a loose chain that comes off been there & its not nice especially if you have the clutch push rod in front of your sprocket
Mate each to their own with the adjustment but one thing I have noticed is that X ring chains do not stretch like the good old ones....you really get what you pay for these days I used to go through std chains quiet often but never an X ring