Fired them up and was suprised.

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I awoke the machines day before yesterday, pulled them off life support (battery tenders) checked all fluids, and started the bikes.. The carberated 250 ninja took the longest to start, maybee 20+ seconds of cranking (total) but when it came to life i swear that bikes never ran that smooth. When i put them away last year both bikes got STAY-BIL & MMO in the tanks, i got a little carried away with the additives this go around and was expecting the bikes to protest.. i got the exact opposite, they both started with realative ease and are running flawless.. point of my post is im wonder if my very liberal use of additives has anything to do with the bike running so smooth, its like a brand new machine...
 
I've been doing the same over the last few years. I'm not overdosing, but using both MMO and Stabil. It was so warm today, I started my mowers for the first time this season. 3 pulls on my old Toro and it ran smooth as glass. The gas was over 6 months old.

Fuel stabilizers work!
 
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Hey Otis, if youWant to add a little more low end power to your bikes,Google Jamesnow mod or ,https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2250780&Searchpage=1&Main=153608&Words=jamesnow+mod&Search=true#Post2250780
 
my plan was to overdose a bit on 'storage' amount of Stabil Marine ethanol treatment & seafoam for storing, but intermittent good weather precluded that; the Buell actually hibernated for 75 days at the dealer and they had little difficulty starting it...I did treat it before riding it there
 
I always mix a stiffer cocktail with the Marine Stabil as well as the original Red Stabil. I have never had a carb issue yet. I was getting tired of pulling my tri power carbs off all the time when letting it sit for a couple months. Never had an issue with my bikes either on the stuff.

Now I have had my Tecumseh powered snowbird protest too much additive. It would sputter and die under load.
 
Our 250 Ninja takes some work to revive each Spring as I drain the carbs for the Winter. On start up the vacuum activated petcock takes quite a bit of cranking with the throttle closed to get some gas down in the float bowl.
 
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i went through that before, matter of fact in 2005 when i stored the bike the first time i followed the manual and drained the carbs. that spring it took awhile to get the bike started.. as a matter of fact it took to long, Ive never done it since then, i run fuel injection carb cleaner through the bike throughout the year, and when i go to store it i normally measure staybill and plug it in and call it a season.. this year i added MMO (just to see) and i added 4-5 big gulps from the quart container.. and probably 2oz of staybill. when my brew is in i go for a nice ride to get a good mix going and to get it into the carb. store 4-5 months on the Tender.. I dont even turn the petcock off anymore.. the one year i turned the petcock off and let the bike die from fuel starvation it took some real time for the bike to die, and ALOT longer for it to start in the spring.. ive been doing it my way for about 5 years now and ive had the carb off a few times.. its spotless, i attribute this to all the additives i use throughout the season (atleast a few bottles of cleaner) I know my method is not textbook and even considered wrong, but its caused me no trouble. and less headaches.
 
Originally Posted By: cancov
What year Ninja 250 is it? I really like the latest model and have heard very good things about it as a very nimble bike.


yes, the 250's are like motards, extremely nimble and very forgiving. awesome on fuel, easy on tires, and runs out to about 95 mph on flat ground bone stock. many call them starter bikes, well im no squid *rookie* and i love my lil 04 250 ninja. I have a set of molded nylon hard bags and this makes the bike a perfect cheap commuter bike. Love it.
 
Nothing wrong with a 250. They're not just starter bikes. They're actually very functional and fuel efficient at the same time. Ride it and don't worry about it.

There is a guy I work with that rides a Honda 50cc scooter daily. Literally. It has over 20,000 miles on it and the little engine has never been touched other than oil changes and standard tune-ups, belts, rollers, and tires on the scooter. He says he doesn't care what other people think because he averages 105-mpg.
 
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No problem with the shadow here. The only problem is the usual one where I'm pretty sure the starter is shot, it grinds and sometimes spins without turning the engine, and it pulls too much current. Does this even with a new battery, so ugh. But once it's running, she purrs like a very noisy kitten.
 
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