Hi, 2 250s but none to ride :(

[LINY2000]

Hello all, it's been ages since I've been on any forum, but I come to you all with my carb in my hands hoping for some insight.

I have 2 GZ250s both 2000. got them at a good price, one is sadly meant for parts as I don't have papers but the VIN is clean, the other I rode home and then winter happened.

The running bike I've gotten it to start only with the idle screw all the way in, the choke pulled and the air intake covered. I'd love to get this up an running soon so I can get my girlfriend on this bike, she loves the look and the size and the power and it's 1/2 the weight of my HD, great bike for her to cut her teeth on.
Any ideas where to start? I have a new Carb on order, I have no idea where to find replacement sleeves for the intake. I'm just kinda at a loss where to start w/o this snow balling into something too big.

The other bike I just towed home b/c I don't have the key, I plugged in a new ignition switch turn the key and get lights but it's not turning over, I have it on a car battery for now. I may use it for parts or see if I can get a title and fix it up, but either way at some point I guess I have to remove the triple tree and knock out the old ignition.

I hope to get some pics up soon and I'll be sure to update with anything I figure out, hopefully I can find some help and in turn give some in time.

Thanks for your time and hope to see you all around. Ride and wrench safe.

[Admin]

Welcome to the forum, enjoy!

[jonathan180iq]

What do you mean when you say you got it to start with the intake covered?

The bike needs air and fuel. All of those little adjustments you made to get it to start seem to lack both, lol. So air is getting in somewhere.

You probably just need a good thorough carb cleaning and checking for vacuum leaks.

[Vegas Street Rider]

Welcome to the forum. Hope you can get one running at the minimum. I don't understand how you can get it running at all with the air intake covered. As Jonathan180iq mentioned, that is the one thing you shouldn't eliminate as the issue.

On the second bike, if you replaced the ignition switch with one of the Chinese knock-off parts, they have been notorious for having problems. Sometimes you have to fork out the cash to do it right.

Have you checked the starter to see if it is the issue?

[EddieSC]

Oh man! Hopefully you can get at least one of them going. They're fun little bikes and great for learning.

That first one has me baffled beyond you're getting too much air in your air/fuel mix. Where it would be coming from to such a degree that you can block your air intake and get it running is beyond me, though.

The second one, though...like VSR said, the Chinese replacement parts are dodgy as sin, but another thing you might look at are your safety relays. I know there's a clutch relay, a neutral relay, and a kickstand relay that will prevent the bike from turning over completely if engaged. One of those might be bad.

[LINY2000]

Got a replacement carb, dropped it in, and found a hose that was coming from the carb past the battery and it seems it got crimped closed by a loop meant to hold it. so with the new carb and that line opened up I got her running.

Now I have to get the exhaust pried off the parts bike onto the running bike.

No idea where all the air was coming in from if a line was blocked, and the seals seam good but here we are with a running bike.

Thanks!!

[jonathan180iq]

That's awesome! There's nothing better than turning a non-running machine into a usable beast again!