if valves need adjustment - what are the symptoms

[GZ250]

If valves in GZ250 need adjustment what signs/symptoms the bike would show. Mine is over due but going good. It needs a little choke while starting. One more thing. I have to warm up the engine like for 2-3 minutes before driving otherwise if I drive with cold engine it dies if i don't keep the throtle open when stopping. is this normal or is this the sign of bad valves.

Thanks and a great forum.

[Badbob]

As the valves/rockers wear the gap gets tighter and the engine get quieter. Thus a little valve noise is a good thing. If it get to tight the valves don't close all the way and they burn. Then you get to rebuild the head.

[badfun]

If valves in GZ250 need adjustment what signs/symptoms the bike would show. Mine is over due but going good. It needs a little choke while starting. One more thing. I have to warm up the engine like for 2-3 minutes before driving otherwise if I drive with cold engine it dies if i don't keep the throtle open when stopping. is this normal or is this the sign of bad valves.

my bike does almost the same thing except it will idle fine once its warm. Its due for a tune up i am sure.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by badfun

Its due for a tune up i am sure.

Based just on that, probably not. It is absolutely normal to need a little "choke" for the first minute or so and for the first few minutes if you want to ride off right away.

Anyhow, with the electronic ignition, a "turn up" consists of.................a new spark plug!! :roll:

My annual tune-up consists of putting the recommended amount of "real" carb cleaner in one full tank of gas.

[badfun]

what do you mean by

"real"

I bought the STP junk and it inst making much difference if I had a gummed up carb. Is there a better brand that actually works? I think it needs a tune up because it jerks a lot at lower RPMs is that normal for this bike? I have never owned a 250 before. my 550 and 650 never did that and they were both carborated.

[jonathan180iq]

Have you checked to make sure that your idle RPMs are set correctly. The only time that I get a lot of jerking is either when the bike it very cold and it's not ready to rev yet, or when I put too much load on it. The second part is rare and only happen when I forget to drop down into first and I do something silly like start out in second.

Also, if you are using Dino-oil, you may be experiencing a longer warm-up time than you would if you were running synthetic.
The difference is amazing. Read up about friction inhibitors first though. There is a how-to in the "how-to" section.

[Water Warrior 2]

A lot of chain slack might contribute to the jerkiness in the lower gears. As for oil we use Amsoil 20-50 M/C specific oil. It has shear characteristics of a 90 weight gear oil which is probably very good for the transmission gears. A little spendy but well worth it in my opinion. I would like to try Shell Rotella Synthetic but there is none to be found in this neck of the woods. Shell is highly recommended by many riders and the price is hard to beat.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by badfun

what do you mean by

I bought the STP junk

You need something that is designated as a carb. cleaner; not fuel injector cleaner and not "multi-purpose".
Two good ones are Gumout (Original Carb. cleaner......read the label) or Berryman's B12.

Be sure the STP is OUT before you put something else IN.
Other comments about idle speed, lugging the engine and chain slack are good points too.

If it's been a while, a new plug wouldn't hurt either.

[badfun]

The first thing I did was pull out the plug it was clean. I stopped by a cycle shop today and one of the guys said Berryman's B12 as well. he said worst case carb needed to be cleaned but he doubted i needed a "tune up" as well. I check in to the chain slack also.

[GZ250]

Now I have over 13000 miles on my GZ250 and i never had the valve adjustment (just once after break in). The dealership asks around $150 for valve adjustment and I do not dare to try myself. I do not feel or see any problem in running or idle. If something is 'going on inside with valves' i dont know. That is why i asked for 'symptoms' so that i can take for adjustment when i am really there.

I do the oil/filter change myself every 3000 miles using the Suzuki brand oil and filter. After every 12 months I change the spark plug no matter what it looks like. Air filter, I changed after 24 months (old looked good, we cannot see inside). For carb cleaner I use the Suzuki brand twice a year. Can't say if it works or not as I never have any problems. Clean and lube chain when needed.

For the idle, I keep the lowest settings just enough that the bike does not die on idle and runs smooth in idle. For warm up it needs 5 minutes depending on weather but after that runs smooth without burp or jerk.

Thanks for the answers as it helps me a lot.