Riding my bike....and it dies. Help?

[Morrider]

OK so first off I should note that my '06 GZ 250 is my very first bike and I am a huge newbie when it comes to this stuff.
So please bare with me and my lack of proper identification of the bike parts.

I purchased my bike around August of last year and the previous owner, from what I was told, kept the bike out in the weather, unprotected, for quite a period and rarely rode it. It is evident, however that the bike was not taken care of very much. The first time I changed the oil, hardly more than a few drops came out.
My first warning came the second time I changed the oil, when, again, it was nearly empty. Ive found no sign of oil leakage anywhere on the bike or the ground where it is parked.

As well, there are times when it can take nearly 5 minutes to(cold) start the bike (and yes i put a new battery in when I purchased it). I have to toggle the choke and sometimes it will start with choke on or off.

OK so to the main point. A few days ago I took my bike for a ride; it took a while to get it started but once I did, it seemed to run normally. I rode a few miles down the road, got the bike up to speed (around 55 mph) and the engine began skip ignitions. As if fuel wasn't getting into the cylinder. For the next few seconds the engine would skip, run, skip, run until finally it lost all power and I coasted to the side of the road. As i coasted, i tried to start the engine again with the clutch pulled but it wouldnt start back up. I pulled over and got off to check out the bike, and it had plenty of fuel in the tank; as far as i could see no fuel was leaking anywhere. After looking over the bike for a few minutes i tried again to start the bike and it started up so i turned around and headed back to my house. Along the way it died on me two more times.
If I had to throw in any guesses, Id say maybe a clog in the fuel line? I'm doubting this is any relation to my previous start up problems or oil issues.
Finally: I tried to start the bike the next day and it did pretty easily but died on me after about a quarter mile. I feel I should note that the exhaust pipes coming right out of the engine were incredibly hot and slightly multicolored, while the engine itself or oil tank were still cool.

Help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated please!!! If there's any more that need be clarified or explained I can do so in a reply. Thank you!

[jonathan180iq]

Sounds you're having a fuel delivery issue. Maintaining a clean carb on these bikes is essential to their continued health. Since you're incredibly new to this I won't recommend pulling the carb for a cleaning, unless you feel up to it. But that's probably what needs to happen. I would also take a small, yet powerful, flashlight and look at the bottom of your tank for debris. The ends of the petcock are in there and if they get cluttered with fuel then it will essentially "clog" your fuel line, even though it's external.

As far as the oil loss goes, you should be checking your oil level weekly. If you're not leaking it then you're burning it. That's a worse scenario really. It's not the end of the world though. You just need to be more cognizant of your oil level than the average rider. Make sure it stays topped up or your problem is going to grow quicker. All motors need oil. Don't let it get that low again.

The difficulty starting is probably a combination of the fuel issue and your valves needing to be checked. There is a How-to on this site for a valve set, but I would recommend you take the bike in for a servicing for right now. Get it right once and then you just maintain it in the future.

The super hot pipes is a result of the fuel starvation, which is creating a lean mixture and causing the bike to run very lean, which produces excess heat. (When you blip the throttle, do the revs hang up before coming down to settle?)

At least monthly you need to be running some type of fuel additive/carb cleaner through your system. It helps keep things copacetic.

[5th_bike]

The way you describe it, it's exactly like you are running out of fuel.

There is a second smaller hose between the carburator and the fuel valve, behind the valve, its purpose being, when the carburator has a vacuum (suction) it opens the fuel valve. So if that hose has a leak, the valve could temporarily close and cause the issue you describe.

How to find out: next time you have that problem, put the fuel valve on "pri" (blade pointing down) and see if that fixes it. If so, get a new vacuum tube, or take the existing one off, clean/flex and put it back. If it is hardened and has cracks, better get a new one.

Do *not* forget to switch the fuel valve to "RUN" (blade points forward) otherwise the contents of your tank could wind up on the floor overnight.

[Morrider]

Alright, I'll got a friend who can help me pull the carb and get it cleaned. I'll reply after that gets done, if its fixed or not.

With my oil, the problem is that the oil level indicator is always black, so possibly overfilled or just very dirty?

Thank you guys for your help, I'll see if i cant get everything going properly.

[Water Warrior 2]

Just a couple suggestions that you really need to know. Checking the oil level is done with the bike totally upright(never leaning on the side stand). Change the oil and oil filter, from the sounds of it you have just been adding and that could be a recipe for disaster. Start with fresh oil and continue regular changes as per the manual. Top up as needed. Shell Rotella is moto certified and works very well with the bikes we have had.
Get a Hi-Flo HF136 oil filter at any small engine shop or bike dealer. It is the same as a Suzuki filter and costs less.
Have fun with your learning curve and remember we are here to help.

[Morrider]

So, my friend and I pulled the carb out, and inspected its insides and surprisingly it was nearly spotless; pristine. As well, the air filter was perfectly clean. I got the oil changed (i believe it was in fact overfilled), and we are wanting to pull and change the spark plug. Our problem now is we cannot get the spark plug out. We went to Auto zone, got a new plug, and a 18mm deep socket that fits the new plug; however the socket will not fit around the old plug, as it is too thick and will not fit between the old plug and the cylinder outer wall. I'm going to check walmart in a couple of days to see if they have a thinner socket, possibly one for a lawn mower.
Any helpful suggestions?

[5th_bike]

the tool kit that comes with the bike (under the saddle) should have a perfectly fitting spark plug socket.

PS you checked the vacuum hose?

[alantf]

[attachment=0:jx2f88lr]b36.jpg[/attachment:jx2f88lr]

This is the spark plug spanner (wrench) supplied with the tool kit.

[Morrider]

All that is under the saddle is the owners manual; I'll still have to see if i can find a thinner socket to pull the plug. No, I have not checked the vacuum hose, how would I go about doing that? Currently the bike is sitting outside with the fuel tank detached.

[jonathan180iq]

Get it all buttoned back up and we will go from there. Proper vacuum is necessary for the bike to suck gas through the carb and into the engine as it needs it. If something is clogged, or aged to the point where vacuum isn't properly created, then you aren't going to be getting gas, regardless of how clean your carb it.

IIRC, there are only a couple of hoses to check, so it shouldn't be too hard to figure out on your own. If it leads to the carb and is made of rubber, check it's condition. Also, there are two that attach at the tank. It's easy to get those reversed.