Trouble on HWY, what happend?

AyCaramba · 04-05-2011, 11:41 AM

So here's my problem, I have this 2001 GZ250 and im trying to make my way back home on the highway. With a decent tail wind, I find myself at 75mph and before I have time to slow back down there is a loud sound and a jolt, and then my bike shuts off and i coast to a stop. It won't start after I come to a stop and I had to get it towed. :skull:

I have no idea what happened. The tow truck driver said it might be the carburetor....any ideas?

**jonathan180iq** · 04-05-2011, 11:44 AM

What was the loud sound?
A bang? A hard smack? A snapping sound? A pop? A hollow metallic thud?

Also, check and make sure that there is oil in the bike and see if you have gas in the tank.

Will the bike turn over? Does it sound normal when it does?

Can you still shift through all the gears while sitting still?

I know there are lots of questions, but diagnosing an issue like this without being able to see the bike is tough.

AyCaramba · 04-05-2011, 11:54 AM

No worries, I fully understand.

-The sounds was both a snapping and a pop.

-There is gas in the bike but oil is a bit low.

-The bike will not turn over, it only emits a faint buzzing sound as I press the starter.

-Gears still shift while sitting still.

mrlmd1 · 04-05-2011, 01:58 PM

The tow truck guy is guessing, like the rest of us will be doing on here, but maybe we can head you in the right direction.
This could be a number of things, but I'm going to start with the battery.
Check your battery voltage - it sounds like it's dead because of the buzzing and the starter not turning over. You may have a loose battery connection and it wasn't charging, You can try to jump it with a NON-RUNNING car battery to see if it starts and runs. Go over all your battery connections and make sure they are clean and tight. If you do get the bike started and running, check the voltage at the battery to see what the charging system is putting out. Should be 13.5-14 V at 3000 rpms +/-.
Also, If you put the bike in 4th or 5th gear can you roll it, ie, the engine's not seized? If you coasted to a stop instead of skidding off the road, it's probably OK.
First thing, fill the oil to the correct level (and why was it low, how low, just to the bottom of the gauge, or below that?)
You are going to have to give the bike a real good going over and come back with more info but check the simple things first.

**jonathan180iq** · 04-06-2011, 08:26 AM

Do what MrLMD1 suggested and make sure everything is up to snuff. Hook up the battery to a charger, just to be safe, top off the oil and drain the float bowl on the carb and then fill it back up with fresh gas. Put the bike in second and see if you can push start it. (It helps to have a second person around too)

Also, pull the spark plug to see the condition that the motor has been running at.

Those three or four things should only take you about 30 minutes or an hour and will cover your bases as far as removing variables of the things you can control. Spark plug should be a nice golden brown, just like biscuits. If it's oil fouled or really white and missing areas on the top, that's not good.

It's possible, that running at full speed with the bike low on oil caused something inside to "snap" and "pop" and you have something broken inside the case. We all hope that's not it... Gut feeling is the starter connection to the crank (starter clutch) but we have no way of knowing if you don't let us know what's what.

How handy are you with tools? We're all ready to give advice, but you're going to have to do all the grunt work, since we only exist in cyberspace.

For help with what parts go where and what they look like, check out the micro-fiche over at Ronayers.com:
http://www.ronayers.com/Fiche/TypeID/26 ... odel/GZ250

brucea · 04-09-2011, 11:54 PM

Let's hope you didn't blow the engine and have to replace the top half head assembly.

Mine cost just over $1000.00 to replace last year when a valve and the piston hit each other and tore it up bad. Same thing, loud noise then coast to the side of the road.

The mechanic said it sometimes happens with these bikes.

I even service mine regularly, checking all fluid levels, wear & tear, loose parts & use fully synthetic oil. I did do a lot of highway driving and the mechanic thought that over revving at those speeds could have caused it. But wasn't 100% sure.

04-05-2011, 11:41 AM	#1
AyCaramba Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Bryan TX Posts: 2	Trouble on HWY, what happend? So here's my problem, I have this 2001 GZ250 and im trying to make my way back home on the highway. With a decent tail wind, I find myself at 75mph and before I have time to slow back down there is a loud sound and a jolt, and then my bike shuts off and i coast to a stop. It won't start after I come to a stop and I had to get it towed. :skull: I have no idea what happened. The tow truck driver said it might be the carburetor....any ideas? Login or Register to Remove Ads
	0

04-05-2011, 11:44 AM	#2
jonathan180iq Super Moderator Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Dalton, GA Posts: 3,996	Re: Trouble on HWY, what happend? What was the loud sound? A bang? A hard smack? A snapping sound? A pop? A hollow metallic thud? Also, check and make sure that there is oil in the bike and see if you have gas in the tank. Will the bike turn over? Does it sound normal when it does? Can you still shift through all the gears while sitting still? I know there are lots of questions, but diagnosing an issue like this without being able to see the bike is tough.
	0

04-05-2011, 11:54 AM	#3
AyCaramba Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Bryan TX Posts: 2	Re: Trouble on HWY, what happend? No worries, I fully understand. -The sounds was both a snapping and a pop. -There is gas in the bike but oil is a bit low. -The bike will not turn over, it only emits a faint buzzing sound as I press the starter. -Gears still shift while sitting still. Login or Register to Remove Ads
	0

04-05-2011, 01:58 PM	#4
mrlmd1 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Crawfordville, Florida Posts: 2,853	Re: Trouble on HWY, what happend? The tow truck guy is guessing, like the rest of us will be doing on here, but maybe we can head you in the right direction. This could be a number of things, but I'm going to start with the battery. Check your battery voltage - it sounds like it's dead because of the buzzing and the starter not turning over. You may have a loose battery connection and it wasn't charging, You can try to jump it with a NON-RUNNING car battery to see if it starts and runs. Go over all your battery connections and make sure they are clean and tight. If you do get the bike started and running, check the voltage at the battery to see what the charging system is putting out. Should be 13.5-14 V at 3000 rpms +/-. Also, If you put the bike in 4th or 5th gear can you roll it, ie, the engine's not seized? If you coasted to a stop instead of skidding off the road, it's probably OK. First thing, fill the oil to the correct level (and why was it low, how low, just to the bottom of the gauge, or below that?) You are going to have to give the bike a real good going over and come back with more info but check the simple things first.
	0

04-06-2011, 08:26 AM	#5
jonathan180iq Super Moderator Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Dalton, GA Posts: 3,996	Re: Trouble on HWY, what happend? Do what MrLMD1 suggested and make sure everything is up to snuff. Hook up the battery to a charger, just to be safe, top off the oil and drain the float bowl on the carb and then fill it back up with fresh gas. Put the bike in second and see if you can push start it. (It helps to have a second person around too) Also, pull the spark plug to see the condition that the motor has been running at. Those three or four things should only take you about 30 minutes or an hour and will cover your bases as far as removing variables of the things you can control. Spark plug should be a nice golden brown, just like biscuits. If it's oil fouled or really white and missing areas on the top, that's not good. It's possible, that running at full speed with the bike low on oil caused something inside to "snap" and "pop" and you have something broken inside the case. We all hope that's not it... Gut feeling is the starter connection to the crank (starter clutch) but we have no way of knowing if you don't let us know what's what. How handy are you with tools? We're all ready to give advice, but you're going to have to do all the grunt work, since we only exist in cyberspace. For help with what parts go where and what they look like, check out the micro-fiche over at Ronayers.com: http://www.ronayers.com/Fiche/TypeID/26 ... odel/GZ250 Login or Register to Remove Ads
	0

04-09-2011, 11:54 PM	#6
brucea Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Kentucky Posts: 20	Re: Trouble on HWY, what happend? Let's hope you didn't blow the engine and have to replace the top half head assembly. Mine cost just over $1000.00 to replace last year when a valve and the piston hit each other and tore it up bad. Same thing, loud noise then coast to the side of the road. The mechanic said it sometimes happens with these bikes. I even service mine regularly, checking all fluid levels, wear & tear, loose parts & use fully synthetic oil. I did do a lot of highway driving and the mechanic thought that over revving at those speeds could have caused it. But wasn't 100% sure.
	0