First Bike! Best Forum Ever!

cb3 · 08-18-2010, 10:02 PM

Good evening fellow GZ Owners. My name is Calvin and I recently bought a 1999 GZ250 w/6900 mi. for $325.00. I put a new rear tire on, new battery in, changed oil and filter, cleaned it up, carb cleaned and have been riding for two days now. You guys on this forum have been a tremendous help. This is my first bike and it couldnt have worked out better. I have learned more on this forum than I learned in my entire school career. I hope to be able to figure how to post pics of the bike soon. Its all stock. Dont know that I want to modify much. Exhaust maybe. The wife and daughter have both already been burned. Thankful to have such a great group to learn from. Let me know if I can help with anything. Thanks again! Be careful!
Calvin

5th_bike · 08-18-2010, 10:13 PM

Yay, welcome to the forum ! :2tup:

That's a great price for a GZ250, about 10% of the new price. It should have many more miles left.
Mine is a 2005. Stock plus tach.

Two words of caution (wow I'm starting to talk like many others here :whistle: ) if your front tire is from 1999 as well, better change that one too. Second - I assume you cleaned & oiled the chain too? :roll:

cb3 · 08-18-2010, 10:45 PM

Thanks for the welcome. Front tire is a bit newer and not quite ready for replacement. I did in fact address the chain issue. Ive given the whole bike a good once over. Brakes, cables, lights etc. I had a lot of trouble with the fuel tank. Nasty,nasty. I cleaned and rinsed several times. Gas, water, bearings, muriatic acid, more gas. Its as clean as I can get it. I installed an inline fuel filter and all is well so far. I also had a lot of rust on most of the chrome. Rims were the worst. Finest grade steel wool worked the best followed with some polish. Next thing I intend to do is switch to synthetic oil. Rotella 5w40. Then maybe needle shim mod.

Viirin · 08-18-2010, 11:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cb3

I installed an inline fuel filter and all is well so far

Well that pretty much covers any advice i can give :lol:

oh, i found a thin rough-sponge and elbow grease worked better at removing rust that a wire sponge and all those crappy rust removal products i bought.....i just could get a good enough grip on the wire sponge pads

alantf · 08-19-2010, 05:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Viirin

Quote:

Originally Posted by cb3

oh, i found a thin rough-sponge and elbow grease worked better at removing rust that a wire sponge and all those crappy rust removal products i bought.....i just could get a good enough grip on the wire sponge pads

For the rims I use chrome cleaner, applied with a plug brush made of some sort of soft brass/copper(?) material. It was useless for cleaning the plug (too soft) but great for removing rust. :2tup:

alantf · 08-19-2010, 05:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cb3

I hope to be able to figure how to post pics of the bike soon.

Scroll down to "post reply" click on it. "browse", "upload", "place in line". Hey presto - even us old timers have learned how to do it (eventually)

:2tup:

blaine · 08-19-2010, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cb3

Good evening fellow GZ Owners. My name is Calvin and I recently bought a 1999 GZ250 w/6900 mi. for $325.00.
Calvin

Welcome.Very good deal on a low mileage bike.I just sold my 99 model for $2200.00 a little over a month ago.Would not find a deal like yours around hear.Safe riding,Good luck.
:2tup:

cb3 · 08-19-2010, 05:38 PM

Hey Guys. Thanks for the advice. My buddy works on airplanes and also suggested the brass brush idea. He says it works wonders. For now its clean enough to be seen on so Im ridin. Today I switched to 5w40 synthetic. Only put a few miles on it so far but seems smoother. I also put a little B-12 in the tank and turned the pilot screw in 1/2 turn. I rode about 100 miles with the screw at 2.5 turns out and it seemed ok but I cant be satisfied with ok. I adjust till its really outta whack then find the sweet spot again.(hopefully). Thank again guys!

blaine · 08-19-2010, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cb3

I also put a little B-12 in the tank and turned the pilot screw in 1/2 turn. I rode about 100 miles with the screw at 2.5 turns out and it seemed ok but I cant be satisfied with ok. I adjust till its really outta whack then find the sweet spot again.(hopefully). Thank again guys!

You are adjusting the pilot screw with the bike running I assume.Adjust in or out to achieve the highest idle.That is your sweet spot.
:roll: :yes:

cb3 · 08-19-2010, 06:26 PM

Yea, Bike running. What a hot job. Havent found the perfect screwdriver yet so its not been the easiest of adjustments.

08-18-2010, 10:02 PM	#1
cb3 Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: North Carolina Posts: 18	First Bike! Best Forum Ever! Good evening fellow GZ Owners. My name is Calvin and I recently bought a 1999 GZ250 w/6900 mi. for $325.00. I put a new rear tire on, new battery in, changed oil and filter, cleaned it up, carb cleaned and have been riding for two days now. You guys on this forum have been a tremendous help. This is my first bike and it couldnt have worked out better. I have learned more on this forum than I learned in my entire school career. I hope to be able to figure how to post pics of the bike soon. Its all stock. Dont know that I want to modify much. Exhaust maybe. The wife and daughter have both already been burned. Thankful to have such a great group to learn from. Let me know if I can help with anything. Thanks again! Be careful! Calvin Login or Register to Remove Ads
	0

08-18-2010, 10:13 PM	#2
5th_bike Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: HoCo, Maryland Posts: 1,349	Re: First Bike! Best Forum Ever! Yay, welcome to the forum ! :2tup: That's a great price for a GZ250, about 10% of the new price. It should have many more miles left. Mine is a 2005. Stock plus tach. Two words of caution (wow I'm starting to talk like many others here :whistle: ) if your front tire is from 1999 as well, better change that one too. Second - I assume you cleaned & oiled the chain too? :roll: __________________ 2005 "Saturn Black", stock + tach
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08-18-2010, 10:45 PM	#3
cb3 Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: North Carolina Posts: 18	Re: First Bike! Best Forum Ever! Thanks for the welcome. Front tire is a bit newer and not quite ready for replacement. I did in fact address the chain issue. Ive given the whole bike a good once over. Brakes, cables, lights etc. I had a lot of trouble with the fuel tank. Nasty,nasty. I cleaned and rinsed several times. Gas, water, bearings, muriatic acid, more gas. Its as clean as I can get it. I installed an inline fuel filter and all is well so far. I also had a lot of rust on most of the chrome. Rims were the worst. Finest grade steel wool worked the best followed with some polish. Next thing I intend to do is switch to synthetic oil. Rotella 5w40. Then maybe needle shim mod. Login or Register to Remove Ads
	0

08-19-2010, 05:38 PM	#8
cb3 Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: North Carolina Posts: 18	Re: First Bike! Best Forum Ever! Hey Guys. Thanks for the advice. My buddy works on airplanes and also suggested the brass brush idea. He says it works wonders. For now its clean enough to be seen on so Im ridin. Today I switched to 5w40 synthetic. Only put a few miles on it so far but seems smoother. I also put a little B-12 in the tank and turned the pilot screw in 1/2 turn. I rode about 100 miles with the screw at 2.5 turns out and it seemed ok but I cant be satisfied with ok. I adjust till its really outta whack then find the sweet spot again.(hopefully). Thank again guys!
	0

08-19-2010, 06:26 PM	#10
cb3 Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: North Carolina Posts: 18	Re: First Bike! Best Forum Ever! Yea, Bike running. What a hot job. Havent found the perfect screwdriver yet so its not been the easiest of adjustments.
	0