Maybe some trouble with my bike

[Will]

Okay, so I bought my bike used on CL, didn't check the maintenance records carefully(Foreshadowing music effect cue here). Seems when I took it for a basic service at a shop they did a couple of checks on the motorcycle. Okay, so I need to know the most pressing matters, as this is my main means of transportation. I also need to know what I could wait on to fix or what I could ignore b/c I am a poor college student that has many bills and just started a new job, etc (cue violin music here).

1) Tires are worn and dry rotted.
a) They look fine to me, as far as the treads go, there are small cracks inside of the treads though.

2) Engine making noise
b) I have no clue what this could be, but this does concern me. I looked over the service records, seems like the engine on my 250 was dismantled and than bought and reassembled. The person that reassembled it couldn't find a bolt, so a bolt is maybe missing... and it said on the paper work it might be in the cam shaft. I have no idea what this means, but if someone could break it down to me, that would be great). I also don't know what a healthy ex 250 is suppose to sound like because this is my first bike. I also don't think that my ex 250 has had valve adjustments, which again I am not 100 percent knowing on what this actually is.

3) Back turning signal does not work...
c) I checked this one out myself... works fine. Does anyone know if this lessens the credibility of the mechanic that checked my bike b/c they messed up on something this obvious?

4) Chain adjusted, it's at maximum adjustment and has tight spots.
d) This doesn't sound good or bad... but I have a feeling those tight spots are ominous. Any information?

Guys, be gentle, I didn't look at the information on the records carefully. Does this mean I bought a lemon and can't be repaired? Or does this mean I can carefully try to work on my bike to bring it back up to standards? This is my training bike but it is also my transportation to school and work. Any thoughts would be appreciative.

[wallypiper]

1. Tires. Tires are what keep you going where you want to go and stopping where you want to stop. It's hard to tell you what to do without actually looking at your tires but rubber does eventually dry out and become hard and brittle (relatively speaking). I'd put new tires high on the list. They're pretty expensive but if you've never ridden on new tires you're in for really pleasant experience.

2. What kind of noise. A missing bolt on the cam shaft is kind of serious. There are caps that hold the cam shaft in place and they are bolted down. The noise you hear could be one of the caps jumping up and down. That will definitely lead to failure at some point and it could be pretty catastrophic when it happens. The bolts aren't hard to get or install. I'd get somebody to look at that and replace the missing bolt or maybe take a shot at doing it yourself. They're just under the cover. I don't know how hard that is to get to on your bike but other than access, taking off the cover and putting in a bolt is pretty simple.

3. Hmmm. Maybe they just put a bulb in it for you.

4. That means the chain is worn out and probably the sprocket, too. Maybe both sprockets. Another potentially catastrophic failure there. A new chain and sprocket isn't expensive or hard to do with the right tool but the tools are kind of expensive. Lots of people here have them, though so somebody might step up and offer an assist if you get the parts and help with the nasty parts of the job.

Frankly, there's nothing on the list you can ignore except the turn signal that works. Make sure it works every time, though. Turn signals, especially rear ones, are very important to your safety if you ride in traffic.

[Will]

Figured the tires would be replaced first. I guess the other concern is do I have enough time, bout 6 mos on the other things? In 6 mos I could sell the bike as is, and upgrade or I could try to learn the mechanics of the bike and attempt to diagnose the problem(s) myself within that time. I don't want to travel 285/85 and have my engine blow out or my chain fall apart.

Also, off topic, does anyone know of any good sources, ie books and such for me to learn from? I know the forums are a valuable tool, but how bout some other guide books or what not for mechanical issues.

[BlueLghtning]

Will, look up the Diablo Scooter tires They come in the 16" size for the pre 07 Ninja 250's and can be had for about $100-$130 a set and are awesome tires. A lot of the big maxi scooters use similar size tires and are way heavier then a 250, so you will be fine with them.

You definitely need the chain if its that bad. If your sprockets haven't gotten eaten up too bad, you might get away with just a chain at this point, but you would need someone to look closely at your sprockets to let you know if they look worn. However, once a chain starts to get that bad, it will eat a sprocket in no time. If your sprockets are really bad though, and you just put a new chain on them, you'll wear out that new chain pretty quick too.

I have no idea about the bolt and engine noise? I can't fathom that any competent mechanic would put an engine back together and leave any kind of bolt off anything to do with the cams.

EX250's have screw type adjusters and are supposed to be adjusted every 6k miles. They are frequently ignored on the 250's though. It never hurts to have them check and adjusted as valves out of spec start messing up engine parts if it gets bad enough and you let it go long enough.

[Lazarus]

If you have a good camera take some good pics of the tires, chain and sprocket.

If that engine noise is something bad and you continue to ride on it you could damage the motor. That would be #1 on my list because if you spend money on tires and the other stuff but blow the motor then you won't be riding anyway.

[Will]

Okay, so pretty much everything except the turn signal needs to be repaired, and although I don't know much about motorcycles myself, I could probally do the repairs myself? Or at least with some help. How much time are we talking here? Can I continue to ride it around town, or should I stable it for awhile? The problem is, I don't have a car so this is my transportation. I guess I need to know, the next available time I have, I should take pictures of the chain and sprocket and post them on here? And most importantly can I still ride?

Bonus Question: Does anyone know how much some chain and sprockets cost? And how much a mechanic would charge to put them on for me?

Thanks all.

[chris]

Since you live near Lawrenceville, you should swing by Over Two Customs and let Lorne take a look and give you an estimate. He won't steer you wrong or do stuff you don't need.

[Will]

How much would it be for Lorne to take a look at it? For estimate purposes. I shouldve took it to a shop recommended by the Forum users first, but I am new to the power of the people. Thanks for the advice Chris.

[chris]

I'm sure Lorne will read this post and respond but you can send him a PM to see what he thinks. He has done work for me and is more than fair on both parts and labor rates.

[Will]

Cool, thanks for the recommendation man.

[Over TWO Customs]

Im fairly familiar with the ninja 250 myself. I used to own one actually as my first bike.

If you want to stop by the shop and have me take a look at it sometime there is no charge for an initial look over.
Tires are fairly reasonable for that bike being that there are only a handful of tires available for it.
Chain and sprocket wont set you back too much either.
Back turn signal could be a blown bulb or burnt/disconnected wire. Lights are almost always something simple. They either work or they dont.
Chain and sprocket sets can run anywhere from $140+ for the complete set depending on chain chosen and sprockets chosen. Installation at my shop is $60 for all 3.

[Will]

Oh man, thats great. So Initial look over is free? I don't get my first serious paycheck until the middle of may, but this would allay some of my fears. Think you would be able to give me a quote, so I could know what to save up for? Anyways, I will swing it by, any time fine or do you have a preference?