Bought 04 Kawasaki EX250R. However had a question

[TeknoGTI]

Hi all, I finally bought my first bike. It ended up being a 04 kawasaki ex 250. I didnt want to spend more the 3k for the bike and gear so i thought that this would be a good choice. I rode it around my neigborhood yesterday and everything felt great. I even took it to a lake about 2 miles from where i live and no traffic. :smug: Anyway, on my way to work. I looked at the bike and I noticed there was a hose hanging down in the middle of the bike. What is that? did it come lose and do i need to reattach it to something? Thanks all. My gear will be in tomorrow, thursday I will get the bike registered. And then I will hit the roads around town. :) :chopper:

[midknyte]

There are several hoses you might find dangling.

It may be a breather tube from the battery. Battery acid...

It might be an overflow tube from the gas tank - in case you over-fill your tank or on a hot day the gas expands...

Could also be a "puke tube" from your engine/crankcase.

None to worry. Do not cap them off - they are there for a reason.

[TeknoGTI]

Thanks for letting me know. Also, I did not get the owner manual for the bike, i emailed the prior owner and am waiting for a reply. But is there a place I can maybe download the manual for free. I need to know when I have to get the bike serviced. Also I asked the dealer about the 500 mile service and they quoted me around $300....is that right? ouch if it is. :horse:

[spotbeagle]

You can probably have your local dealer order a manual for you.

Or, go to www.kawasaki.com Go to the motorcyles section and under owner info you'll find a place to order manuals.

[MarcS]

Check out http://www.ninja250.net

The problem with the 500 mile service is that the valves need to be adjusted: this is time consuming and a bit difficult for someone who hasn't wrenched before, but you'll save a lot of money if you find someone who will help you.

[sanglant]

Thanks for letting me know. Also, I did not get the owner manual for the bike, i emailed the prior owner and am waiting for a reply. But is there a place I can maybe download the manual for free. I need to know when I have to get the bike serviced. Also I asked the dealer about the 500 mile service and they quoted me around $300....is that right? ouch if it is. :horse:


Ditto on the hoses question. Get on the ground and look at the hose path. If there are two or more there, and there are clamps or brackets guiding the hose path, it's a breather/vent for certain.

On the downloads, yes, there are a lot of places online you can get both the MOM and the service manuals. You can find fiches and TSB's, too. The trouble is, all of that stuff is copyrighted, and hosting it is illegal. In other words, the site don't stay up for long if they get popular. The downloads are also pretty big if they're good, I've seen several in the 80-100 Mb range for some quality .pdf images. Google is your friend, and so are bike specific groups. Just don't go to a bike site and make your first post "hi, I'm new, can I have the key to the illegal download section, please?"

PS: You can also look on ebay for both the MOM and the factory manual, in paper or on disk.

[jixaw]

congrats on the bike....I think you picked a good one.....you are in for a great summer thats for sure ...:)

[TeknoGTI]

congrats on the bike....I think you picked a good one.....you are in for a great summer thats for sure ...:)

:razz: Im already having fun around the neighborhood, however not going fast only 15-25mph. Dont have tag and registration yet. Will get this thursday. Which brings up a good point, do you guys carry your registration with you when you ride?

[jixaw]

I keep mine in my wallet (I always ride with my wallet)...along with my insurance card....my lil brother kept his under the seat in his buell blast and it blew away....just keep that in mind...and it might get wet. ..

[sanglant]

:razz: Im already having fun around the neighborhood, however not going fast only 15-25mph. Dont have tag and registration yet. Will get this thursday. Which brings up a good point, do you guys carry your registration with you when you ride?


Some states require registration, some don't. Since I have several bikes and cross into carry states on several occasions, I just put the registration and a copy of the insurance card for the bike in a plastic, sealed baggie, then tape the baggie to the bike. The one on my GSXR is taped to the underside of the rear solo cowling, for instance. With the Katana and Magna, theirs is taped to the undersides of the seats. That way, I don't have to worry about not having the right documentation with me when I'm riding, and it doesn't make a lump in my wallet all the time.

[Missy B]

Mine's in my Joe Rocket Manta tank bag. :thumbsup:

[remy_marathe]

I keep mine in my jacket pocket, since the jacket's always on me and a registration card's not as likely to stab my stomach if I go down as, say, a key or a mag-lite.

[Triumph]

keep mine in my wallet.

[honeygee2]

the hoses are there for a good reason..........one is part of the emission package and at least one is the vacuum release hose for the fuel tank.....do not and i mean do not try and reroute these anywhere.....if you do esp. the fuel vacuum hose it will stop running on you........this hose replaces the air in your tank as the gas is used up.............all gas caps are one way vented because of emission rules......do yourself a favor and leave then alone......i know because i learned the hard way.......Geoff