Q: I have a Suzuki RM250 and I believe it to be a 2004 model. I only use it for a quick blast into thebush and I don’t enter any form of race events. It’s just a fun bike.
But the other day I started the bike and it immediately revved itself to death. I tried to use the kill switch but it didn’t work and eventually it seemed to seize up and stalled.
After a mild heart attack I left it to cool down. When I tried to start it again it fired up first time and when I rode the bike it seemed to run OK with no problems, which was surprising.
So my questions are, why would it do this because it’s always been reliable and should/can I keep riding it and pretend nothing happened, or should I strip the motor? I’m asking because I’m short on funds and don’t really have spare cash for expensive Suzuki parts. I did find a broken wire going to the kill switch though, and that works fine now, once I connected the wires back together.
Corbus Le Grange
A: There could be a few reasons why the throttle stuck open on a bike like yours. The cable could be trapped or frayed but seeing as the bike started easily and didn’t do the same thing this may be unlikely, or the throttle slide when worn can stick or jam inside the throttle body. So I’d pull that out and clean it up nicely with a fine wet/dry paper and make sure it has a smooth action.
If I were you I’d leave the engine alone and carry on riding, because it will cost money the moment you open up the motor. And if it started first time, that’s a good thing. I’ve seen two-strokes seize before and people carry on riding them for a long time with no problems. But if the engine begins to make noises that weren’t there before then you’ll possibly have a problem that needs to be addressed. But my advice is to keep riding, and if it begins to lose power then you’ll have no choice but to go inside the engine.
