New Issue; engine shut off

[Zyphlin]

Alright, so I FINALLY have my license plate and was able to go on the road. I go to start it up, hit the choke, get it going. As I'm pulling out I stall out once. Not TOO uncommon for me at this part of things. However it doesn't want to start back up again, just kind of goes put put put put put.

So I switch to reserve, and it goes for a bit then off. Wonderful.

I go get gas, put it in, and boom, it goes.

Yet as I'm driving it around hte parking lot I start going up a small hill and it starts to put, put, put an then the engine cuts off. Damnit.

Again, I try to get it going, after a few minutes finally I get it started again and get to park it.

I have NO IDEA why this would be happening. I know its been raining at my home for days now. I had everything shut but could water have got inside somehow and caused this? I'm just at a loss.

Also, the little battery looking icon is blinking red at me. I'm guessing that means my battery isn't fully charged? How do you charge the batteries on these things? Can you hook it up to a car battery or gotta do something different?

[250gs]

Not sure about that one but you probably know that the reserve tank is not a separate tank, it's just a lower point (last 2 litres) in the tank where the fuel is drained from so that shouldn't make any difference if your fuel is contaminated.

 With all the rain you've had maybe you did get a bit of water in the fuel. May need to drain tank before topping up again. Also just on the issue of the possibility of getting water in the fuel, I noticed on mine when you close the lock cap on the tank after filling up, it pays to press down on cap  a bit more after closing it til you hear a "click",  as the gasket there needs a extra bit of pressure to lock the cap  (-or at least mine does). I noticed that problem because I could usually smell strong smell of fuel coming from the cap days after filling up.

The red light for battery sounds like your battery is a bit low on charge so I would definitely put it on charge for a day with a bike bat charger. Don't use a car battery charger though as I hear the charge rate is too high and it will cook the battery!! Also check comments from other forum users under this link :http://zongshenforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=66

Other than that I would check the bike maintenance manual as it has some useful diagnostic pages in the back pages. Your problem sounds like you may need a bit of help from someone with hands on that can help you out there.  Good luck!

[aggieboi254]

my bike did somthing similar to me one day, i rode it 45 miles to work,and then on my way home i got stuck in traffic on highway 36,and i had to sit through the red light four times . it was a pretty decent day outside it was about 65 or 70 ,and when the light turned green and i finally got to make it through when i went to let the clutch out it started like chugging! it died about 4 times and the fourth time i got it going i just revved it up high and dumped the clutch and took off,after i got it moving it was like i cooled down and started running fine again. the only thing i could think of for mine since it hasnt done it again is that ,somthing during break in is different and it just gets hot real quick.as far as the battery i know if i leave mine sitting on like,if im talking to somone when i go to start my bike,the battery light starts flashing or if its idiling to low when its cold ,but wal mart sells the 2 amp trickle charger for a motorcycle for i think like $15

[motorstar rider]

agree with sir 250gs, possibly water problems in tank and carb just have them cleaned...then you might want to install a fuel filter inline between tank and carb, it will save you from stalling headaches, i had installed on mine a transparent fuel filter so when i see water or rust particles inside the filter i just replace it...

[Myth]

And just a side note...  I personally run my bike in the reserve all the time.  I'm trusting the gas guage.  I did test my MPG first so that I could also monitor using my trip/odo.  If you run you bike in the normal tank you HAVE to occasionally switch to the reserve to clean out any built up trash.   That's why I run in the reserve.  It keeps a constant flow of fresh new gas runnning through my bike and in theory will avoid a trash build up.  Also, water is heavier than gas, if you get water in your tank, it'll sink to the bottom making the reserve gas bad.  So other than trash build up you'd have to watch for condensation build up causing bad gas in the reserve.  

And if anyone believes I'm wrong, please feel free to correct me.

[Zyphlin]

Well, discovered my issue!

It appears that when I was originally getting the bike up and going I misunderstood something my dad pointed out to me, and I got "Off" and "On" for the fuel dial backwards.

So....somehow, and I'm unsure how I even managed this.

The past few weeks, while the bikes been parked, its been sitting with "Gas On" as far as the dial.

The past few weeks, when I've gone to ride the bike, I've turned it to "Gas Off". I imagine this hasn't been MUCH of an issue for me because I've only put about 25 miles on the bike during this time and save for the time just before this, they were at 3 or 4 mile groupings at most.

I ended up turning it to reserve, riding it up to a gas station, and filling it up. It ran fine to the gas station. Turned the gas dial then to the CORRECT "On" position and rode it for the first time really on the road to my girlfriends sister's house about 4 miles away. WOW that was fun, so different than a parking lot. The trip to the house, and back to my apartment, ran smooth.

So I think it may've been the fact I had the fuel on "On", all the time, kept trying to switch it to "Off" to drive including the time I was having the problems. That mixed with the possible trash thing Myth is talking about, and the fact that I only had about a gallon in to begin with so it was likely mostly in reserve, probably all added up to it.

Thanks for your info and help everyone!

[Namikuz]

And just a side note...  I personally run my bike in the reserve all the time.  I'm trusting the gas guage.  I did test my MPG first so that I could also monitor using my trip/odo.  If you run you bike in the normal tank you HAVE to occasionally switch to the reserve to clean out any built up trash.   That's why I run in the reserve.  It keeps a constant flow of fresh new gas runnning through my bike and in theory will avoid a trash build up.  Also, water is heavier than gas, if you get water in your tank, it'll sink to the bottom making the reserve gas bad.  So other than trash build up you'd have to watch for condensation build up causing bad gas in the reserve.  

And if anyone believes I'm wrong, please feel free to correct me.

Well thought out reply, Though that theroy does'nt work on BANANA PEELS!!!!! (trash)  lol!!!!!!
Sorry, I've been away for a while and needed to post something silly......

[Myth]

Zuki..........  That was silly....       I wasn't going to mention it cause I thought it was an issue I was having from having my monkey put gas in it for me, but now I know I'm not the only one...  So Zuki, any suggestions???