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Question:

Why is my motorcycle (EX250) running rich?

My motorcycle (a 1998 Kawasaki Ninja 250R EX250-F is running rich after it was laid down at a low speed (tire tucked under heavy braking on gravel, less than 3 mph.) The Kill switch was hit relatively quickly and the bike was picked up within 5 minutes and started. Afterward I lost interest in riding and left it for a few hours. Then I took it out for a ride (about 15 miles) and the entire time (particularly at lights) I smelled gas from the exhaust.The choke appears working properly (the linked slide is actuating within what appears to be its full range) and the bike is idling slightly high (just under 2k rpm.)There are no other problems of note. It took about a minute and a half to start at partial throttle to start (probably flooded the carbs.)I am not an expert by any means and was unable to find the answer online. There have been no idle or rich condition problems prior to the bike being laid on its right side.

Answer:

There should be some screws on the carb that are used to adjust the amount of fuel that's allowed into the carb through the fuel needles. I don't know the layout of your carb specifically so I cant tell you which screw exactly (usually the larger screw on the upper side of the carb, always a flathead type)but either way their should be two adjustment screws and they both serve essentially the same function. Start the bike and let it warm up and do some adjustment, the tighter the screw, the less fuel that can enter the carb. Adjust untill it's running stoich again. You also might want to try talking the screws (also called needles) out of the carb and check for damage that may have occurred in the fall. Make sure all o rings in the assembly are intact. Hopefully this helps, feel lucky it's not running lean which can lead to detonation and the end of your motor.
First check your oil, a bike that is laying down can get gas into the crank case. If the oil has no signs of gas then its a carb issue. You may have disturbed settled contaminants in the carb that now are keeping your inlet valve from sealing causing carbs to over fill.

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