Our Cars: Kawasaki Z250SL
12 August 2016: First service and first problem
The Details
| Current mileage | 636 |
|---|---|
| Costs this month | £109 (First service) |
One thing that’s likely to surprise riders when they buy a brand new bike is the run-in service. Like cars, motorcycles need to be treated gently for the first few hundred miles until the engine is worn in. However, unlike cars, bikes need a quick service once that process is complete.
That means taking the bike back to the dealer after just 600 miles, which on my Z250SL took a month or so. Thankfully the first service is cheap at just over £100. It takes roughly an hour and a half and involves changing oil and checking various things like chain adjustment.
The first service went smoothly with the Z250SL, with no anomalies or problems to report. Unfortunately, it’s not a full check over of every single nut and bolt, otherwise an irritating problem might have been avoided a few days after the service, when a screw vibrated loose and caused the clutch to stop working.
The clutch on the Z250SL is very small and consequently very light, meaning it is operated by a simple cable rather than hydraulics. Over time one of the two screws holding in a guide for the metal clutch cable worked loose, which caused the cable to twist, rather than pull – stranding me at the roadside.
Spot the missing bolt
Kawasaki provides RAC membership with its new bikes, so I called for assistance. After 45 minutes at the roadside, by which time I’d grown impatient, they called me again to say they would be another hour, which spurred me on to find an alternative solution, despite the lack of a suitable spanner in the provided tool roll.
Luckily an unessential protective plate at the front of the Z250SL uses a bolt with the same thread and a different head, which the toolkit would fit, so I swapped it over and got underway to the local dealer. Fortunately, that wasn’t a long journey and they sorted everything in a few minutes, free of charge.
It wasn’t the most stressful experience in the world. It was quite easy to see what the problem was even for a mechanical novice and I knew it was a simple, easy fix. But it’s a shame one bolt working loose – as unlikely as that is – can leave a rider stranded by the roadside. Still – that’s how it often goes with bikes.
Aside from that hiccup the Kawasaki has been great. Now it’s been run in and serviced it’s possible to use all of the rev range, which wasn’t possible before. The Kawasaki really comes alive beyond 8000rpm, where peak power and torque are produced. It’s easier to keep up on motorways and get past slow traffic now too.
« Earlier: Say hello to our little green Kawasaki Later: Bring the noise »
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