Honda rebel 250 Bike losing power

**mavreix** · 03-01-2010, 02:33 PM

Hi all, just bought a rebel 250 a couple weeks ago and its been a bunch of fun so far (minus the freezing cold weather). Today I took her out for a spin and noticed an extreme loss of power especially up hills. First gear is strong and fine and with the choke on it seems okay too but if you get in the higher gears it just seems to whine and not really pick up speed

JunkyardDog · 03-01-2010, 02:46 PM

Welcome. First of all, you should never ride with the choke on, always let the bike warm up until it will run without the choke. If it still won't run well without the choke, you have carb problems. Second, only use the lower gears for climbing steep hills. The Rebel has a very small engine, and the powerband is way up there. You need to keep the engine spining in the powerband, especially under load. Putting to much of a load on an engine that is running below it's powerband is called "lugging" the engine, and will destroy the bearings in a very short time.

In your case, I would also check the clutch, sounds like there is a possibility it might be slipping. If you have any flat level roads where you are, see how it performs on those.

BTW, on fairly flat roads, I usually shift it at 20,35,45,and 55 mph under most conditions, usually at wide open throttle. Jerry

**flitecontrol** · 03-01-2010, 04:22 PM

Welcome to the forum. As Jerry said, if you have to run it with the choke on after it's warmed up, you have carb problems. You can try filling the carbs with SeaFoam for 24 hours or so, drain it out and add about 1/3 can to a full tank of fresh gas. Then run it till the tank is pretty well gone. If that doesn't clear things up, you will probably need to pull and clean the carb. There is a picture of the process here on the forum. Very easy to do, especially if you have a service manual.

Many folks also install an inline fuel filter on the fuel line below the petcock. It will keep any contaminants in the tank from reaching the carb and causing problems.

**rebelCAFE** · 03-01-2010, 10:31 PM

you might want to think about the spark plugs too. there are actually spark plugs that you use in real cold weather. i havent ever used them, but ya never know. just a thought.

**Leaf** · 03-02-2010, 04:36 AM

Yea, for below 40*F, you're supposed to put CR5s in it. Mine has CR6s in it, which is I think why it was running kinda bad back when it was like 25 degrees out. Seems to be behaving better now that it's starting to warm up though.

**mavreix** · 03-02-2010, 12:01 PM

Thanks all for the replies. I would like to know for sure whether or not it is the clutch but how do I know? It sounds like the engine revs up high after I change gears like something isn't connecting right. If it is the clutch going is there a good place to get parts someone can recommend?

@ leaf and rebelcafe.... I've got a brand new set of autolites in there? Is that a bad idea?

and yes on flat roads it performs slightly better- up hills i have to jump off the bike just to get it up there. I will seafoam tonight and see if that helps.

**rebelCAFE** · 03-02-2010, 12:05 PM

i dont know if it is neccesarily a bad idea, but i never run any plugs except NGK. might want to buy you some.

**flitecontrol** · 03-02-2010, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mavreix

Thanks all for the replies. I would like to know for sure whether or not it is the clutch but how do I know? It sounds like the engine revs up high after I change gears like something isn't connecting right. If it is the clutch going is there a good place to get parts someone can recommend?

@ leaf and rebelcafe.... I've got a brand new set of autolites in there? Is that a bad idea?

and yes on flat roads it performs slightly better- up hills i have to jump off the bike just to get it up there. I will seafoam tonight and see if that helps.

When my clutch went, I would be riding along a fairly level road and the engine rpms would remain constant but the bike would slow down. If I gave it more throttle, the rpms would increase but the bike wouldn't go faster.

I ordered new clutch friction plates from ebay for about $15. I only needed the plates because I messed up and put energy conserving oil in the bike. If your clutch springs are going bad, you may need those.

You will need a Dremel tool or drill to unstake the lock nut that holds the clutch in place and a new locknut ($3.50 from my Honda dealer). I've got a hand made tool for removing the locknut. If you don't have a service manual, you'll need to get one. It's a simple procedure you can do yourself, and will pay for the manual on this job alone.

Since your plugs are new, I doubt it is the plugs. Look here to see what the correct color of the plugs should be:http://www.dansmc.com/spark_plugs/sp...s_catalog.html

**mavreix** · 03-05-2010, 01:23 PM

@Flitecontrol... I think you hit the nail on the head with the clutch plates. I think it was the oil this guy had in here- he had only rode the bike a little bit and probably had never changed the oil... plus the bike has 23,000 miles on it so I'm sure they were about ready to be replaced anyway.

I'm going to take a crack at it whenever the plates and manual get in. I'll post a picture of the old clutch friction plates whenever I take them out so everyone can see what worn ones look like.

**flitecontrol** · 03-05-2010, 01:44 PM

If the bike wasn't abused, or the wrong (energy conserving) oil used in it, the clutch should be OK with that many miles.

Believe the manual will recommend this, but you'll need to sandpaper the "glaze" off the old metal plates before replacing them. If he used the wrong oil, the friction plates may not be worn, just ruined by the slippery additives in the oil.

Hope this gets you going and on the road!

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