new here... 1985 lt250ef ?? I think

[mbLT250EF]

Hello all, I just got and old and in pretty bad shape Suzuki 1985 lt250ef or eef ?? would like to get a free manual or info on how to try to get it started or at least see if it will start.... Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Mike

[Andrew Engebretson]

Congrats on the 250 🤙

Start by making a list of items that need attention and ask specific questions for best results. 

Good luck

[lazypengu1n]

I’m on the same path with a new to me 85’ LT230GE. I plan on sharing anything I come across. 

[CalebM]

I'm new to the forum but have a bit of experience with older suzuki atv's.  I have a 1985 Suzuki Lt250ef, it is a good machine when it works, the first issue I had with mine was that somebody put the wrong carburetor on it beacuse they got one from amazon that was "universal" but it barely fit and didn't work at all.  I found an original carburetor, the way to know if it is the right one is original carburetors for this model have the remote choke thing on the side of the carburetor.  After I got that fixed it had low compression so I did a top end rebuild on it.  I got a original suzuki gasket and piston rings.  I only had about $100 into it at that point because I got every thing off ebay.  Then after the rebuild it had inconsistant spark, one day it would have spark the next day it wouldn't.  I found the issue to be the pickup coil, I looked and a whole stator was $500 so I looked up suzuki pickup coil and it looked the same so I just spliced the wires and used that one and it seemed to work, besides the first time i put it in upside down and had to take it apart again and flip it.  After I did all that it ran great and ended up with like $130 into it.  If you have any questions about it ask, I don't have a manual but I do have a wiring diagram so if you need that I can post a picture of it.

[Mech]

To see if it's going to start you take the spark plug out and check if it's got spark. If it has then you put petrol in, apply the choke and try to start it.

If it starts then warm it up and try driving it and check the running.

If it doesn't start after a few minutes of trying, then you take the spark plug out again and see if it's wet or dry. If it's dry then you need to check fuel's getting to the carby, by loosening the drain bung at the bottom of the carby if it has one, or pulling the fuel pipe off the carby and checking fuel's getting that far. If the spark plug\s wet but it didn't start then turn the choke off and have another go at trying it. If it still doesn't start, turn the fuel tap off and keep trying to start it. If it doesn't start after a few minutes of trying then pull the spark plug again and check again whether it is wet or dry, and if it still has spark. If it tries to start after a bit of cranking with the choke and the fuel tap off, then it probably needs a bit of careful juggling of the throttle, and trying the fuel tap on and then off till it catches and gains revs.. Just keep on checking if the plugs getting fuel, and that it's not soaked in fuel, and turning the fuel and choke on or off depending on how it is. When they haven't been going for a while you often have to carefully coax them into life with careful throttle application, generally just giving them small amounts of throttle till they start to try and run, then holding the throttle at that position till it clears itself and revs up.

Let us know how you get on with those two checks, (spark and fuel), and we can talk you through what to do next.