minor irritations!

[littlelady]

I'm having a few irritations with my 2008 ninja 250R...

Firstly, trying to open my petrol tank is a mission---for some reason, the lock doesn't want to open, and only after 10 minutes of trying does it actually unlock... Once I have the tank open, I test the lock mechanism but there seems to be no problem with it's movement...could it be that there is a pressure build up which prevents the lock from working properly???? does this happen to other people's tanks???

Secondly, in the past couple of weeks I have noticed a squeeking noise that accompanies the speed of my wheels as they are turning...ie. as I am breaking, and the speed as the tires revolutions decreases in speed, the squeeking sound decreases in speed---so I am guessing that this noise is either brake related, or tire related (however, it makes the same noise when I am accelerating so don't think it is solely break related)

Thirdly, again with the petrol tank--it seems to make a whining sound (like a humming but high pitched) ..this occurs sometimes when I am riding, but mostly once I have switched off the engine and have parked the bike....what the hell is this!!!! ?????

If anyone has had these issues, or knows what may be causing them, please let me know none of these seem to be affecting the perfomance of my bike---however, noise irritation aside, I don't call getting stuck with a petrol tank that won't open very comforting!!!

[Dave561]

There is a vent line from the tank. Sounds like that line is kinked. You can raise the tank and check the line for kinks. The brake/tire issue I wouldn't want to try and diagnose without seeing.

[Motomoon]

1. Push down hard on the cap with your free while your turning the key. My Honda and Yamaha act the same way

2 Is it your chain making the squeak? I dry chain can squeak if it needs lubed.

3 Sounds like gas vapor escaping from the tank from sloshing around and heating up, cooling down.

[littlelady]

I will try it now with the pushing down on the cap---if it doesn't work, I'll lift off the tank and check that line out--thanks guys!

also, I have oiled up my chain recently---but perhaps there is dirt stuck somewhere I didn't find??

and then I guess that the gas vapor escaping is not an unusal/dangerous thing right??

[chikn munky]

Normally my fuel cap opens fine,but one time I went to the station to fuel up and could'nt get the cap open no matter what I tried. I came back home and sprayed a lil wd-40 in the key hole and it opened fine.

[TN10R]

Concerning your third item, I don't know about the 250, but I have had other Kawis that build up pressure and make a whining sound. I just open the tank and relieve the pressure. It is normal (or at least common) on some Kawis.

[BigKid]

kinked vent line is my Guess for your tank issues.

[littlelady]

Thanks all for your tips!
I am a newbie to bikes so unless it's in my service manual, wouldn't have a clue

Pushing down quite hard on the petrol cap seems to have done the trick--but after summit 10/24 I will be giving my bike a look over, so I will check the petrol valve then to see about a possible kink.

Cheers,
Kim