Hi i have a 2004 virago 250 can you help me get side covers off to see tool kit.thay feel firm & i dont want to break them also do you know where i can get a manual thanks heaps

They are under those chrome side covers up front. Remove screws, that's it

you could try riding the bike in third or fourth gear with the clutch lever pulled in and accelerate

There is a round cover on the right side of the motor that is held on by three screws. Under neath that cover is the oil filter for the 1989 virago 250.

There are four possibilities. From worst to easiest to fix: (don't worry, a link provided below has diagrams of all the parts in exploded view with part names)

1. There are two springs holding the brake shoes firmly against pivot post and brake lever cam, the ends of these can wear through and break. These provide most of the spring tension felt in a cable operated expanding shoe brake. Requires wheel removal and simple removal of brake hub to access.

2. The cam that expands the shoes (when rear lever is actuated) runs through a waterproofing rubber grommet. This grommet can often tear and bind up, reducing the return spring's effectiveness.

3. There is a spring behind the brake's foot pedal frame mount and the plate that pulls the front of the cable end. This maybe either dislodged or the angled ends broken off.

There is a compression spring at rear wheel end of cable, between cable stop and lever arm. This can be removed, stretched and replaced or packed with spacers to provide additional spring.

Check site below: Wheels/tyres/drive - Rear wheel parts #6 (shoe springs) part #7 (brake cam)
Frame/Footrests - part #4 (pedal return spring) part #9 (compression spring)

If this helps let me know below, ...Cheers.

http://www.bikebandit.com/houseofmotorcycles/2004-yamaha-motorcycle-xv250s-virago-250/o/m8460

first thing to do is to drain oil from your motorcycle use wrench 17(size may vary) to open the bolt under your bike and place a drain bucket under it, then remove spark plug using spark plug remover, as for the filter you can use a cross screw driver to remove the air filter, once you replace the spark plug and the air filter let the oil subside for about 3hrs, then return the bolt and place new oil, i dont know if this help but i hope it will