Help - Bike won't start
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Help - Bike won't start
Hi there,
I thought I'd flooded the bike last night leaving work, as it went 30 feet and then puttered to a halt. Lots of turning over and coasting downhill and bumping, followed by a couple of minutes head scratching - and then she fired up, right as rain. She also started fine a further couple of times that evening.
However this morning - having started first time - she did the same thing. 30 odd feet and puttered to a halt. This time nothing would raise her. I kept going until the battery would do no more. I took the hateful hateful bus to work and have the battery on charge ready for another go this evening.
She's a 1996 F-P. I had her serviced in the summer and she's been bulletproof up until now. Any ideas what might be up?
All comments very much appreciated.
Mark
I thought I'd flooded the bike last night leaving work, as it went 30 feet and then puttered to a halt. Lots of turning over and coasting downhill and bumping, followed by a couple of minutes head scratching - and then she fired up, right as rain. She also started fine a further couple of times that evening.
However this morning - having started first time - she did the same thing. 30 odd feet and puttered to a halt. This time nothing would raise her. I kept going until the battery would do no more. I took the hateful hateful bus to work and have the battery on charge ready for another go this evening.
She's a 1996 F-P. I had her serviced in the summer and she's been bulletproof up until now. Any ideas what might be up?
All comments very much appreciated.
Mark
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Joined: Jun 2006
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From: Bir Tawil
There is a vacuum line that runs from the #1 cylinder to the petcock. It may have pulled off. When cranking the bike, vacuum opens the petcock and fuel flows to the carbs. You can check the petcock by pulling the fuel line and applying vacuum to the smaller hose going to the petcock. You can use one of those break bleeders for the vacuum source. Or just pull the fuel line and crank the bike, fuel should flow, if not you may have a clogged petcock as mentioned.
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Bit hard to diagnose without knowing if the battery is good to start with ...
All the usual checks need to be gone through but for the moment and because she is a rather newer model ...I will ask you these questions first ...
...is the weather suddenly colder ATM ?
...Do you warm her right up before you start moving ?
...Do you shut the choke off before you actually move ?
...Do you tend to shut the choke and move before shes warm (at least 5 full minutes)
...did you try to ride her cold ?
I only ask because these CBRs can get bent outta shape and flood if they are not started and fully warmed up before moving off especially in colder weather ..
Apart from the above , if your battrey is good , yu obviously gotta check the fuel system out from the fuel tap to the vacuum and vents mate ...
All the usual checks need to be gone through but for the moment and because she is a rather newer model ...I will ask you these questions first ...
...is the weather suddenly colder ATM ?
...Do you warm her right up before you start moving ?
...Do you shut the choke off before you actually move ?
...Do you tend to shut the choke and move before shes warm (at least 5 full minutes)
...did you try to ride her cold ?
I only ask because these CBRs can get bent outta shape and flood if they are not started and fully warmed up before moving off especially in colder weather ..
Apart from the above , if your battrey is good , yu obviously gotta check the fuel system out from the fuel tap to the vacuum and vents mate ...
Last edited by CBRclassic; Dec 10, 2009 at 05:14 PM.
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2006
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From: Queensland, Australia
It has to be the petcock, 'floaties' in the fuel filter / tank or the vent on the tank not letting air in. My money's on the petcock though. If you haven't got a brake bleeder, just suck on the vacuum pipe. You'll hear it click and the fuel should start to flow. Let us know how it goes.
Good to know. This will be my first winter, and you may have saved me a cussing fit or two.
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Yer Joe ... it doe's depend on the bike to a degree it seems ...some take more kindly to it than others , but mine !! 
mate if she is not warmed up properly and I mean properly and I dare turn the choke off and try to ride her , she either stalls .....or its like trying to ride a bucking bull for the first 100mts 
mate if she is not warmed up properly and I mean properly and I dare turn the choke off and try to ride her , she either stalls .....or its like trying to ride a bucking bull for the first 100mts
Administrator, MVN / ROTM NOV 2012
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From: Republic of Boon Island
Yer Joe ... it doe's depend on the bike to a degree it seems ...some take more kindly to it than others , but mine !! mate if she is not warmed up properly and I mean properly and I dare turn the choke off and try to ride her , she either stalls .....or its like trying to ride a bucking bull for the first 100mts
mate if she is not warmed up properly and I mean properly and I dare turn the choke off and try to ride her , she either stalls .....or its like trying to ride a bucking bull for the first 100mts + 1
Tell me about it ..........I have to start her and let warm up so the temp
gauge is midways over.........otherwise like Steve sez .......rough start out
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Thanks so much for the responses...
This has only happened since it began to get much colder - 1-4 degrees C. I have also not been letting the bike warm through before taking off. So I'll give that a go too.
I managed to repeat the excercise of going 250 yards, puttering to a halt despite all the feathering I could muster. Follwed by emptying the battery in sheer frustration followed by pushing it back home. - they don't get any lighter do they?
The other issue is that I generally only use it at a little over tickover for a short commute to work... 3 miles at most. Perhaps I'm asking more of the alternator than it can bear?
If the warming process doesn't cure it I'll give the vacuum pipe a go. Are the #1 cylinder and these lines fairly easy to identify?
Really appreciate the input!
Mark
This has only happened since it began to get much colder - 1-4 degrees C. I have also not been letting the bike warm through before taking off. So I'll give that a go too.
I managed to repeat the excercise of going 250 yards, puttering to a halt despite all the feathering I could muster. Follwed by emptying the battery in sheer frustration followed by pushing it back home. - they don't get any lighter do they?
The other issue is that I generally only use it at a little over tickover for a short commute to work... 3 miles at most. Perhaps I'm asking more of the alternator than it can bear?
If the warming process doesn't cure it I'll give the vacuum pipe a go. Are the #1 cylinder and these lines fairly easy to identify?
Really appreciate the input!
Mark