Hello,

First I just wanted to introduce myself. I just got my first bike, a 1998 CBR 600 F3, and I've found this forum to be an invaluable resource. So first, let me just say thanks to the community.

Second, well, she's not running anymore. I got her a week ago, and she needed a new battery. Put that in, and had a bit of trouble getting her to start. I could hear the starter, but she wouldn't turn. Then eventually got her to start, but she would idle for a few seconds then die. Eventually got passed that, then she would die if I opened the throttle too much. Finally, after about 15 min of this game, she would start, and stay running to the point where I was able to take her out for a quick ride. A few days later, I went out to start her, and no go. The battery is fine (lights work, etc), I can hear the starter trying, but she won't turn over.

From what I know about bikes, which is extremely limited, I think I need to clean out the carburateur. If found a great guide on that here. So as soon as I get some time, that'll be the first thing I try. I also purchased the service manual which I'm hoping will give me some clues. However, while I'm opening her up, I was wondering if anyone could suggest other things to look at. Do these symptoms point to any components in particular I should take a look at?

Again, thanks to everyone on this forum for being so friendly and helpful!

-Trevor W.

 

Welcome to the forum Trevor!
Sorry to hear can't get her running. I have a few questions before making suggestions. How well was the the bike running before you bought it? When you say that you hear the starter, are you just hearing a clicking sound or do you hear a starter motor? Just because you're lights are on doesn't mean that the battery is good to go. Have you taken a reading of the voltage of the battery? It should be in the are of 12.5 to 13 volts. As soon as you have the issue of the bike turning over fixed, we can move onto addressing the poor running issues. One more thing, do you have a service manual? If not, you can download one from here.

 

Gummed up carbs usually indicate the bike has been sitting at some point. In an effort to save the planet gasoline formulas have evolved quite a bit, and what's relevant here is that gas goes bad a lot faster than it used too. I've seen gas 60 days old that I wouldnt run in my lawn mower. This is bad news for us folk with carb bikes, as this will happen to a lot of us over the winter.

If you tackle cleaning the carbs you should not neglect the gas tank and petcock - what goes through them usually ends up in your carb. Our tanks have a screen on the pick up, but not a true fuel filter. I would drain the gas in your tank, remove the petcock and hose the screen and the petcock innards with carb clean then reassemble. When you take the float bowls out and remove the jets, dont get in a rush. Mixing the jets up can lead to problems, so I say do the carbs one at a time and let the jets sit overnight in carb clean basket, then blow through them with air and re-assemble.

As for other things to look at, check your oil for the smell of fuel. Change your oil if it smells. Small amounts of fuel can gravitate down the the oil pan and contaminate it, reducing the effect of the oil. I'd also unbolt the brake calipers so you can inspect the pads but more importantly look for rusty streaks on the brake pistons. If the pistons have sat in one place too long they can stick and rust in place. This can a least lead to contaminated brake fluid, but worse case your brakes wont be there when you need them.

That's all that springs to mind. PM if you have a question.

 

To answer some of your questions:

It has been sitting for a while, I'm pretty sure the guy I got it from had it in storage for since September with that same tank of gas.

When I test rode her she rode ok, but the battery was dead. However, once jumped ran ok. For the one ride I took it felt and sounded fine, but granted my experience is limited.

I hear the starter motor, its much more than just a click sound.

I have not. I will make sure to do that when cleaning the carbs.

A service manual is on it's way, which I'm hoping will help!

Thanks again for the help!

-Trevor

 

You prolly have multiple things going here. Priority one is to drain the gas from the tank and carbs. If you think its old, then believe it's old. Treat it like poison for your bike because it just might be.

Verifying the battery is good is a priority, before cleaning the carbs. A weak battery will distort any true symptoms the bike may be showing.

Cleaning the carbs isn't quite a priority but it is a necessity. You don't know when (if ever) it was done nor how well. Best to get the bike to a known baseline, one that you create. It'll make troubleshooting later a lot easier.

Another thing that isn't a priority but would be a great idea is change the spark plugs. Unless you're hurting for cash, the $50 bucks is a solid investment. And, again, it provides you with a known baseline that you created.

Change the oil. Unless the previous owner can / did provide you with a receipt of the last oil change with the mileage noted, you prolly can't know the age of the oil. Unless he insists he changed it right before you bought it and you trust him. You'll also need to change the oil to establish your own maintenance schedule.

The F3 does have an inline fuel filter. It'll be between the petcock and the fuel pump. You might want to consider replacing that. There's no telling how long its been in the bike. But that's not a priority. My fuel filter was completely stuffed up and my bike still found a way to suck fuel through it.

While you have the carbs off, it'll be a good idea to pull any hoses you can and blow air from your compressor through them. Vacuum hoses and air hoses. Especially any fuel lines. You can't use carb cleaner on them (it'll eat the rubber). It's a good precaution and you'll already have the tank, air box and carbs already off so why not? Just make sure if you do, you remember to put them back where they came from.

The bike is no longer straight from the factory. Chances are most these things prolly aren't necessary. Hell, it could be a weak spark causing your current issues. But establishing a baseline is a necessity. Relying on the previous owner's recollection of when he did something can bite you in the *** later. And make troubleshooting a PITA. Once you have your hands on a shop manual, you might consider doing everything in the periodic maintenance section up to your bikes current mileage.

 

+1 on all that Kuro said.

This'll get you good and familiar with your bike and establish where it stands. There's a good chance you'll find your problem in checking the battery, cleaning the carbs/fuel system, and making sure the air delivery system is all clear.

These are the common problem areas for a bike that has sat a little and are things you'll want to know are in good shape with a new bike anyhow.

Time to get familiar with your bike!