hey guys. i have a '99 f4. i realized i might of done a couple things wrong putting my bike up for winter storage. I did put sta-bil in it but perhaps not enough or didnt let it cycle through. i left the battery for about 2 months id say.

so last weekend i was doing a little work on it and tried to start it. it turns over but doesnt ever actually start. i thought it might be the battery so i replaced that. same results-turns over, doesnt fire. the old battery was pretty much dead anyway as i had it load tested. the next weekend i took the tank and air box off to get to the carbs. they looked dry so looks like no fuel is getting to it. bike started once a couple sprays of starter fluid was sprayed directly into each carb. i put the tank and air filter back on and it would idle for a few minutes with the choke on and then die. it wouldnt ever start with choke off and i was messing with that idle screw near the right side fairing. and after a couple times of that happening it wouldnt start at all again.

so it seems like the carbs arent getting gas and my best guess is maybe somethings clogged like fuel lines or fuel filter. i also think the jets in the carb might be dirty but shouldnt a bike at least start if just the carbs are dirty?

any help is appreciated. ill try to have more updates next weekend if i figure anything out

 

hi

i gotta tell ya.. you got lucky.. you said the carbs are dry so no fuel is getting to them. ill wager based on experience that your fuel filter needs replacing. dont try to turn the crank over anymore till you do that or you will risk gunk slipping thru. check ur fuel lines and clean em out/replace if needed but im 99% sure that if you replace that filter, youll at least get her to start up for you

 

This happened to me a few times even when i had a new battery. What fixed it for me was i kept turning the bike on and off to prime the fuel pump. It took like 15 minutes of doing that before i got enough fuel for it to start up. After that i had no problems. It seems to only happen when my bike sat for a long time. Im guessing that might be your problem. Charge the battery all the way up and just keep turning the key until fuel pump pushes enough fuel into the system. At least that seemed to work for me when i didn't start my bike for a while. Also check your plugs.

If it ran rough before it stopped starting i would clean the carbs up if i were you. I just cleaned mine and it runs like a dream now, starts right up even after sitting. Good luck more knowledgeable people should respond soon.

 

where exactly is the fuel filter located on the f4

 

nevermind i found it in my manual

 

I'm having a similar problem, bike hasn't been sitting for long, a week as of today. While this isn't related in the sense of reasons behind my bike not starting, I found it fitting to post here as my F4 won't start either... after replacing the cracked crank case and filling the oil reservoir, the oil light on my instrumentation display was still lit, more importantly, the bike would not start, just a clicking sound from the battery, it turned over once or twice, or tried to at least (the steady high pitched ree-ree-ree)! It was running fine when I bought it, but after replacing the crank case it just wouldn't start, even when it was trying to turn over. Then in my attempt to connect the rear turn signals I blew the battery (or a fuse, or both [I'm inclined to think the latter]) the front turn signals would not work, nor the lights on the display, only the headlight (which turned off as I tried to start it) I tried a push start and the battery made the same clicking sound it did before I blew it, but now turn over at all. My question: what could have kept the bike from starting after the new crank case? Is it possible the battery was no good before? I am replacing the battery tomorrow, but could it be something else?

 

I've done some more searching and have found that if I remove the current battery, which I'm now sure is dead, and connect a big car battery with the same voltage, using cables, I can route the cables in such a way that would test different electrical components of the bike individually to help isolate the problem. I'm pretty certain there is a short somewhere though, or a blown fuse especially after my turn signal mishap. Anyway I hope this link helps anyone still experiencing a similar problem, it's a lengthy read but well worth it. I'm positive that with enough dedication and my new family here at cbrforum she will be up and running before long!

Dan's Motorcycle "Trouble Shooting"

 

well check the fuses because thats a lot easier than getting another batt.

 

+1 for checking the fuses. There should be a total of 5, under the seat to the left of the battery. 4 10 amp minis and a 30 amp main fuse. You can see if they are blown when you pull them out or use a multimeter and check for continuity between the spades.

 

thanks guys! i took my battery to get recharged at a local Advanced Auto Parts store for free , and picked up some new fuses... are there more fuses anywhere else on the bike? is it just those near the battery?