Hi,

I have a 600 F4 (2000).

Problem: The bike starts fine and I let it warm up. If I set it into 1st gear and slowly release the clutch it moves. However, as soon as I release the clutch lever completely the
bike dies.

I've left it sitting for almost a year and didn't close the fuel valve. I'm going to perform an oil change soon.

Could it be old fuel? I'm going to give it a full tune up but, I'd like to just get it running on it's own first.

Any hints?

Thanks.

 

Is it sputtering out and dying or is it cutting off as if a kill switch is interupting it.

I am guessing that it if is starting and running at Idle then bad gas isn't the problem.

I am assuming you have thekickstand up right? There is a kill switch built into that that cuts the bike when you have the kickstand down - although now that I think about it I believe it does that when you DROP IT IN GEAR.

You should definitely drain that old gas, replace the fuel filter, fill with new gas and the corresponding amout of Sea Foam before you do anything else though.

 

if it set that long with the crap they call fuel these days then thats where I would look. even though its running on the choke circuit doesnt mean the carbs are doing what there supposed to when you throttle it up. does it throttle as expected in neutral? if so can you get the bike rolling first then shift into first and apply more throttle before releasing the clutch? I would add a little sea foam and new gas.

 

Hi,

Yeah, it sputters out then dies. It will also die if I throttle it too high in neutral or 1st. Looks like I'll try draining the gas and add some sea foam.

BTW. what is sea foam? What does it do?

Thanks.

 

Sea foam is a fuel additive like lucas or stp for cleaning the system and helps with the valves aswell. Don't put to much in though as it could damage it. Ive never had that happen but I hear occasionally where someone attributes some failure to it. If my facts are straight, it was originally designed for and used in marine engines but has recently started being used any everything else. I use it in everything and swear by it. Also you can buy it at any auto parts house but Walmart usually has it a couple bucks cheaper.