I have a 2006 f4i with about 40k miles.

it’d been a workhorse and has seemed bulletproof.

I’ve had no major issues other than a dead battery.

i don’t ride it nearly as much as I used to and I started it today to move it across the drive way and after starting it and moving it, I gave it a little twist of the throttle/rev and it died.

i immediately tried to restart it and it turned over, but wouldn’t start. The sound of it turning over definitely sounded a little different as well, no difference in how fast it turned over, and it’s kind of hard to describe how it sounded different. If I had to pick a word, I’d say it sounded more ‘dull’ as it turned over. If i had to address what that could be is maybe no spark?

i shut it off fully, took the key out, and retried with the same results.

it’s been rainy here in so cal and the bike had been kept uncovered. That, and not being started often, are the only differences I can really report.

any ideas/recommendations?

 

When you turn the key do you hear the fuel pump prime?

 

yes, it primes

 

Is there spark?

 

what’s the simplest way to check for spark?

 

1. Pull a plug wire.

2. stick spare plug into it

3. touch case of plug to bare metal on engine to ground it

4. crank engine to start

Do you see spark jump at tip of plug?
What colour is spark?

Do you have multimeter?
This is 5-minute fix with multimeter…

 

yes, I have a multimeter

 

Is there spark?

Key ON, start/stop=RUN
measure voltage at blk/wht power wires at injector & coil connectors. volts = ???

 

Is it hard to access the ignition coil? Is it buried behind the radiator?

 

Sorry, typo. I mean “plug wire” that goes over spark-plug for spark tests

to measure for power at ignition-coil, have to remove tank and seat to get to them and injectors.

At this point, we don’t know if ECU’s not triggering spark. Or if coils aren’t getting power. Each of those would point to different fault.