2003 F4i previously owned by your "stylin' clueless poseur" The price was what I could afford..but the bike is pretty sad, as it came to me. I've been searching, getting some idea of what work I have in store but there's a lot to sift through in the archives.

I have some pressing issues that perhaps someone has simple answers for without wading through 5 pages of personal discourse between guys who are into impressing each other, but talking away from the subjects.

First: The bike wants to dive into corners about as badly as any bike I have ever ridden. It has a 180-55 rear and a 120 70 (Bridgestone BT016) front. The rear is slightly squared but I have ridden worse without the 'wrist-bending' fall-in at modest turning...Just awful. The forks are set with the top of the tubes right at the top triple. I don't yet have a manual so I don't know if the rear may have been lowered....the PO would not have even known. It looks like the drop link is cast aluminum, so maybe somebody along the line messed with that?

Second: There is a double blink of the FI light on start up, every time. The light stays lit when riding. He says, the previous owner..."Oh, it's always done that...the shop said it is the aftermarket exhaust causing that, they can re-set the program to make that light stop..." Well, probably a lie, right? He says he had the bike for 4 months and rode it a lot...

Third: and this is a big one, I am finding out....The bike seems to have a skip in second gear under hard acceleration....It looks like I'll be breaking down the whole motor and tranny to fix this...according to my preliminar reading here.

Anybody want to give me advice on any of this? Oh, and is there an online source to download a workshop PDF anywhere?

Thanks in advance...We just got an older F2 that my wife is riding...and that one is a real pleasure...handles like a dream now with new Q-2s and runs smooth and strong...The F4i?..it is downright ugly feeling right now, not fun to ride on with all these issues. Help please?

Don Hanson

 

pick up the shop manual, you can find it here
hondatech.info: Honda service manuals
OR you can go here Stephy G's CBR F4i Page
he has in the bottom left the service manual, or at the bottom middle the OWNERS manual for the 2001-2003 manual or the 2004+ manual
but if you go to the stephygee site watch your speakers cause there is music playing

 

i think two blinks means the tube to the map sensor is unplugged. or was it one long blink and 1 short blink...anyway check it out. left side of the airbox a little under

 

Thank you for the links. MAP sensor seems a likely candidate for the blnky light. The jump out of second gear...that looks like a substantial task to fix...shifter forks, etc.
The alarming tip in on turning? I found the tires had about 15psi air...that could have been part of it. I haven't done any suspension set up yet...sag and ride height adjustments to come shortly after I take care of the really life-threatening stuff the Previous Owner may have done...or left un-done.

For example: The fork pinch bolts...one was finger tight. The clutch lever pivot bolt was missing and replaced with a #12 sheet metal screw dropped into the hole...the lever wobbles around and has a lot of play, but works...sort of...

A lot of stuff to check on this poorly maintained bike...."Rode hard and put away wet"...

Thanks for the helpful hints, guys and gals
Don Hanson

 

I was about to suggest tire pressure for the turn in. Mine did the same thing after I got it and I took it on it's first ride, which ironically, was headed to the gas station to check the tire pressure (couldn't find my gauge) My tire pressure was around 10-15 in the front and 20s in the rear. Not too surprising since the bike sat for near 6 months before I got it.

2nd gear is a pretty regular problem, but most deal with it. Mine does it on occasion, but it's not bad enough for me to tear into it.

Check the MAP sensor and vacuum lines for the FI light.

Probably want to consider doing everything else to the bike too. Oil, coolant, break fluid, valves, etc. Sounds like it just really wasn't very well taken care of.

 

[QUOTE=dveldtf4i;1190917]I was about to suggest tire pressure for the turn in. Mine did the same thing after I got it and I took it on it's first ride, which ironically, was headed to the gas station to check the tire pressure (couldn't find my gauge) My tire pressure was around 10-15 in the front and 20s in the rear. Not too surprising since the bike sat for near 6 months before I got it.

The front tire is about as squared-off as any I have encountered on a bike. I think, if you took the front wheel off it would stand up by itself on that flat spot in the tire's cross section. Hmmm, indicates to me that the PO did a lot of interstate driving, and in fact, he lives in a small town right beside an Interstate about 100 miles east of Portland and 200 miles from anywhere else...Going anywhere musta entailed Super-Slab for him.

2nd gear is a pretty regular problem, but most deal with it. Mine does it on occasion, but it's not bad enough for me to tear into it.

Check the MAP sensor and vacuum lines for the FI light.

Probably want to consider doing everything else to the bike too.

Going right through all the bike is always my almost first priority when I get a new to me bike. Bikes are risky enough when they are ridden at a fun pace even when everything is perfect..If something critical (and there are lots of critical things that can fail on a bike) fails the consequences can be fatal...or really expensive. I wish I'd caught the slipping second gear in my test ride, I probably would have avoided buying this particular bike...but now I get to learn about bike gearboxes....yipee....(not!)

I don't understand how the PO could have ridden the bike this way....
thanks all for the input.
Don Hanson