Ok guys...I am ready to throw in the towel here...here's my story...please help...

I just sold a 99 F4...got tired of dealing with a carbureted bike....I have a 04 600rr...runs wonderful....just bought an 01 F4i to replace the F4 thinking hey...me and my girlfriend can finally ride something that is pretty much turn key and go...just like my RR...so far I have been wrong. The first day I got it and got it off the trailer it started up great...idled kind of low IMO but figured that was because of the exhaust setup....finally just cut off altogether after like 10 mins. I thought maybe the battery was the problem so I put it on the battery tender all night last night. Was going to take off and go riding today and we couldn't even get 300 ft down the road before the F4i cut off right in traffic...thank god we were close to home. Keep in mind when we first cranked it up it was idling fine during warm-up before we took off....

History on the F4i...bought it from a guy who couldn't tell me when the plugs were last changed but said it was giving him a few cranking problems when he drove it to show it to me last week. Figured maybe it was just from where it was sitting, maybe needed a new battery...no big deal. I bought new plugs to go in it, new filter, stuff to do an oil change...it ended up having a stripped drain plug and had to order another one so until it gets here the oil can't be changed....plus I get it home and see that it has a nail or tack in the rear tire so I have a set of pilot power 2ct's on the way...it needs a new set anyway...it seems like everytime I turn around I am putting money into the thing.

This bike has no history of mechanical problems...has run like a dream until I get it apparently. It hasn't been abused or stunted either...if you're wondering about the oil change the guy said it had been about 3700 miles since the last one. It has 19,xxx miles and a full custom shorty yosh exhaust by the way.

Well I come back to the house, jump in my truck, rush to autozone, o'reilly's, and advance all telling me that it has a special order battery...so I leave...go back home...take the battery out of my RR, go up the road where my gf is waiting with the f4i, pop in the rr battery and wa-la! It starts! So I'm thinking it's the battery....she gets on it...drives it 200 ft down the road to the driveway and it cuts off again....I start it back up...sounds like it won't idle......rev it up a bit...it idles...so I take it up the road about 2 miles...it runs wonderfully....I turn around to come back home....get to the stop sign right across from my house....and it quits on me...so now I'm pissed....

It will start....but won't idle unless you stay on the throttle...I have tried adjusting the idle but nothing works....so apparently it's not the battery...wondering if it's the injectors...fuel filter...I really have no freakin' clue. I almost refuse to take it to a dealership for cost reasons...hell I've already put enough money in it just to get it caught up on maintenance.

I had an 02f4i a long time ago....and I never had one problem whatsoever....figured this bike would be the same....I keep telling my gf how great a Honda is over all the other bikes out there and she is looking at me like I'm crazy because I am so honda loyal. Especially after today....so now I am stuck with 2 bikes, 1 that won't hardly run...it's beautiful outside today and I am depressed.....been looking forward to today all week. So much for spending the day riding.

-So I'm thinking I shouldn't have to give it any throttle to start it, but I do...
-It's apparently not the battery...
-It will start, but won't idle
-Continuously dies over and over if you don't keep constant throttle on it..

So guys, PLEASE HELP ME! I am sorry for the book I just wrote....but I am so frustrated right now and wanted to tell you guys everything from the beginning so you could maybe help better.....I appreciate every bit of help or advice you can give! Thanks in advance!

 

Check if you're hydrolocking. Ride till she dies then pop the fuel cap. If you hear air whistling to get in, the engine is hydrolocked and you got a blocked fuel line. It sound a lot like that cause apparently the issue takes time to build up

 

when you changed the plugs where the two middle ones fowled out real bad? If they were you could have a bad fuel pressure regulator, i was having to give my bike gas to start it and at times it would idle way over normal and other times it would completely stall out. changed that part and put in new plugs and have not had a problem yet.

If that is a bad battery then you just need a new one, if the battery is ok and is not getting charged while riding you may need a new regulator rectifier to fix that issue.

It sounds like you might have more than one problem going on at the same time.
Sorry about your luck.

 

I haven't actually had a chance to change the plugs yet...I plan on doing that tomorrow if I can figure out how to unhook the tank from the rest of the bike....any tips on this would be appreciated by the way.

As far as the battery, I know it requires a lot of juice to crank the bike in the first place, and I think the reason the battery died was because of trying to start it continuously...could be wrong...who knows....I am almost at the point of loading the freaking thing up and taking it to the dealership and dropping it off and have them deal with it...I just hate to drop the cash on that.

So if anyone can pass along the proper way to unhook the tank on an 01 F4i I would greatly appreciate it....in the mean time I will try your test for seeing if the FPR is bad if I can figure that much out...let you know how it goes...

 

You need to start checking things instead of guessing. Fuel pressure, system/charging voltage etc. If you can't then pony up the $100 for an hour of diag at the dealership then fix it yourself.

 

It's fairly straight forward. Remove the 4 bolts holding it to the frame - 2 on the front of the tank and 2 under the seat. However, If you are just going to remove the plugs, I'd just grab acouple bungee cords and take the passenger seat off, hook them to the sub frame, and the tank to hold it straight up.

 

Those guys gave good advice, check those things, but I'd probably take mine to a dealer and have it fixed right, and quick.

 

When I got my F4I, the issue was so bad that the engine will not crank at all. After checking and checking, I removed the oil cap, and fuel/oil RUSHED out of there, I mean it was like a freaking faucet.

Replaced the FPR, and the bike has been running like a champ (thanks to this forum I might add)

 

Okay guys, got some info...please see if you might be able to diagnose...just went out and cranked the bike...started up great...let it run and warm up...drove it around the yard..no problems...parked it and let it run for about 10-15 minutes....finally it just cut off....went back to start it again....and click click click.....had to put the battery on the charger.

I also ran back in the house and checked the forum and decided to check my oil because of the above quote....there was no fuel/oil running out BUT....I checked the oil and smelled it and it smelled very gassy....did not smell like oil hardly at all.....what do you guys think?

Definitely the FPR? Is that the same as the rectifier/regulator? Looked up on BikeBandit.com and a new regulator/rectifier is about $150 bucks. Is that the right part I need?

I was going to try and take it to a good friend of mine who is a bike mechanic but I can't get it there right now...talked to him on the phone and he agrees with most of you about it being the reg/rectifier....if so he can get me one and get it put on. Otherwise I am loading it on the back of my truck and taking it to the dealership....please help if you can.

 

no the FPR and the R/R are two different parts, the Fuels pressure regulator does just what the title sates, it regulates how much fuel goes into each cylinder. the Regulator Rectifier is what you can say an alternator for the bike, it charges your battery while you are riding it. the FPR is notorious for going out on these bikes and is one of the things many people have to replace it is very simple if you have the tank and air box off. (just replaced mine about 5 weeks ago, i think i paid like 50 bucks for it.) one way to check if it is bad is if the two middle spark plugs are very fowled and another way is with the hoses on your airbox.

if it was me i would take the battery to a shop that will test it for free like auto zone and see if it is holding a charge, it might be junk. which would cause the bike not to start. if it is good get a volt meter and test your regulator rectifier, it is usually bolted to the sub frame under the tail section.

and if the FPR is bad that is why you are having to give the bike gas to start it. pluse if the oil smells like gas this is a very good indicator that the part is bad.

if it was me i would never take it to the stealership, when i go there i feel like i might as well bend over and pull my pants down