Hey guys, I am new here. Finally got a cbr 600 ('03 f4i!), its always been my dream bike bike and I am extremely excited about it! She definitely needs work but its a project I do not mind one bit!

Long story short I drove two hours to pick it up and rode it back home last Friday. It was an odd trip back; I test drove an '01 Monday of last week which slipped away, but my bike didnt seem near as powerful so I dropped it off at my friends dealership on Saturday. I just got the quote and I am looking at ~$600 for all the work and parts. The mechanic working on it told me the ups and downs and honestly I do not know how I made it home. Three of the four spark plugs are fouled, the front brakes are so far gone they are more than useless, and I think my ecu may be going out...I filled up the tank after leaving the previous owners house and made it 70 miles before needing to refill, I didnt know what was up by this point. The mechanic told me the spark plugs are definitely the problem but after tearing into it says the ecu may also have an impact, also.

So, my question is, what causes the spark plugs to foul? I am not motor savvy in the least bit. I know the bike sat for a year before the previous owner purchased it, he ran seafoam through the tank and it finally started running *almost* like it should. The bike had a few hiccups on the way down the interstate but it wasnt enough to keep me from moving onward. My second question is, what would cause the ecu to go out? From the sounds of it (I havent seen it) somebody cut and spliced the wiring harness in a very jimmy rigged fashion, and from what the mechanic told me in his searching a used ecu and harness will run me about $300.

I payed $2000 for this thing and love it, but the money I am putting into it is more than expected! I have ordered a few bolt ons that need replaced but I still need fairings! She is lucky shes moving with me after basic training next year.....

 

sounds like you got ripped off. I picked up an 02 with far less problems for $1,100 after buying everything it needed i am only $2K into it.

 

i would say ok, pick the bike up, change the plugs at 10.99 each, new pads at what 20-30 total for high heat pads? and see how it acts.
those repairs are easy, and the ecu is a simple swap too. but if someone spliced the wires you may want a new harness and by god i don't think i would want to do that myself.
check the connections, if somone just twisted them together and put e-tape on them then that.. i honestly don't know what the hell im talking about, why would someone touch the wiring harness?

 

ECU isn't a very common problem at all.... that would be the last thing I'd suspect as being a problem. You sure the fuel pressure regulator isn't shot?? They like to stick, especially after sitting for awhile, and can cause it to run very rich, will foul out plugs and also make MPG drop (your 70 miles to a tank). That's where I would be looking first... BUT if the harness has been hacked into... eek... that could def be a problem too. You can pick up a used harness on ebay for not too much though.... I'd def get a good harness in there and go from there

 

Just because you buy cheap *** bikes doesn't mean he got ripped off.

Plugs are supposed to be replaced every 16k. As mentioned before it sounds like the fuel pressure regulator is bad causing the bad mileage and the fouled plugs. I would get a new wire harness, FPR, plugs and brakes [OEM pads!!!] and go from there. Ecu's don't typically go bad but it has happened before.

 

Man, you guys are fast! Thanks for the help!

I agree, after hearing about the basic work that has to be done to the bike to keep it safe and dependable I am not happy with the money I am pouring into it, but it doesnt bother me. I finally own the very bike I have always wanted, putting extra money into it to make it stand out and be MY bike isnt a big deal. I plan on keeping it for quite some time, maybe in a few years I will buy a Blade, but this baby will keep it company!

When I was told $300 for a used harness and ecu I started searching for them. The harness can be acquired no without a hitch, I am having issues finding a used ecu (granite I scoped ebay mostly), the only thing I found was an ecu for a f4 and I am pretty positive that wont work for the f4i? As I said, I have not seen the harness, and I think Scott (mechanic) and I decided to go ahead and replace it. Its been a long day, I dont remember everything we talked about, I just know I am going to Wisconsin for work on Monday and will be able to pick it up at the end of the week when I am back home. Technically if the harness were cut and taped back together correctly, wouldnt it work still? The bike drove and ran great after picking it up.. The FPR could be an issue, I will have to call and mention that and see what the verdict is. I also forgot to mention it has an exhaust leak, could that have anything to do with the MPG's?

Talking to my dad about it earlier, we got to wondering if the plugs have EVER been changed. The bike rolled 22k miles on the return trip home, and three of them being fouled makes me curious. How do you replace the FPR? If I am having problems with the gas milage after I get it back is that something I could replace in my garage easily or would it definitely have to go back?

Back to the ripped off comment; I limited myself the money I could spend on a new bike (purchasing it, not parts, labour, etc.), and all I had was what my previous bike sold for. The RR's in my area rape people it seems for purchase prices, the cheapest I found was a yellow '03 for $3,500 and it needed just the same work my f4i does. I have always been in love with the first gen. f4i's, I really dislike banana seats and the process of modifying and swapping parts to obtain a split seat so the newer models were out of the question. Even if I did want a newer model the closest one was a five hour drive and was $1,000 over my budget. I drove two hours and picked this one up for less than I wanted to spend so I was set. Again, it gives me opportunity to make the bike what I want it to be, besides, you learn to appreciate your things more when you have to spend REAL time and money on them. That simple fact alone makes me want to keep this thing a long time! If you cant tell I am extremely happy with my purchase!

Thanks again for the replies, everyone! Really helps a lot!

 

Just a quick question:

Where can you get spark plugs for 01-06 F4i for 10.99?

I know there are cross matches, but OEM plugs are 13.50 each at Heartland Honda (cheapest I could find).

Cheers!

 

O'Reiley Auto Parts.... they were right around $10-11/plug, cheaper than sparkplugs.com where I used to get them from

 

bumping an old post but i think i know what happened, somone used some el cheapo splice in power commander and removed it for who knows what reason before selling it.
it may have possibly reflashed or screwed up your ecu, you can probably take it to the dealer and see what they can do to it, if it's cheap.

 

Sorry I have been hiding lately, lots of work out of town!

As far as the ecu goes, would there be anyway to tell if it has been reflashed? The bike runs fine is why I ask, again, I have no motor knowledge (have I said that already?).

I called the mechanic working on my bike and asked about the FPR earlier this week, he said his initial thoughts were on the same issue but the way it is currently running he doesn't think thats the issue. He wants to replace the spark plugs, if that doesnt work the ecu and harness are next, then the FPR.