Bad Gas or Bad Plugs?

jeffjones

jeffjones

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Bike is a 01 F4i, I pulled it out of storage last weekend (Was put away with a full tank and fairly old stabilizer), Battery was dead but it bump started and fired right up. Drove from Bolton to Kitchener, Got home, turned it off.
Pulled it out today with a fresh off the charger battery and it would just turn but no catch, did that a couple times and the battery was dead.
Tried bumpstarting it on a hill and it would turn but just not catch.

I am assuming the 2 most obvious things are bad gas or bad plugs....

The plugs are very difficult to get at to check and not sure how to empty the tank other than syphoning which I would assume the bad gas would be in the lines still...

What would seem the best course of action?
 
Try a little bit of quickstart in the airbox while you crank it, might help. Your plugs are probably gummed up though.
 
imnothng said:
The freshly charged battery died after trying to start it a couple of times? It should last a lot more than just a couple of times.
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Ok, Just an expression, it was more than a couple times.

Either way even with jump starting it it wouldn't catch, battery isnt the problem I am trying to solve at this point...
 
Did you try changing the fuel before attempting to start the bike till the battery died? The plugs could be fouled from trying to start it, I'd start with fresh fuel and new plugs, the gas shouldn't have gone that bad over the winter that the bike won't even start.
 
You can use a soldering torch to burn the fuel and carbon deposits off the plugs and re-gap them while you're at it.
 
It's likely just flooded. Are you researched the flooded start procedure for your bike? On my 07 CBR600rr - it was WOT, and crank it.
Low battery is often the cuplrit, if the starter draws enough of the available power to starve coils of power, you will have a weak spark.
Weak spark = wet plugs, and standard starting procedure of not touching the throttle while cranking will dump more fuel.
 
Seems like I will swap the gas out tonight and see what happens?
If it doesn't start then off to get plugs.

If it is bad gas, what is the best way of getting it all out? Syphoning won't get it all and there will still be some in the lines?
Would I just keep cranking on it or will that more or less add to the problem?
 
You could drain the gas from the carbs. More work, but that will get you started pretty fresh.
 
Check the fuel switch if you turned it off by accident, and then fuel filter.
 
mikbusa said:
It's likely just flooded. Are you researched the flooded start procedure for your bike? On my 07 CBR600rr - it was WOT, and crank it.
Low battery is often the cuplrit, if the starter draws enough of the available power to starve coils of power, you will have a weak spark.
Weak spark = wet plugs, and standard starting procedure of not touching the throttle while cranking will dump more fuel.
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^This. Same thing happened to me the other week except it wouldn't start right out of the garage. I had same thoughts go through my head: either bad fuel or bad plugs. I was ready to siphon the fuel out but decided to give the WOT start a try. Took a number of attempts but it finally turned over so I assumed it was flooded after the first few failed attempts.
 
My money is on the Stabilizer added to the fuel.
They don't burn too well in the engine.

Another reason I don't use fuel stabilizers anymore. For just a few months its not worth it
 
AF4iK said:
^This. Same thing happened to me the other week except it wouldn't start right out of the garage. I had same thoughts go through my head: either bad fuel or bad plugs. I was ready to siphon the fuel out but decided to give the WOT start a try. Took a number of attempts but it finally turned over so I assumed it was flooded after the first few failed attempts.
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Did the WOT and she started puttering and as I let off the gas it fired up, Took some revving to keep her alive with some nasty smoke out the pipe, took it around the block and home, turned it off came out a couple times after and it fired right up both times.

Hopefully it won't be like this again....

See what Honda says as it goes in for its 3rd valve check soon.
 
glad its going, i'd be inclined to throw new plugs at it. I just find clean happy plugs makes for easier starts all the time.
 
For Carberated bikes, one needs to turn the gas switch to prime before starting. Also, important to have a fully charged battery. I needed to replace mine. I also plug it in a battery tender when its parked.
 
crankcall said:
glad its going, i'd be inclined to throw new plugs at it. I just find clean happy plugs makes for easier starts all the time.
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+1

When it gets the Valve check it is going to get New plugs and CCTL since it will all be exposed at that point.

peterventure said:
For Carberated bikes, one needs to turn the gas switch to prime before starting. Also, important to have a fully charged battery. I needed to replace mine. I also plug it in a battery tender when its parked.
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As mentioned before its not Carberated.
 
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