FZRSupport: the FZROnline Archive

Hi,

as of yesterday, i went out to go for a ride, when i turned it to run and pushed the start it didn't start. the bike did turn over and did everything but catch. As I kept trying to get it to start it didn't. Once when i switched the kill switch to off, there was a large boom from the tail pipe, similar to a .300 caliber rifle going off. After that the battery was starting to wind down so i pulled it and charged it. while it was charging I checked the fuses, all are fine. i pulled the plugs, all are fine. the ignition coil primary and secondary coils have readings within spec. the battery has the correct charge when i put it back in and it still won't start. i don't know how to check the digital ignitor, and other than that i don't know what to do.

Another little bit of info,last time i rode it, it rode fine to class. like 3-min drive, on the way home it felt like it was running on 2-cylinders. The bike had very little power and sounded like hell.

Up until this point the bike has been running great for the past few months.

Please help me.
Thanks David M.

Kick it over.

?????

What do you mean?

i would say theres no spark the big back fire would tell me there is fuel check your plugs and compression.

inside joke.

while it was charging I checked the fuses, all are fine. i pulled the plugs, all are fine. the ignition coil primary and secondary coils have readings within spec.

already checked the plugs

A compression test will tell you a lot here. I would do one and hope all the cylinders are around 150psi or higher. If you have one or two that are dramatically lower than the others, then that is why it will not start. Time for a rebuild then. If they are all up there and about the same, then it will be fuel or electrical related.

but if i don't have spark doesn't that mean it's electrical? i don't know how to test anything more that the ignition coils

Dave how many miles are on the clocks? A backfire out the tail pipe to me would indicate fuel, spark and compression though not necessarily in the right firing sequence. Back firing out the tailpipe would indicate at least one cylinder is firing while the exhaust valve is open. You may be due for a valve adjustment. Valves out of tolerance could also contribute to lack of power and less than optimal engine performacne. Have to ask the dump question fuel in tank, petcock to on or reserve, fuel pump primes the carbs with key turned on? Nothing wrong with running comprssion test to evaluate motor health.

Cursed94FZR600 wrote:

while it was charging I checked the fuses, all are fine. i pulled the plugs, all are fine. the ignition coil primary and secondary coils have readings within spec.

already checked the plugs

Cursed94FZR600 wrote:but if i don't have spark doesn't that mean it's electrical? i don't know how to test anything more that the ignition coils

But like you said, you already checked the plugs. Or do you not have spark now?

M in KC wrote:Dave how many miles are on the clocks? A backfire out the tail pipe to me would indicate fuel, spark and compression though not necessarily in the right firing sequence. Back firing out the tailpipe would indicate at least one cylinder is firing while the exhaust valve is open. You may be due for a valve adjustment. Valves out of tolerance could also contribute to lack of power and less than optimal engine performacne. Have to ask the dump question fuel in tank, petcock to on or reserve, fuel pump primes the carbs with key turned on? Nothing wrong with running comprssion test to evaluate motor health.

Our TCI ignitions will ALWAYS throw a spark on both coils when the power is switched 'off'...which is what 'Cursed' did just prior to the big backfire.

This happens because our coils are 'loaded' with battery voltage and the TCI unit switches them off momentarily at the proper time for spark. When ignition or kill switch is turned to 'off' it is the same effect-power ceases to coils, they 'dump'.

It is an effective way to test the coils..key the bike 'off' with the plugs out and watch the spark. No cranking necessary.

It doesn't, however diagnose TCI issues. The fact that there was fuel to 'boom' at the switching 'off' coil dump tells me he may quite well have a TCI issue

does anybody live in stl with a fzr that i could meet up with to test my Digital Ignitor?

So you spark tested all the plugs right? I want to say coils b/c you say it sounded like it was running on 2cyl, but if they have spark thats obviously not an issue... I dont think it's the DI b/c you are still getting spark.

Next I'd say the firing order must be off so check the stator pickup! They are really sensitive sometimes. Testing them with an OHM meter wasn't very effective for me either, I had to just switch it out, and she fired right up.

If that doesn't work, go to the carbs and clear the bowls.

Also, before all this, make sure it's not something stupid like a small creature in your intake

Funny how no one has mentioned the pick up coil and/or stator. If that pick up coil goes bad, the bike won't start.

sweekster wrote:Funny how no one has mentioned the pick up coil and/or stator. If that pick up coil goes bad, the bike won't start.

Just barely beat you to it