FZRSupport: the FZROnline Archive

I just bought a 1990 fzr thats been sitting since the summer. I changed the spark plugs and new oil and gas and still wont start. i charged the battery and tried again still nothing. anyone with any ideas? plz help want to get it running really soon.

Not uncommon for a bike not to start after sitting for months - especially a 21 year old bike.

Check for spark by removing a spark plug and resting it on the head while cranking. (new plugs don't guarantee that you have spark) If there is no spark you will have to do some trouble shooting to find out why. Your could also double check the firing order while you are there (it's easy to mix up the wires) Wiring and switches are usually the culprit. Come back here and we will help you sort it out.

If you have spark then make sure that you are getting fuel. While cranking spray some starter fluid into the air box. If it fires then dies you probably have a fuel delivery issue. Check the obvious things first - petcock open? Do you here the fuel pump for about 5 seconds when you first turn the main key switch to the ON position? You could have a clogged fuel filter or the in tank filters on the petcock are clogged. Look inside the tank with a flashlight. If you see cloudy, rusty and murky shapes in the fuel that is likely to be the source of trouble.

In summary, we can help you a little better if you can determine if you have spark and/or if you have fuel. Go check it out and come back with what you find.

do i leave the cables hooked up to the spark plugs when i set them on the head?

you have turned the key till the pump stops pumping all together right? probably gona need a carb clean id say. yeah the starter fluid will tell you if you have fuel delivery probs. that would be the easiest step so i would start there first. also sometimes the spark may seem weak but dont let that fool you into thinking your ignition is toast.

ok i sprayed starter fluid and it trys to start and just backfires and wont start. i checked the plug n there is spark.

Make sure your plug leads are going to the correct plugs - the 1-4 coil has one short and one really long, while the 2-3 coil has two pretty much the same length. Swapping the 2-3 leads doesn't do anything, nor the 1-4 leads (although it might be a bit of a stretch!), but swapping the #1 & #2 leads, or the #3 & #4 leads, will cause a no-start situation with lots of farting and back-firing.

Blkfzr600 wrote:ok i sprayed starter fluid and it trys to start and just backfires and wont start. i checked the plug n there is spark.

Hey, now we are getting somewhere!

+1 to what Don said about plug wires. You are getting spark since it backfires - and probably the firing order is wrong. Read what Don posted above and go fix your plug wires so the firing order is corrected. The try it again. If it won't start on its own try the starter fluid again. If it starts up and runs a little then dies you have fuel delivery issues. That will require that you clean the entire fuel system Tank, Petcock filters, new fuel filter, and clean the carbs. You can do one or two of those things but it is best to get it all at once so you don't have breakdowns later at the least convenient time and place.

Get back to us after you correct the firing order and give it another try.

ok well i have a question...my plug wires go from left/clutch to right/throttle in the order of 1,2,3,4 is this the correct order? I checked the spark plugs to see if they are wet and they are. and it sounds like it wants to start but still nothing.

Blkfzr600 wrote:ok well i have a question...my plug wires go from left/clutch to right/throttle in the order of 1,2,3,4 is this the correct order? I checked the spark plugs to see if they are wet and they are. and it sounds like it wants to start but still nothing.

The plugs WILL get wet as long as gasoline is being squirted into the cylinder. As was previously stated, the left coil is for 1 & 4 and the right coil is for 2 & 3. 1 & 4 will be easy to figure out. As for 2 & 3, just try putting the longer one to #2 and the shorter one to #3 (since the stock location for the coils is on the right side of the bike. It IS possible that the plug wires may have been trimmed at some point but this would be a logical place to start. This is all assuming that the little number markers are no longer on the plug wires.

the plugs are still numbered and they go 1,2,3,4 in that order from left to right when sitting on the bike...is this correct?

That numbering is correct (1,2,3,4 from left to right) if someone numbered them correctly. Do you remember if they were in that order when you changed the plugs? Please double check which coils go to which cylinders.

i think when i changed them they were 1,2,4,3

Blkfzr600 wrote:i think when i changed them they were 1,2,4,3

OK. Something is not quite right with the firing order. Go route the wires per Don's instructions without paying attention to the numbers which are probably incorrect.