Reote start problems

[PeteMint]

I recently fitted an alarm to my ZXR 400 L3, and had no issues at all.
Now, I would like to wire in the remote start function. I have found which wire to connect it too, and can get the bike turning over, but it wont start. It's as if there is no fuel going through?? I have read somewhere that it could be some kind of anti hotwire function? Is this true? I read I would need to disable this for the remote start to work, but don't really want to do that. Can anyone advise? Anyone else tried a remote start?

[CaNsA]

I have the option to but i wont cos i like not being a poser or adding even more things to my bike that will end up causing probs.

[PeteMint]

It's not really a case of being a poser, it would make life a lot easier on cold/wet mornings, or when I leave work, if the bike was warmed up when I go outside.

[CaNsA]

the remote start doesnt active the choke.

Unless you live in the middle of nowhere, i wouldnt be leaving my bike running unless im right next to it.

and fyi, remote starters are for posers.

[Tirpitz]

On cold / wet mornings you have absolutely no chance of starting a ZXR400 without choke. This is a 1990s carburated sportsbike with manual choke, not some modern fuel injected POS, it needs a hands-on approach to starting.

BTW, if you start up the bike on the sidestand and leave it ticking over to warm up you have a very good chance of wearing your cams and right hand crank bearings out. Absolutely the worse thing you can do short of revving the tits off it from the word go. Mori Man has done a thread on this so I won't repeat it. Bikes should be warmed up by gentle riding, not by ticking over.

[rmkd177]

Is there any wonder that some owners/enthusiasts refrain from using the forum more regularly when a straight foreward question is asked .
He's not got any suggestions only being told he's a 'poser' and how to warm his bike up ect ect.
If he has an alarm with a remote start facility its up to him how he puts it to use.
I wasnt aware either that running a bike on the slight angle a side stand gives that it could starve bearings of oil?
In fact with the lean angles that are achieved on race tracks coupled with high revs i have never known of such problems?
Also the best 'warm up' technique is to be stationary not moving at all.
If his bike requires choke he could of course put the choke on before he leaves it parked.
I know little about alarms/immobilisers Pete but its obvious if it turns over and doesnt start that you have no live feed to you coils/cdi. A cheap multimeter and a few easy tests would soon get you up and running im sure.

[CaNsA]

Some self-righteous crap

If the op cant handle being called a poser then I would love to see what happens when he gets called something really terrible.

The fact that I pointed out some of the practical issues he may encounter about using a remote start is by the by I suppose.
Oh and leaving your bike outside all night, uncovered, during the winter just so you use the remote start on the cold mornings..... Yeah thats a great idea.
"Use a bike cover" you might be thinking.... That is a clever suggestion until you have to scrape melted plastic off the can.
After some more clever thinking "I keep it in a garage".......... Nice until you have to go in there with all the fumes, oh and lets not even go down the route of "engine trying to run on exhaust fumes and petrol"
As for the "leave the choke on"........ Jesus bloody Christ, it would be quicker to pour water into the carbs than waiting for the increased condensation to fill them up.....

What I am trying to say is that having remote start, on a carb'd bike, in this country is a fucking stupid idea.

[Tirpitz]

Roger, leaving the choke on is not the answer. As you must surely know the choke is not an On / Off switch and the position which is suitable for starting will change on a day to day basis, it has to be juggled by hand, you can't set it the night before. If, just if, you chance on the right position to leave it and start the bike up remotely, within a very short space of time the bike will be revving its tits off as you are not on hand to knock it back a bit. That will wreck the engine, period.

There's a whole thread here viewtopic.php?f=117&t=12714&p=95931&hil ... +up#p95931 on the warm-up issue. Is it your opinion that this is rubbish? Remember, we're not talking about a race bike here which is going to be revved flat out from the start, we're talking about road riding. And race bikes aren't warmed up on side stands, they are warmed up on a paddock stand or with a rider seated, so they are not inclined. No-one starts a domestic car up and lets it tick over for several minutes to warm up before driving off and car engines are not being wrecked all over the country so I don't see why a bike being used on the road needs to be warmed up stationary, rather than being ridden gently for a few miles.

[cargo]

Remote start ?...........right up there with toffee spanners and chocolate fire guards

I'd have spent me money on a decent shock absorber

[rmkd177]

'Tirpitz'
It was said a bit 'tongue in cheek' so to speak...in fact some of the road bikes i work on i actually use the choke like a throttle when their cold. But bear in mind not all zxr's have the same characteristics tho. I dont only give my experiences from race bikes but also road bikes and own 7 and probably over a dozen engines and have worked /modified them for the last 15 years. I dont want to sound at all condecending but try to help when i know misleading or totally wrong advice is being given. I base all of my replys on experience not 'hearsay' or what ive 'been told'..neither am i touting for work but will always do my best for genuine lads who have a problem.
Remote starters arnt for me neither...neither are sprouts...tripe...street fighters or yellow Kawasaki's but each to there own.
I view the topic you mention and found your first post good. Some of the others by others? as you describe 'rubbish' it always amazes me how little some people know about the workings of an engine. The oil is on a pumped system and as long as there is sufficient oil to feed the pick up in the sump then it reaches all the parts it was intended...there are galleries that feed gearbox bearings even jets that squirt to the underside of the pistons to cool them...very very complex and brilliantly engineered...but ive read posts where some people think the engine has a crude splash feed like an old 'briggs and stratton'
Back to the warming up...in winter i think you may find that alot of people do warm their cars engines up before setting off purely to get the heater working..i certainly do.
As for a bike in an ideal world i would warm it up before setting off but it doesnt always suit...if your up late for work or in a rush..so your on the money in my opinion taking it easy for a few miles moving through cold air does slow the warm up process down alot tho.
Just to add we bought a zx6rr from MSS Kawasaki (Nick Morgan) a few years ago...and his instuctions on engine starting were to 'gently easy the revs on' and NEVER start a bike up and switch it off before its up to temperature.

[Tirpitz]

I think I'll revert to Plan A then, which I've been doing for the previous 20-odd years of bike ownership before reading on here it might be wrong, which is to start the bike and let it idle for 2-3 minutes before setting off. Then keep the revs gentle for probably 2-3 miles until the temp gauge shows the engine has warmed.

Then rev the tits off it, obviously

[PeteMint]

Whoa! Got a lot of replies.
A lot of them could be classed as rants, but hey ho.
Thanks for everyone for your advice. I've scrapped the idea of the remote start, even though most of this topic is now actually off topic.
I've always left any bike I've owned to tick over for a few minutes before riding, and will continue to do so.
I have also read elsewhere that the reason the remote start doesn't work, is because this model has an anti hotwire function built in.