Does your zxr400 have hot starting problems?

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Do you have hot starting problems with your zxr400?

yes
130
66%
Nope
68
34%
 
Total votes: 198

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Tirpitz
zxr400 oc member
zxr400 oc member
Posts: 766
Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2010 2:45 pm
My Bike: Kawasaki ZXR400L4
Location: Doncaster, South Yorkshire

Re: Does your zxr400 have hot starting problems?

Post by Tirpitz »

How old is the battery?
ZXR400 L4, purple / black / pink
Hel braided hoses
Pirelli Diablos
Ohlins steering damper
A16 carbon fibre exhaust can
Nitron Sport shock
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R P Corse
CBT slow
CBT slow
Posts: 522
Joined: Fri Mar 30, 2007 1:15 am
My Bike: ZXR400 H1
Location: Surrey

Re: Does your zxr400 have hot starting problems?

Post by R P Corse »

ZXR400 H1 1988
Standard Air Filter
NGK CR9X - cant remember the code off the top of my head!
Standard as far as i'm aware - i've only just got the bike
Standard downpipes, JMCA end can?
Battery needs a change and mileage is around the 23/24k mile mark (38000km)
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R P Corse
CBT slow
CBT slow
Posts: 522
Joined: Fri Mar 30, 2007 1:15 am
My Bike: ZXR400 H1
Location: Surrey

Re: Does your zxr400 have hot starting problems?

Post by R P Corse »

just like to say since replacing the Reg/Rec and the battery, i've had no problems what so ever, hot or cold
Equalz
Posts: 8
Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2012 11:13 pm
My Bike: Kawasaki ZXR 400 L1

Re: Does your zxr400 have hot starting problems?

Post by Equalz »

Model & year L1 - 1991
Air filter Std or other - K&N
type & manufacturer of spark plugs - NGK the ones that are supposed to be in the bike, has dual electrodes / anodes too.
Jet size or carb mods if any - None as far as I'm aware
Exhaust system - Full Micron System
anything else which may contribute - Two huge fans on the front behind the radiators?
Awacs
Posts: 21
Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2011 2:18 am
My Bike: ZXR 400 L4

Re: Does your zxr400 have hot starting problems?

Post by Awacs »

L4 - 37.000 miles

SPAIN (maybe the weather interferes on it)
standard air filter
NGK standar plug changed no more than 2.000 miles
standard carbs as far as i know
standard exhaust with mivv can, no baffle
ross46
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Posts: 825
Joined: Fri Aug 26, 2011 9:31 pm
My Bike: zxr 400 l6

Re: Does your zxr400 have hot starting problems?

Post by ross46 »

Mine doesn't
Model/year-1996
Air filter-k&n with snorkel (apparently this is weird?)
Spark plug- ngk iridium cr9eix
Carb mods- dynojet kit, stage 1, carb slide drilled, 98 dynojet mains, 2nd groove on dynojet needles
Exhaust system- micron system, straight through ART can
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anakin40
Posts: 14
Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2013 1:15 pm
My Bike: zxr400 l4

Re: Does your zxr400 have hot starting problems?

Post by anakin40 »

1994 L4 uk model
std filter, de-snorkled
new ngk cr9ex
105 main jets
full micron
carb heaters are disconnected

i have an ongoing issue when the bike is really hot, it's like the starter motor has seized, just get a click... will bump start easily... once its cooled down for half hour it will start again off the button...
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anakin40
Posts: 14
Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2013 1:15 pm
My Bike: zxr400 l4

Re: Does your zxr400 have hot starting problems?

Post by anakin40 »

turns out mine had a magnet break off the housing in the starter motor!
Grooveski
Posts: 34
Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2012 4:23 pm
My Bike: ZXR400 M1

Re: Does your zxr400 have hot starting problems?

Post by Grooveski »

'91 M1 model.
Full Micron exhaust.
FCRs with std needles two notches higher than factory. No heater.
Std everything else.

Never any problems with hot starts. A dab of the button on a closed throttle and it's ticking over.

Doesn't like getting up in the mornings in winter. Never has.
Most of the time it's fine then once or twice a year it'll just not catch, thon frustrating way where it's nearly there....
It gets fuel and also happened not long after after I replaced the battery and plugs one year.
Was just reading the stick coil replacement thread there. Kinda fancy giving that a go.
4dread
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2015 11:33 pm
My Bike: 1985 VFR 400

Re: Does your zxr400 have hot starting problems?

Post by 4dread »

Hot starting problem SOLVED!!! (valve adjustment)

So me and my mate have been working his zxr400 L9, would go out for a ride, stop somewhere for a cuppa and no joy when starting the bike again. Would crank well but initially gave the impression it wasn't even sparking. Then turn the ignition off and on and it would start, weird.

Bought new coils, no change. Tweaked the pilot screws to see if it was fuel related, no change. Then the carb fuel seals went (completely flooded cyl 1 carb), changed them and bike runs sweet but still hot starting problem.

After this we tried a second hand CDI off ebay, still no change :smt011

The final check was the valve adjustment (really cba to do this but had to be checked). Turned out cyl 1 inlet valves were 0.05mm clearance! among others that were slightly off.

All in all, the valve adjustment has fixed the issue, bike starts perfect every time now!

This issue has baffled us for a good couple of weeks now, sending us up the wrong tree, so thought I would share as this really did solve the problem.
bumble72
Posts: 40
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2017 9:03 pm
My Bike: ZXR 400L
Location: Birmingham

Re: Does your zxr400 have hot starting problems?

Post by bumble72 »

L3
Hot start problems
Cold start ok with a bit of throttle.
Full micron unbaffled
Think the air filter is standard.
Newish yuasa battery.
In process of dumping the feel free spongy tokicos (£130 for a seal set !!! :-0) for CBR f4 nissins (£70 seal set :-/, not so bad ) Getting the nissin mount holes drilled out to M10, 1.25 pitch to match the kwaks fork leg holes.

A fellow in Sheffield who manufacturers hobby race cars parts and is a car mechanic fixed a difficult to find leak fir £100 inc a block gasket, which a motorbike shop in south bham didnt fix, suggested the hot start issue might be a sign of carburettors needing rejetting.

So it was interesting to read the last posters solution. I,ll stick it in.my file of things to do. Might get my amateur car chap to have a look at it. He,s also got an 03 R1, like me (a fiery angel of bile) so I think he,s reliable ;-).

Best of luck everyone.
bumble72
Posts: 40
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2017 9:03 pm
My Bike: ZXR 400L
Location: Birmingham

Re: Does your zxr400 have hot starting problems?

Post by bumble72 »

greengoblin wrote:
Thu Jun 28, 2007 8:35 am
I've always thought it was just a Kawasaki thing. Every one I've owned has been a slow starter when warm. Living in the frozen north means they've all had carb heaters fitted

My old Z400F didn't have any problems hot or cold.
My zxr400l3 does, little beast. Luckily it's very light so I can roll-lift it up kerbs off the road, if it stalls at the lights.
bumble72
Posts: 40
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2017 9:03 pm
My Bike: ZXR 400L
Location: Birmingham

Re: Does your zxr400 have hot starting problems?

Post by bumble72 »

dizzycat wrote:
Mon Sep 17, 2007 9:24 pm
Sounds to me like nobody really knows for sure why this happens! So frustrating for a girlie to have to ask for help to bump start! :smt010
I learned this by experimentation.
Jump starting

Back the bike up.
stick it in first,
Keep the clutch held in
foot paddle until bike glides,
let the clutch out smoothly
Should fire up.
If it doesnt, repeat and open the throttle a bit or paddle a bit more vigorously.
bumble72
Posts: 40
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2017 9:03 pm
My Bike: ZXR 400L
Location: Birmingham

Re: Does your zxr400 have hot starting problems?

Post by bumble72 »

20180811_172522.jpg
So now not only will my bike stall pulling away when hot, but does start on firing the button. Does start with a jump start which I quite enjoy as I,ve only learned how to do it recently. :smt003

Upon investigating another problem, (lack of functional indicators) I fell across the fuel pump relay. Prior owners had removed every other screw and bolt and importantly the rear hugger with the result the undeside of the bike thought it was in the washing machine. Likewise the fuel pump relay received a reset gradely great flood load of road water, which yesterday had a lovely gorgonzola deposit over the 4 pins on the female side. The male side was ok.

So as I,d been on the crack again, all my electrical contact clean had been used up. So I got a deodorant lid, a massive blob of plasticine and stuck the lid near the freed female end. And filled with Sarsons malt vinegar. Presto bingo, this morning the contacts are looking healthier. :-) . Just waiting for a dry spell to let it dry off, then test it.
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