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hi, got a problem with my bike. it runs fine when i, on the move but when i stop and switch it off it usually wont start again without a push. it turns over on the key fine and doesnt do it all the time but most of the time it does. another thing it does is when its sitting at idle after a run if you put it in gear and go to give it a rev to move off it cuts out again and wont start without a good push, any ideas? i'm pissed off watchin every other bike goin out, cheers.

check your sidestand switch is not loose.

i thought about that but would that stop it from starting as well?

can't remember but check your neutral wire isn't loose under the sprocket cover, i remember if the 2 are loose they can cause havoc.

The starting sounds like the hot starting problem, only cure it seems is to let it cool and i think a bump start gets it going aswell. As for it dying when you goto pull away check the side stand switch, when you flick the stand up a little rod should push out on the switch by the stand. Cos of where it is, it gets covered in grease and oil, road grit sticks to it and causes the rod to get stuck or come out very slowly when you flick the stand up. Just give the whole switch assembly a good clean, give the contact block a good clean too.

there is a hot starting problem? can you expand please

Was that punn or not? 'Hot', 'expanding' get it? Ill, get me coat, but not before ive explained.

There seems to be a common starting problem with ZXR400's, they can be running absolutely fine no problems whatsoever. You pull in a petrol station, fill up, pay, go to start and it just turns and turns and turns with not even a hint of starting. You leave it 5 or 10 minutes, give the starter a flick, and vrooooooooom it starts right up, apparently it will bump start. Were not really sure why it does it, we just know it happens. There was a theory of evaporating fuel on hot inlets or something like that but you can never really prove these things so you never know if your right or not.

But thats about it. There doesnt seem to be a pattern either of which bike does it, it seems completely random. Perhaps we should start taking some notes on things like spark plugs used or something, perhaps get a common factor between these bikes that do it.

bloody good idea robB, its common on all zxrs not just the 400.I'll start a thread and see what results we get.

thanks, thats somethin to start on anyway. are there any other common problems on these bikes?

i've found another thing wrong with my bike and it might be a reason for some of the non running problems on these bikes. if you take the fuel pump off ann remove the back of it you should find a set of contacts or points sort of thing. the contact point was burnt so i cleaned them and put it back together and i've had no starting problems since, but it is early days yet. as soon as it stops raining i'm going to go for a good run and see how it goes. i'm taking it over on the boat to knock hill this year and i want to make sure its going well before i go, i'll keep you posted

hmmmmmmmm, thats is interesting, keep us posted

i seem to have got rid of the hot starting problem just by cleaning the contacts at the back of the fuel pump. i was out on sunday for a good long run and with a few stops for fuel and leg stretching, it started every time no problems

Crikey, this could be the fix!

I had no problems with this for years, and then it started to do it after very hard runs. I seem to remember at this time I was having a fueling problem, which I assumed was because the carbs needed balancing.

Using high octane fuel cleaners seemed to fix it, and all the flat spots in the rev range.

Maybe I should have looked at the fuel pump contact?

worth bearing in mind, so all those with hot starting problems go clean your contacts and let us know the results!

its a bit fiddly puttin the contacts back together again. its worth takin a photo on your mobile before you start or you could try to clean them without takin it apart