VTR1000f build. With pics.

[aaa123]

As I've stated my VTR is hard to start,
I'm going to try & cross a few things of the list of why it will not start,
It does not have a fuel on/off petcock & I'm thinking fuel is leaking into the carbs & flooding them or something is sticking in the carbs.

For example , one of the last times I had it running, I tried to start it for around 15 minutes but it wouldn't start , so I left it & came back to try & start it around 4 hours later, it started first hit of the start button. Then last weekend I tired to start it & it wouldn't start, I ended up draining the battery trying .

This sort of thing may be easy for most of you guys, but I don't know that much about carb's, cam chain's etc , I can do the basic's no problems like change the oil/filter , spark plugs , air filter etc.

I will post up what the out come is, as it may help some one else in the future.

Charged the battery today & bought new spark plugs
Checked the battery with a multimeter & it is showing 13.40 volts
I also have a new regulator / rectifier
Tomorrow I will firstly check for spark, then if I have spark & it does not start, I'm thinking with my limited knowledge it is a fuel/carb issue. Then I will take it from there.


Any of you engine Guru's don't be shy with any advise if you feel I am going in the wrong direction.

[Nudie]

Sounds like you may be flooding it on start up. If it hasn't been started for a while (like all day or over night) use a little choke. Pull the choke all the way out, then push it back in about half way. Hit the starter without any throttle and see how you go. They have 48mm carbies and love the fuel. So if you're flooding it, you'll smell it in the exhaust fumes real quick! If that doesn't work, try a little throttle and see how you go.
I lived with 2 VTR's for years and found them to be pretty easy to start all year round. You just have to work out your technique

[aaa123]

Sounds like you may be flooding it on start up. If it hasn't been started for a while (like all day or over night) use a little choke. Pull the choke all the way out, then push it back in about half way. Hit the starter without any throttle and see how you go. They have 48mm carbies and love the fuel. So if you're flooding it, you'll smell it in the exhaust fumes real quick! If that doesn't work, try a little throttle and see how you go.
I lived with 2 VTR's for years and found them to be pretty easy to start all year round. You just have to work out your technique

Hey, thanks so much for the advise Nudie. , loved your fighter that you sold to Erno.

Yes, I can smell fuel at the exhaust when trying to start, and I don't ride it much, so it has usually been sitting between rides.


A bike shop told me not to use choke when starting (only to use choke in winter), so I have not been using any choke & no throttle .

I will definitely try your suggestion of using the choke.


So tomorrow I will connect charged battery & install new plugs, then pull out choke all the way, then push back in around half way & press start with no throttle, hope it fires up. I will report back what happens.

[Nudie]

No worries. I want to see this thing going as much as you!
Once you've worked it out, you'll feel a lot happier with it

Chuck a wheelie!

[aaa123]

I have no spark,
I pulled out the front spark plug & tested for spark on engine block & no spark at all, when I did the cbr600rr stick coil mod I must not of connected a wire correctly , that's what I'm thinking,

The battery is showing around 13/13.4 volts, it is trying to turn over & all the lights are working , so I don't think its the battery.

[aaa123]

Still no spark from front or rear spark plugs.
Headlight, taillight, dash & horn are all working, it is cranking over.
The cbr600rr stick coil mod is fairly basic, just cut the vtr wire plug & connect to cbr stick coil wires, so I can not really see how I could of messed it up & the r/r was basically plug & play. All the stick coil & r/r wires seem to be connected correctly & all the fuses look ok.

Looks like I might need to take it to a bike shop, because at this point I don't no what else to check.

[aaa123]

I finally got a spark,

I was testing all kinds of stuff, kill switch, kick stand, coils, R/R, battery, plugs etc.

Then I got the idea to look at the HISS, I unplugged the HISS, straightened the wires & plugged the HISS back in, put screw driver in coil & tested for spark against engine a got spark !

Then battery went flat, but that's ok cause I got spark ........
I have put battery on charge & I am hoping that it is just a bad connection with the HISS wire/plug.

I'm just glad I got a spark.

[Nudie]

Get it going already!

[BOBBY]

Stupid hiss crap!

[aaa123]

Not sure how to post video from photobucket, the above is the best I could do,

Any way, Got it going & went for a ride today.

How do you pro's post video's from photobucket ?

[xa-mont]

looks great. like the white and carbon look

[ozzy1100]

i dont mind that

[aaa123]

Thanks guys,

I have one more issue to try & sort out, the engine stalls when the fan comes on at around 100 degrees , it is only stalling when at idle, it has not stalled under acceleration, & I can start it back up straight away.
Hopefully I will get a chance to take a look Sunday.
Did some searching online, I might try testing the Stator & look at the fan switch, then take it from there.

When I get that problem sorted I will fit the cbr1000rr front end.
I am also thinking about chopping the rear fairing shorter, I think it is to long, maybe like how I chopped the white rear fairing.
Anyway , hopefully I can solve this issue soon.

[aaa123]

Unplugged stator & radiator electrics, tested with multimeter, plugged every thing back in, went for a ride, bike is not stalling when fan comes on, will need to go for a few more rides for more testing, but it looks like maybe just a bad connection with one of the stator or fan plugs/wires. If so, I will start the front end swap soon, I have all the parts, just need to find the time.

[Nudie]

Firestorms are known to pop and stall while idling. It used to happen now and again when I was sitting at the lights or just waiting for traffic. It's the same with bikes in Aus, the US, Europe, everywhere. It will give a little cough and stall, then start straight up again no worries.
One solution is to wind your idle speed up a bit. But jetting the carbs seems to eliminate the problem

[aaa123]

Thanks for that info Nudie.

I got this bike registered around a year ago & it never stalled once,
then I took it to Peter Stevens in the city to have the carbs cleaned/adjusted & valve clearances checked around 4 months ago,
they totally fucked with my bike, dented the tank, scratched the frame, broke & welded radiator, didn't fill coolant & ever since I picked up the bike from them the engine would stall every time the fan came on.
So with all there other fuck ups I'm thinking that they also didn't connect one of the electrical connections properly. Absolute fuck heads, when they called me to say the rad was broken & they would have to weld it & charge me $250 to do so, I said the rad was not broken or leaking when I brought the bike in, they said "well we can put the rad back on, but now it is broken it will probably be fairly dangerous to ride with coolant leaking out of the rad as your riding". I think they dropped the bike in the work shop & wouldn't admit it, how else would all that damage occur.

[aaa123]

Any way hopefully all those problems are sorted now,

I am looking forward to fitting my new wheels.



Not sure if I am going to keep them black or change colour ..

[aaa123]

Dropped the CBR1000rr forks at the suspension shop, getting them serviced, re-sprung & valved for my weight & set up for the VTR, also having the black stripped off the fork tubes & then clear anodising, wont get the forks back till after Christmas .


Going to give this the chop hopefully in the next couple of days, just to long & pointy for me.



I like the short look better, how the white one was,

[aaa123]

Got my new swingarm,









Hopefully I can use this shock, don't wont to buy a custom shock.



Pro-bolt Aluminium chain adjuster blocks,



Galfer rear disc



Driven sprocket nuts,



Just waiting on the cush drive hub & a few other small parts.

[Gix11]

Early Christmas for you mate!