So I left last Wednesday at 3:00 am for a 2500 mile ride to TN, NC, SC, VA and hit some great roads for sure.... But on the way home after 1700 mile or so and 36,000 mile on my girl. I stopped at a gas station and filled her up with 93 and then tried to start her and nothing ?? She just cranked and that was it. She never does that I mean after there cranks she's fired up always. Well I knew right away she wasn't gonna start so I went in and bought a can of starter fluid and hit her with that and she fired up??? WTF? I finished the ride another 300 miles and shut it off many times after that with no issues. SO I get home and figure it we a fluke and start cleaning my girl washing her real good and cleaning the chain..... I dried her off and then decide to take her for a short ride and the same damn thing happened where she wouldn't start unless in hit her with the either? But I put her away and went back out the the garage and tried her and she fired right up. What the hell could it be any guess? I mean guys I take care of this girl better than I take care of my kids.... Please let me know what you think...

1. How many miles are on my plugs?
2. With all those miles vs. the book intervals of valves/plugs/syn, were are we?
3. Which means, where are we in compression [we eliminate that variable] about hard starting with low compression.
4. That compression shows fine and now we have a pc5 up against bulletproof.
5. We have a flash thrown at it. The easy part is to remove the pc5 out of the loop and see how it starts?
6. Oh shit we have to find out if the flash has something to do with bulletproof not firing off like like old.
7. That says my steps would be:
a. comp test
b. valves if not following book spec
c. new plugs
d. sync - Now check = no change
e. remove pc
f. spec out crank sensor
g. spec out cam sensor
h. change out ECU.

I stopped at a gas station and filled her up with 93 and then tried to start her and nothing ?? She just cranked and that was it.

It doesn't hurt to check the fuel pump filter.

2010 ZX-14 MotoVlog

so I went in and bought a can of starter fluid and hit her with that and she fired up??? WTF?

Fuel filter would not know the start fluid is coming. 'she fired up' and runs at that point is proper fuel pressure. If the pressure was low, the complaint would be 'stumbles/starves at higher rpm.'

1. Compression = Starts - Not it.
2. Spark = Sounds electronic (my guess)
3. Fuel = or out of sync (impressive response between being in or out of sync) be it start/idle/or WOT.

I used ether on my old Vulcan after a winter sleep. Worked like a charm and never needed it after that. I was later told NEVER to use that stuff on fuel injected engine. Read the can.

What say you to that one, oh Hubster?

Somefun, where the heck did you spray the fluid, through the air filter compartment?

(just had a great hillbilly NOS image come to mind!)

Guys thanks for the response. My plugs are a little old I would say 12,000 to 13,000 miles but these are also the same plugs I used when I sprayed her with a 30 shot of NOS. So maybe they are junk. The valves were set just after I had the SS head work done which was at 25,000 miles and now I have 36,000 miles... Don Ghul did the flash to the ECU and the only thing I would think would be either it would work or just not work again. I just went out and she fired right up this morning. Grrrrrr. I'm going to start with plugs and see what happens. What a PIA.

I have 47k with on my plugs and the only time I have trouble starting is when the nights are below freezing and the bike has been asleep all winter. No NOS on my plugs yet. You might want to be careful with that starting fluid. Do a Google. Some people say it can blow up a gas engine. We used it on diesels back in my youth when I worked in construction. Worked every time but a much different engine.

My plugs are a little old I would say 12,000 to 13,000 miles but these are also the same plugs I used when I sprayed her with a 30 shot of NOS... I just went out and she fired right up this morning.

Well, it's Not the ECU. Back to plugs or sync. Cold she was in a choke/rich setting so it starts with more fuel. What do the battery posts look like? If they are getting the powder around them, that would begin some hard starting to no start.

* Last updated by: Hub on 5/19/2014 @ 8:48 AM *

When the valve clearances tighten up, they get hard to start sometimes. You are at 11K on the last clearance check. If nothing else works, pull the cover and check them. Exhausts tend to lose clearance faster, so check them first.

Hell...she started fine after the mild trauma was past....I wouldn't worry about it.Probably nothing mysterious or anything at all.I think mine has a few times done just that....but she always fires up .And everything works fine.Couple of times I had to pump the throttle while cranking...I think only twice.No biggie.I will say however...that battery voltage must be at a certain level to get er to fire.You should be running at approx 13 to 14 Volts while riding.If your bike is not putting out those kinds of voltages....your firing power will diminish...even at a gas station stop.She can sound like she's cranking like crazy...and still be a tad too low for actual firing.Happened to me....more than once...and my plugs and all are very new.

"36,000 mile on my girl"....Sounds to me like a battery issue.....kinda deceptive when she's cranking yet not firing.Finally a short ride....pumps her back up again...and she starts fine.Maybe try a charger on there and get her FULLY charged...then see.

Ever replaced your battery yet?Could be it's not holding a charge anymore?Or not quite enough at all times.That battery is the key to all the firing going on....it opens the secondaries...the whole bike is alive...which sucks the power down quick until she starts.If she's low to begin with....then possibly your primaries and such aren't quite getting the fueling they need....maybe?The kickstart ether or whatever simply made her fire...then it was okay...everything else pumped back up and started working fine.That's my guess...a failing battery....

This bike is VERY sensitive to needing the right amount of volts to make everything at the starting sequence work together to start.
What does your manual say at the back about 'cranking but not starting"?

If your battery is starting to fail...any electrical accessories like an alarm or something WILL cause enough drain in a few minutes to lower you firing voltage just enough to cause her to not start...ad in the fuel pump correct voltage(from the battery)and Volia!FI doesn't work right....ignition voltage too low because of it...but still can crank.After your ride...she's perked up again...but that won't correct your battery's ability to HOLD a charge.So it may start fine at one point...then not...then be fine again....and as Hub said...plugs...if they're going south,it's gonna be way harder for the system to deal with than fresh new plugs...(Is your baby talking to you?;)just my 02cents;)You'll get er done....

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 5/19/2014 @ 4:28 PM *

Guys thanks for all the help for sure! I was leaning towards plugs cuz she is real fresh with the motor work (SS Head and cams degreed along with the 48 MM throttle bodies. I only used the NOS for the speed run and I wanted to change my plugs after that but never got around to it.. I was on a 1900 mile ride headin back from 129 , 215 and we got caught in like 6 hours of rain... Soaked us big time. Well that night at the hotel the lady wouldn't let us keep the bike under the awning so we had to leave them out in the rain. Well that was the first time I've ever had to do that. The next morning I went to start her and I pushing the button and she started to crank and then stopped like the starter solenoid disengaged. I tried again and it happened one more time. I tried the third time and she fired up. BUT when I looked at the dash the miles I had put on the day before were gone on the trips and the time was wrong? This was telling me some thing other than plugs. I decided to call Don Guhl who did my re flash and he had said it sounds like the PCV got wet or malfunctioned. After talking to him I've decided to ship him my ECU and custom map so he can re load the custom map in my ECU and ditch the power commander. I'm gonna do that and install a new set of plugs. I need to know I've done everything possible to her.. I hate thinking she could leave me stuck some where. Especially when we are always in these crazy remote areas..... I think with the water and shit we rode through I messed the PCV up some how.... PS just went out to take out the ECU and she started fine. Lol but still sending it out. :)

I got the busa wet on a trailer on the way back from VA one time. It wouldn't start all the time. Inside the starter button switch was dirty from the rain. It corroded a little just from a couple hours of rain. Cleaned up the contacts and it was fine.

This is strting to sound a bit like this recent thread

http://zx14ninjaforum.com/messages.cfm?threadid=09022099-1372-66AE-3BFCB48AFDA72B6B

I thought the problem could be water related but turns out it was a rattling ECU. ...at least that's what he thinks it was. No telling for sure until the fix stands the test of time.

Well I sent the ECU out to Don Guhal to have him flash it to my custom tune in my PVC and I'm going to pick up some new plugs also just in case. And lastly I'm going to take off my engine stop switch just to make sure it's good and clean in there. I don't want to think for a minute that my girl could leave me stranded some where....lol

I don't think your baby will crank with the stop engine switch on.You could probably check that off the list of 'possibles'...

I was at the dealer today grabbing some spark plugs and I ran in to one of their tecs. He was saying the PCV could do this for sure but also even know the motor cranked over fine it could be the battery. Because the fuel injection needs a certain voltage to fire. I run the light weight Shroia unit and it’s about two or three years old so that may be something also. I have never load tested it before. This sounds pretty good because like I was saying the morning after the rail where we had to leave it out in the rain all night I went to start it and she cranked over twice then the starter kicked out. She did this twice then started BUT when I looked at the dash the trip meter had gone from 1100 miles to 0 and the time was reset to 1:00......Hmmmmmm I think the guy was onto something.

I think you're going in the right direction;)Possible short to ground in your battery connections/ignition maybe?

She did this twice then started BUT when I looked at the dash the trip meter had gone from 1100 miles to 0 and the time was reset to 1:00..

I would say your battery is on the way out.

I'm with Grn and Casper. With the dash resetting itself, it definitely sounds more electrical to me, like battery, main fuse, or loose connections. Only an electrical issue would do that. Check the earth on the PC too, it might not be contacting properly either.

Yeah the battery definitely makes sense. I'm going to replace it and the plugs and I just had the ECU re flashed with my PCV custom tune so I could eliminate that also. I just want to cove all bases. Hate to think she could leave me stranded some where....that thought would be just about enough to make me consider replacing her.... Holy crap did I just say that??! I could NEVER. Lol

Time reset to 1:00....yup....power failure.

GRN I'm with you but what's funny is the day it wouldn't start was the day after the rest time and when it didn't start she still cranked very fast. I would have thought if it was a battery issue she would have cranked slowly. But I just started charging the new battery....I'm not taken any chances. :)

Ya....she can 'sound' like there's plenty of power....been there...but unless it's at the right voltage....it won't fire;)It only needs to be 'low' a small amount to not fire....it may sound fine.If your battery does this again after a charge....I'd replace it for sure.I have a shorai in mine....works very nicely....BUT....these shorai's(from what I've heard)can just stop working suddenly.You may have gotten lucky having it start up after not firing at first;)Maybe check the voltage after charging....and possibly checking it again after a ride....just to see if it really is holding a charge...whether from a charger OR your stator.

It sounds as if MAYBE...once the engine has(is)cranking...it might be just enough to get it back into the voltage range to start....so it fires.That may be what's going on...in that case...you need a new battery IMO.

"I would have thought if it was a battery issue she would have cranked slowly".....nope....it can crank nicely....and still be just enough low to not fire..

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 5/23/2014 @ 7:42 AM *

Gen1 did exactly the same thing, power commander is not the prob, go get a new battery and make sure the contacts are clean and your good to go!

Ok here's the up date. Yesterday spent most of the day working on the 14. I changed the oil n filter, changed the plugs, cleaned the Air filter ( which was freaking dirty with a Capitol D) took of the power commander installed the re flashed ECU with my PVC custom map, took off my lanyard cut out switch (needed for the top speed runs) took off my I phone charger and lastly replaced the Shoria battery with a new stock unit. I fired her up and she seem to turn over much faster. Took her for a quick ride and she definitely felt much snappier. I looked at the dash and it was charging at 14.2 volts which is more than the 14.0 to 14.1 normally so again I was thinking good thoughts. BUT I was messing around after cleaning up and decided to test the voltage on the Shoria. When I did it was 13.80 volts. Then I tested the new lead battery and it was only 13.1 volts? What do you guys think? I'm leaning towards I never need a battery and now I just gained 10 lbs...lol. Or do you think maybe it drops off hard with a load test and that's why the new one seemed to crank better? I'm hopping that's the case. Let me know what ya think. Thanks guys!

PS have a great long weekend!