craynerd

Well I've been using the bike on and off all day. I filled the tank with a little more petrol and did some miles and it has run in a lot. It starts first time, even after being left a few hours and seems to idle ok. I think adding the new fuel helped. I've listened a lot to the bike and the pops do seem to be from the hole in the exhaust so like you said, next step is replacing the down pipes.......which looks like a hell of a job!!

Yes... I'm into engineering but clocks not motorbikes!! Maybe I should increase to 0.75mm Can the holes in the down pipes cause misfiring?

Just googled.... Apparently spark plug set at 0.7mm and zxr400 ideal is 0.7-0.8mm.

No

. I have fitted new ones! NGK Iridium IX CR9EIX 3521 No it hasn't and the down pipes are shot and there is a hole in it ... I'm sorry, I've only noticed after reading your message but I didn't realise this would effect things on the other side of the engine but stupid of me. The guy I got the bike off actually gave me a set of good condition used down pipes to fit but it looks a big job - this was obviously a known issue! I guess I better get around to fitting them! Chris

Hi guys, thanks for all the advice. I am a bike beginner and so I've done what I wanted to attempt to do before coming on here and asking for more advice. So I've changed the spark plugs and replaced the air filter. I also purchased second hand coil off eBay but bizzarly the cap didn't fit despite being off the same bike - the cap was longer and had a wider rubber plug at the top. Consequently, I've switched the coil and plugs but have the same caps and lead. It was a hell of a mission to get it going this morning, but I think the battery was low which didn't help, I ended up bump starting it. It coughed and spluttered but came to life. Drove it around the block a good few times and it was much better - once at temperature it was idling ok but it was still bumping and coughing in lower gears, 1st 2nd. All my power was back but it just felt it wasn't idling smoothly. I even had a backfire with quite a bit of popping and bumping going on in the engine. Certainly wasn't a smooth enjoyable ride, felt like cutting out at any second but it didn't. Once it was home and hot it idled just fine in neutral. Does it sound like carbs or something else still?? I admit, it scares me to death just looking at them!! One random question. When pulling the fuel tank on and off I had a hell of a job! I presumed the fuel knob thingy, off, on reserve, would lock the fuel from coming out but it doesn't! It the valve broke or do I need to do something else? I'll start from cold in another hour and report back but any thoughts welcome!

Oooooopppps They unscrew off to reveal the threaded end

I went to a v reputable bike dealer today and payed just short of £40 for 4x spark plugs for my zxr400 L9 2003 model. They sold me NGK Iridium IX CR9EIX 3521 The old plugs have a thin small thread on the top and the cap pushed down onto it. These new ones have a much wider top and the cap doesn't seem to be locking down onto it properly. The other ones, the little threaded section really sticks into the cap and makes a good contact, these don't seem to lock down properly - I expect the metal is touching but not locking together. What confused me however is that other sellers are selling the same plugs for this model of bike! I also changed the cap, ht lead and coil and they are the same type on both the old and new one so clearly the cap is standard as well! I'm a bike beginner... Am I missing something. There seems like a threaded hole to screw in that little extra part on the new spark plug but it seems part of the old one!

The coils are the leads connected to the spark plugs right?? What's the pickup?

Guys, I`ve bought a ZXR400 and it was apparently stood for 9 months unused. I changed the break pads, oil, oil filter... took it to the MOT centre and it passed with flying colours. I spent the afternoon riding it around. Next day, came to start it and it just stalled and wouldn`t idle! The bike now won`t idle, hard to start. When it does start I can rev it high but the rev counter doesnt seem to register correctly. There is no power - stick it in first gear and it will ride but the revs stay low with very little power then it sort of comes around and the revs increase but it splutters and coughs. There are 4 down pipes and the middle two get hot but the outer too are cold. It clearly isn`t running on two cylinders but I`m just worried why this happened all of sudden after running OK the day before after sitting still for months. Any ideas? What would you do? Obviously I need to check the spark plugs but nothing will happen now until weekend and I`d appreciate your thoughts before I start fiddling! Chris

EDIT: Just thinking - it was a good 20 minute ride to the MOT centre - bike was standing for 45-60 minutes for the MOT but rode OK once started after - but that was 60 minutes, much longer than the two times it has happened. It needs sorting though as I can`t ride it once I`ve turned the engine off!

Hi guys I`ve got hold of a ZXR400 and just changed the break pads, oil, oil filter, coolant and today it passed its MOT. Not havin an MOT (and tax) until today, ive not rode it much but I did notice this a few nights ago. You can ride the bike just fine - I`ve just been out for 30 minutes. Stopped at lights, stopped tones of times due to traffic and even chucked it in neutral when the lights went red on me so I can have a relax. No problems. Got home, drove on the drive, parked up and turned the engine OFF. Decided to ride it into the garage and EVERY TIME, no matter how careful I was with the clutch or how much throttle I gave it, it stalled in first setting off. The exact same happend the other night, rode fine, turned engine off, had a 30 minute stop with the engine off (!!) got back on it and it did the same stalling in first. I can only presume it has something to do with the bike being hot but why on earth is it only happening when I turn the engine fully off and back on and the same isn`t happening when I top and start or move from neutral???? I`m confused. Ay thoughts appreciated. Chris

Guys, do you go for a flip front helmet? If so, why and if not why not? Is it something you look for when buying a helmet. I've ridden 125cc for 6 years and never owned one but I've just done and passed DAS and getting a new bike and fancy one. I liked the flip front option when doing my lessons but then maybe that's because I was stopping and talking a lot and in normal riding that isn't needed.

Ahhh! I'd forgot I had posted this thread. I did ask the bike examiner and he agreed I should send it off so I've now got it at home. You can't be serious ??? There must be some other electronic proof that I passed the exam???? I guess now, I have to send it off signed for and tracked to ensure it arrives!! Now I'm worried. I also didn't realise it was free to amend your address. I should have just let him send it off and put parents address on like was advised. I could have them freely changed my address to the new address! Chris

I agree with the previous post about going for a run out in a car or even the bus and actually think about what's going on! As a young passenger most will just tune off during the journey. Just watch what's happening, at lights, crossings, junctions. Stand at junctions and watch. Is there a filter light, where would you position yourself. It wouldn't do any harm before you do your CBT.

If you did that, are you insured on the bike during the tests as your insurance will be based on a restricted vehicle. I'm just playing devils advocate but I'm pretty sure it could be an issue. I also expect that the cost of insurance for the test would make it more worth while to just go from a bike school, even if you just put your tests through with them. I might be wrong.

I did my CBT for the third time a few week last Friday, completed it and then went looking for 125s. After lots of offers were rejected as I didn't quite have the funds for the bike I wanted, with it burning a hole in my pocket I wondered about doing the full bike test. I rang up and of course I could do it, but had to book my theory. Gutted to find out that most theory booking dates were 3 weeks+, I got a bit deflated only to find a cancellation (it must have been) at a local test centre, in 3 days time! Did the test, got 50/50 for Q's but lost 10 marks on the hazard perception. Immediately drove to the bike school with my theory test and they booked me in for the following week for 1 day mod 1 training. Drove well so we booked in the the mod 1 test 4 days later. Passed with two minors. Back to the bike school and booked the mod 2 test 4 days later and passed that yesterday with a big fat zero minor faults! Chuffed to bits. Although I am just gloating here, I just wanted to say how helpful searching this forum has been over the last few weeks! I did pretty well but I appreciate I'm a just a beginner. I'd just like to share a few things that really helped me. 1. Theory test, if you have a iphone download an app with at least 800 approved Dsa questions. I spent an hour wasting time looking at the Highway Code and then just hammered questions for probably 6+ hours. The app I used had a practice mode, it allows you to practice the question but then gave you immediate feedback. I pretty much exclusively used this function until I learnt the answers. I was gob smacked to see how near to the real thing the questions are. 2. Download a hazard perception app just to get the feel for the style. On my real test I actually still did pretty well only losing 10 marks but 5 of those were on one question where I was disqualified for hitting 'too many times' on the button. In actual fact, I hit once but was on a country lane. Nothing had happened for many many seconds and I thought I could see something in the distance so clicked as I didn't think it would matter (most clicks don't) but clearly it is programmed that if there is no hazard, a click will fail you on that question. Don't click randomly!! 3. Mod 1 - stop and take a few seconds to collect your thoughts before each section. Think about what you need to do and then when you are ready go. Don't just go when he finishes taking. I'm not going to repeat the obvious stuff but one thing well worth repeating is go as wide as you need for the figure of 8. For a while I was making it too hard going too tight until he said come wider. 4. Mod 1 - u turn. You must must do a life saver before you turn. So that's two in total, one before you set off and then one before you turn. So when he finishes talking, think think... Don't forget the last life saver. And the usual advice, look up the line not at the floor. Out of the entire test, I was most worried about the u turn. I still would be nervous but the key really is looking back up the line at the instructor and your bike will follow. 5. Mod 1 - high speed. I know a lot of people don't make speed on this exercise but I went around the bend at 20mph and then as I came out the bend on the straight I literally fully opened the throttle and easily made 55kph pretty much consistently each run (in fact, of the three runs on the real test I hit 54,55,55). If you are over, the extra few kph make little difference to the exercise, even emergency stop and if you are under you risk a minor, repeat or fail. Admittedly my instructor in practice said to try and slow a little but I don't see why as the exercises are fine even at this speed and there is no need to repeat. 6. Mod 1 - high speed avoidance. It isn't a swerve for a start! If you look as you go around the bend, there is pretty much a straight line at an angle from the end of the bend through the speed trap and into the blue cones!! You then just have to gently steer it back on the course as you decelerate to the stoping cones. 7. Mod 2 - tricky to give advice on this as the major thing is just your road awareness and understanding. However, the best piece of advice I was given was - SYSTEMS! Everything had a system. If you are turning, mirror, shoulder, indicate, move to position. To turn - mirror, lifesaver turn. Right country lane bends - mirror, position left, stay left, back to centre. Parked cars - mirror, shoulder, move. Stop sign - look at the solid line, stop. Now look up and move out safely. Everything had a system and literally as I drove I was talking to myself (out loud!!) which system to use. Anyway. I'm no know-it-all. I passed and I'm chuffed and from all the info I got from these forums, if anyone finds any of the above useful then I'm pleased to know I've helped. All the best Chris

I'm taking my mod 2 bike test on Tuesday and despite having a separate forum for test enquiries, this is really a generic question. I'm not clear on which side I should be doing life saver checks on a roundabouts. If going left, I check over left shoulder before entering the roundabout and a left shoulder check when exiting. It going straight on, do I check left shoulder incase something tries creeping off with me? Turning right, I'm not sure. In my opinion as I'm coming off I'd check left shoulder but my instructor seems to check his right shoulder!? I'll check on my next lesson but I'd appreciate your advice here as well.

Looking forward with optimism, I have my mod 2 next Tuesday after passing mod 1 yesterday. I don't need my driving licence BUT I'm moving house imminently, looking to exchange next week and move the week after I.e complete with 3 weeks from now (been waiting 10 already!!). I've been strongly encouraged by my instructor to let the dsa test centre to send it off for me - apparently once the mod 2 is over and complete the test centre will take your documents and send them off for you. This sounds really convenient but with moving I'm unsure what to do. My instructor told me to amend the address at the same time but I've not moved and don't like the idea of doing this! If it falls through or comes back early, I might not be in my new address. If I put on my current address I might have moved or if not, will have to immediately send it off again to renew the address! I could of course keep the certificates and send it off once moved but then this is really inconvenient and although sounds daft, with moving worries about losing everything and then forgetting to send it off! Also, if I don't send it off, can I still get a bike or does my licence need updating before I can ride. Of course all this is presuming I pass my mod 2. I'd like to know what you guys would do? Chris

Uktheorytest.com motorbike version. I downloaded the app and used the "practice" function with immediate feedback turned ON in the settings. I did my CBT on Friday and booked my theory on Saturday and got a cancellation for today! Next appointment everywhere else was 2-3 weeks off!! I just did it and got 50/50 for the question part. I was actually blown away how similar the questions were to the real thing. There are about 800 questions and I pretty much did them all including someone of the trial areas that I struggled most with (bike license, stopping distance and signage) twice. I was lucky to get 50/50 but I swear I got a handful or difficult once because I remembered doing them on the app. Well worth it in my opinion. I have nothing to do with them - just a happy user! Probably spent 6 hours in total revising for it just going through questions. I used HazardTest2hd for the hazard perception app. Worked well as well but only spent about 20 minutes getting the hang of this section.

I am sure this must have come up 100 times but I just want to clarify. I have done my CBT and feel very comfortable driving my CG125. I am about to take my theory test (and hopefully will pass). I believe there are now the two options for me to take in which I will do the two part, Mod 1 and Mod 2 test which I understand are identical. However, I believe if you: 1. Complete the test on my own 125 with some lessons - I`ll get the restricted licence and will have to carry on riding my 125 for 2 years but can remove the L plates. 2. Complete the test on a 600 (? or bigger bike anyway) and I`ll be able to drive anything. So with method 1, I could potentially do lots of reading and lots of reading of the forums, have a few (I have been told ~4) lessons and book my own mod 1 and mod 2 test and get it done. With method 2, I`d have to do the DAS because you need accompanying everywhere due to the bigger bike size and making it much more expensive. Is that all right??? If that is right - how many lessons would you think is needed before I could attempt my Mod 1 & 2 test on my own bike? I just can`t afford the expense of the DAS, not right now anyway.. Chris