ZX6R Cold Starting Problems

[Venom]

Afternoon all,

Anyone have any experience of 99 ZX6R's and willing to offer some advice?

Basically I'm having a shocker getting the bike started at the moment, this just a month after a carb rebuild. Now I know that carb-icing can occur, but I thought a rebuild and balancing usually help cure that? Everytime I go to get it out of the garage at the minute I'm left hoping the bike will eventually catch before the battery runs flat, which at the moment is about a fifty-fifty shot. Should I be looking at other things rather than just the carbs to help with starting, or is it possible/likely that the servicing was a botch job? I can't recall it being such a nightmare to start from cold before the rebuild, so I have to admit it's got me wondering.

As always, any advice most appreciated.

[CastrolCraig.]

a carb rebuild wont help get rid of carb icing, there are additives available to help with this, but the best bit is keep the bike as insulated/covered as poss,

[Tim Horton]

Is your battery fully charged? This weather takes a lot out of the battery,,,,

[Hooli]

Choke?

some bikes hate full choke & never start on it even when encased in a block of ice. My old RF didnt want any choke even with snow on it.

[Maruchino]

Presumably your '99 is a G2? I'm on a 2000 which is a J1 and have had similar problems recently. Sounds awfully like carb icing to me. What's your performance like generally when riding in these conditions?

I posted a thread over at mcn ninja's about my coolant filter, which I don't think you have (but it's here anyway, in case you're interested: http://www.mcnninjas.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=8... as that was the cause of my problems.

The pre-carb-heater ZX6R's typically prefer to run on super-unleaded with Pro FST from Silkolene (this was developed for this very problem, if it is indeed carb icing - detailed here: http://www.silkoleneoil.com/techtip7.htm ). Might be worth getting some and giving it a go at least?

Edited by Maruchino on Tuesday 5th January 19:41

[Maruchino]

Oh and regards choke, I need full choke + quarter throttle when it's this cold, anything less and it's a pig to start.

[Venom]

Sounds like I might need to get hold of the Pro FST stuff then. I'm presuming it's a fuel additive? I've tried messing about all sorts with choke, various combinations of throttle and it seems if I go anywhere need choke or throttle I'm just wasting my time. The bike is as insulated as possible - blanket covering in a garage and battery is kept on a trickle charger when not used, so should be fine.

Cheers guys!

Edited by Venom on Tuesday 5th January 21:53

[Hooli]

Yup just add it to the tank.

[stigmundfreud]

never had carb icing issues on my old ninja but always ran on super (it was shell optimax as it was the local station). Prior to that (When you could get it) LRP mixed in was the stuff to use to avoid icing issues

[tinker-27]

check the valve clearences,that will stop it starting from cold. you should use full choke and no throttle on it and carb iceing is a problem while running normally when on very low throttle opening the air speed causes the iceing.

[defblade]

tinker-27 said:

check the valve clearences,that will stop it starting from cold. you should use full choke and no throttle on it and carb iceing is a problem while running normally when on very low throttle opening the air speed causes the iceing.

This.

Unless you live somewhere REALLY cold, you won't get carb iceing until you're moving.

So I'd be looking at something else for your problem (starting with the rebuild you didn't have problems before.....)