ok, here is story of the zxr400 life and my bad luck.

If you guys have seen my other post, I have been have the idle problem in the last few days and I thought it was nothing but cold weather and thing took a turn to worse today, so here in my zxr story in the last 48 hours.

Yesterday (Friday), everything seems fine, I started the bike it run ok but when I stopped for petrol (1/2 mile from my workplace) after filling it, the bike wouldn't start but luckily there's was a biker there and helped me to just start the bike so I though it was the battery as the bike have been sitting around for a year from the last owner when I got it, so I charged the battery at work, the oxmiser didn't show it was a faulty battery and 9 hours later it was fully charged and started the bike fine right on the button and rode home.

Today (Saturday), when I try to start it to go to work, it didn't want to start but after try it for about 10 times, it kicked into life, so I thought it was the battery again and planning to get through the weekend and get a new one on Monday but no, it wouldn't let me off so easily. after 3 or 4 miles either me stalled it or engine cut off itself but hit the button it started so I carried on. 2 mins later, I stuck in the traffic and same thing happen but this time it won't start and I have to abandon it and find my way to work with public transport and joy oh joy, 1 day that I needed the public transport, the tube line I needed closed, the bus that go to my workplace stuck in the traffic because of the road closures and terminated earlier so it wouldn't take me to work, so after 2 hours and 30 mins I arrived and as a result I was late for 1hr 45mins and I NEVER late for work and I hate it.

so, here is the problems I notice in the last few days with my zxr:

1. idle rmp goes up and down
2. temp level seems lower than usual at least this is what was on display
3. engine cut out
4. when riding i can smell petrol and it come from the left hand side of the bike but can't see any petrol leaking

Now the bike is in central London and I will join the AA and get it take it to the usual garage to check it out, I just hope it is not something big and cost a arm and a leg to fix it. I brought one last year and it was so bad that I sold it after 2 day in half the price I paid, but this one is beautiful, and I really like it and spend some extra money on it like a new alarm and I really don't want to sell it, I always want a zxr400 that's way I brought it again.

Why does it always rain on me? I really want to love you (zxr400) but why won't you let me.

A very very sad and troubled zxr400 owner

Any idea why the engine cut off and the smell of petrol on the left hand side?

Thanks for reading and hopefully it won't be my last post in the site as the owner

Cheers

Sounds like the carbs need to come off for a clean and set up,
Leaking fuel could be dirt in float valves making the level too high, that might also cause the engine to run cooler than normal.
The battery might be no good after sitting for a year, it will turn over the motor but bas nothing left for the ignition system, get new one first to eliminate that as a problem.
Also carbs and modern fuel don't like being left around for that long definitely get the carbs off it for a sort out.
Where in London do you live?
Dobbs

check the main wiring block from the ignition, my race bike had an issue where it would start fine rev fine, but as soon as you did a lap and put load on the electrical system it was shorting out and breaking downs one of the ignition wires making it drop a cylinder and run shit like it was running out of fuel, worth a check too.

Ok, Got a recovery man to rescue my lonely bike today and he first thought was I was playing too much with the idle adjust knob and throttle when I try to get the bike to start and eventually flooded the engine, so he did his things and the bike came back to life but he said it didn't sound quite right but then again he hasn't got a 400, however, just as we thought everything is ok and I was ready to ride away then I saw a pool of petrol on the floor, so here we are.

There's a problem with the fuel pipe, a split or something and we both think it was the reason why the bike running too lean and the idle rmp dropped and everything else. So, it seems that it was THE problem that created all the little problems. I am taking it to the garage tomorrow to get it sorted and have a service done and hopefully it will bring the bike to live.

good to get it to a garage to be sorted....BUT if you dont want to get shafted by pricey repair bills and garages taking a look at the bike then you need to learn the bike yourself.

I was in the same position when i had my vfr, didnt know a thing about bikes, but i got a service manual and a haynes manual and just had a go, you learn through trial and error but it will benifit you hugely as you end up knowing how to diagnose problems, or atleast know where to start when an issue pops up.

Even if you start by just popping the tank off and having a look where everything is, it can help

took the bike to a garage to get it fix as I am not very good with the terms but I was told it was a problem with the carburetor seal or some kind as a result it over flowed and leak petrol. hopefully i can get the bike back in a few days