1999 ZXR 400 Been sat for a couple years and won't start

[london_biker]

Hello,

I bought a great example 1999 ZXR 400 back in 2011 and used it just fine. I then had to leave the country for work and stored it at my parents house.

It has been stood for maybe 2 years without being run and I've charged the battery and tried to get it going to no avail.

I'm looking to sell the Bike and wondering if I can quickly get it going to prove it works and sell it as a runner with no MOT. As opposed to a non-runner.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Best,
Tom

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

First things first get a new battery. They don't last long without some sort of maintenance charge and I'd hazard a guess that it wasn't kept on a trickle charger.

Next up...Did you store it with a brimmed tank of fuel. Airgaps allow condensation to form inside the tank. Water is heavier than fuel..you can guess the rest.

Inspect condition of the airfilter.

Plugs. whip them out and give them a gentle clean.

Your business.... but you'd get more cash back than the £25 you spend on the MOT.
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[base]

I would imagine the carbs could be gummed up worth taking them off getting them cleaned replace the fuel and fuel filter and maybe plugs and go from there.

How much are you looking for? got any pictures?

[orac]

how long is a piece of string,

all you have said, is it wont start, does it, if so does it crank fast like it should or a slow laboured crank.

have you even inspected the carbs, did you use new fuel (modern fuel only normally last about 6 months of storage in normal fuel tanks).

do you have spark, do the lights works. the list kinda goes on for fault finding why the thing wont start, and how to get something running, well that will depend on your machanical abilities, or lack of.
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[nowhere.elysium]

Before spending any money, go through the checklist first.

Does it turn over?
If yes, then does it spark?
If yes, then are the plugs getting wet?

If the answer to any of these questions is no, then go through the process of elimination.

If it's not turning over, is it down to a dead battery, a random earth in the loom or a knackered starter solenoid? Check the battery voltage - if that's good, then try shorting the solenoid, see if that forces the engine to turn over. If it doesn't, then there's a chance that solenoid is shagged.

If it turns over just fine, pull one of the plugs, touch it to the engine, see if it sparks. If it doesn't, then check the impedance of the coils, and also the state of the HT leads - check them for continuity. If you're not getting continuity, try unscrewing the plug cap snipping off the last 5-8mm off the lead, then screwing the plug cap back on to it.

If it's sparking, but not catching, see if the plugs are getting wet when you've turned over the engine for a while. If they're not, then there's a chance that the carbs are gummed up. Personally, I wouldn't want to strip the carbs without good reason. I've been down that path, and it's even less fun than it sounds.

Judging by your username, you're in London, which means that you're relatively proximate to me. I can lend a hand, should it be required.
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[london_biker]

[london_biker]

Many thanks for all the advice guys, I will review it and see what I can do.

Thanks for the kind offer nowhere.elysium but the bike is at my parents house in Whitley Bay.