Bike won't start after running low on fuel

Hi guys. After some advice again.
Bike is almost done now for its MOT check. Unfortunately ran her really low on fuel. To the point where I think it had ran out. Filled the tank with around 5 litres of new fuel. Now she won't start up. It doesn't sound like the fuel is getting into carbs. It backfires after a couple of turns on the starter. Plenty of fuel is coming through the pump and down the fuel line to the carbs. If I have totally ran it dry can the carbs become air locked?

Any advice or feedback appreciated
Phil

 

Open a drain screw and check for fuel in the bowls. If there is none and fuel IS exiting the pump as you say, you know where to check for blockages.

 

Pull the tank, pull the top off the airbox and give it a squirt of Areostart and see if it fires up, this will tell you if it is a fueling problem

 

Disconnect the fuel pump at the relay (just forward of the pump) and then connect it temporarily to the battery with a couple of jumper wires (blue/black = positive 12v, black = ground). Allow the pump to run until it stops. Then see if it starts. If it does, then you know that you ran the carb bowels dry...

 

Thanks for the tips guys. After having another go at starting her ive now found that its not sparking. The battery is currently on charge to rule out that. I did notice that the RR was pretty hot the last time I had her running.
What is going on? Maybe it wasnt lack of fuel in the first place. If the rr is dead would this give me the symptoms I have got? (Lack of spark, weak battery etc) ive checked all wiring and connections and everything seems ok. There is voltage present at the coil when the ignition and kill switch is on.

Any help or advice greatly appreciated.

 

If you have power at the coils and no spark my guess is ECU unit or pulse coils, this could get ugly before it gets better. I doubt the rec/reg would cause a no spark situation apart from not charging the battery

 

Ah right. When it was running last it seemed to bog down and wouldn't rev. Thats what made me think it was running out of fuel. I have noticed also that there is sparking inside the plug but not on the end (if that makes sense haha)

 

Sounds like a dud plug but you can't have 4 dud plugs at once

 

the spark should look like this

 

Gotcha on what the sparks ment to look like lol. I found the old plugs in the shed and decided to try them. Hey presto! It sparks. Ive only tried the rear cylinders (1&3) as I haven't removed the rad yet but 1 and 3 both spark now. What would cause these to both go? Its only a guess but im betting 2 and 4 are the same.

What ya think guys?

 

Fuel wetting the plug can kill them must be something to do with todays fuel because it didn't happen years ago. The don't happen to be fake NGK plugs do they?

 

I don't think their fakes. Wouldn't know how to tell though. I think they are all carbon foulled. Im going to replace the air filter and try to get the carbs tuned as it may be running a little rich. This could be the main cause for the plugs to be like this.
Anything else I should try?
Cheers.

 

Anytime you run out of fuel, it's a great idea to drain the float bowls as water and filth from the bottom of the tank will have moved in.:congratulatory: