Please help! Mystery: Have fuel, spark, compression. Still no start!

Hi all.
I'm totally stymied by this.
Background: 99 w 45,000 miles. I ride it 3 x a week at least.

I rode it the day before. Perfection! Parked it and went out the next day to ride again. She started for just a second, I blipped the throttle, and she died like I'd hit the kill switch.

Diagnostics so far:

Electrical:
Battery 100%
No abnormal lights on or off

Fire:
Visible spark from the one plug I pulled

Fuel:
Fuel pump is whirring on startup
ether sprayed into the injectors gets no catch.
Yes, there is gas in the tank - visible from the cap.

Compression:
I can hear it putt, putt, putting when I crank it.

Other:
Checked the fuses

I'm not sure what to do next and am (clearly) not a mechanic. I have a date with the local shop on the 11th but am committed to fixing it myself before then if possible.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

Thank you.

 

Side stand switch?

 

Normally if the sidestand is down, the bike won't respond at all. No crank, nothing. Since she's cranking I'm going with a "no".
Is there something about the switch I should know that might make it behave differently?

 

I know that there should be no spark when the kill switch is toggled, however, is it possible that the kill switch is tripped?

Easy to miss because I never use it. Maybe you bumped it when you blipped the throttle.

 

My 98 will start when parked on the side stand in neutral.
Kill switch? :noidea:

 

I promise the kill switch was not, and is not off.

I replaced it earlier this year so the whole assembly is good to go.

 

Have to ask, you pulled the air box and sprayed starting fluid? or just sprayed it in the intake of the air box? just making sure I understand what you've tried. I had just recently forgot to add the enrichment and it wanted to start but wouldn't, I'm going WT then remembered Doh. but adding ether should have had it at least kick, if for nothing but a second. I'd check all the plugs just to play it safe. IDK going to have to give this one some thought as you've done most what would point you in the right direction. something is telling me spark, but also know no fuel no fire either. It's gota be simple, as it was just running.

 

Fuel pressure? That ether trick should at least kick like rvfr said... With just ether, compression and spark.
But it all seems to be a typical electric gremlin. You sure the spark was consistent? Did the exhaust smell to fuel? If there was fuel smell on the exhaust, there was no spark, if there was not, the problem is fuel pressure or injection itself (injectors not reciveing pulses for some reason, or not enough pressure to inject fuel)
Tell us about the exhaust smells.

 

Oh, and also check your vacuum lines, they like to corrode and break over time.

 

After you crank the engine can you smell fuel from the exhaust pipe. It will be very noticeable.

Oh and what's the voltage on the battery whilst cranking..

 

And while I'm thinking about it can you pull a plug after cranking (take a photo please)... if you have fuel it will be obvious. These bikes are fairly sensitive about voltage, from memory if the volts drop under 11.2 whilst cranking it will not fire the injectors.
To turn over the starter motor it's less concerned about the volts and more the amps..
how old is the battery?

If you connect another battery (using jump leads from a non-running car) then does that make any difference?

Also when were the plugs last changed?

 

Yes: definitely a fuel smell in the exhaust

Yes: I pulled the airbox and sprayed the injectors directly with ether

I'll do all the rest after work today. Thanks for the ideas.

Results coming soon . . .

 

Well H, if it had spark it would have blown up, so there's your key in what to look for, now for the why. You'll want to work with clean dry plugs, so new plugs for starters.

 

WOW!! A bunch of posts disappeared from here...

 

Thank you!

Thank you all for your help. Somewhere in the tinkering, I managed to get her started. Not exactly sure what happened but I'm not complaining.

Now to decide ... sell her while she's running and get a new '14 for $6,500 or keep her and chase gremlins. Tough one. I love this bike.

 

ok, what's ya touch? (messed with) Don't leave us hanging...

 

No really. No idea what I did.

I pulled a plug to test spark again and do a compression test. While I was cranking for the test, she sounded like she was trying to catch so I kept at it. She fired, ran rough, then smoothed out. I rode her around the block - no problem, then I rode to Annapolis to pick up the check for the brand-new 2015 I just brought home!
Thank you all for your help.
It's good to know you're our there to ask.
Now I've just got to figure out how to ride two VFR at a time.

 

Check the 30 amp fuse holder (white plastic) that's clipped to the front of the battery box. Check the wiring and crimp on connectors where they go into the plug and make sure they aren't bacon crispy.

Make sure your ECU module in the tail is secured with the door flap down and secured with the two plastic pop rivets

 

That's Murphy playing around, drives me nuts when this happens, is it a good thing? sorta, but will leave me wondering when will it happen a again... Now Congrats on the 015 VFR . Hate to be in your shoes trying to figure out which one to ride