Hi everybody this is my first post.

3 days ago i purchased a vfr 400 off ebay. I went down to london to collect it and trailered it back in the pouring rain.

It started when i bought it, the day after I got it home it started and it also fired up yesterday. The last time it ran it was popping and shooting flames out off the exhaust and there was unburnt fuel on the end of the can.

Today it will not start at all. I have checked the plugs and they are very wet.. the spark is strong and there is plenty of fuel in.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Regards Hugh

Dry the plugs out mate or better still gets some new ones (expensive though) check your fuel tap is working correctly. Ie. It should have two hoses running from the fuel tap, the big one runs to the carbs and is the main fuel line. The second smaller hose goes on the outer most spigot on the tap and runs to the right rear head and acts as a vacuum that allows fuel to flow from the tap to the carbs. Check this pipe isn't jammed or ripped.

Try this first.

Oh and nearly forgot.

To start these bikes from cold you need full choke and no throttle repeat no throttle.

To make sure the choke is working give it a spray with wd40 and make sure the lever is pulling the cable.

as ibby said, the fuel tap works on a vacuum so no fuel should flow from the tap without the vacuum pipe connected to the right rear cylinder, if fuel runs freely then the tap is buggered or its been modded to gravity feed and that can sometimes be more hassle than its worth as in some cases the carbs will overflow and flood the cylinders,
also there is a knack to starting the bike from cold , full choke and NO throttle as these plugs are killed very easy by flooding

there ya go ibby just beat me to it

Thanks for all the input guys. I will try all the things you mentioned and let you know how i get on

Hugh