Hey Guys,

About a month a go when I got my bike out for the first time this year my battery seemed to be dead and the bike wouldnt start. I was able to push start the bike and get it running, went for a ride down the street and I wasn't thinking and shut it off. It obviously wouldn't start again being it was only on for about 5 mins. I went for a rather long ride (45min) had dinner, came back out and the bike started (barely). From there on the bike would barely start or not at all anytime i'd try to start it. My neighbor took the battery in to his shop, said it wasn't holding a charge so i got a new battery. When I put the battery in it gave a couple good cranks and died off (the battery was supposedly precharged..?) I push started the bike got it running went for about a 45 min ride, shut it off and it wouldn't start. Any recomendations? Shouldn't the battery start the bike after that long of a ride? Should i try to slow charge it fully or is there a chance I got another bad battery? Not sure what to do I appreciate any help.

Thanks

 

Could be the stator .... just my 2 cents

 

How can you check to see if it is the stator?

*Oh, and the reason I was thinking it wasn't the stator is 1.) My buddy checked the old battery at his shop and said it was bad 2.) wouldn't a new battery that is supposedly charged start up the bike when first put in, regardless if the stator is bad?

It could be a combination of the two I guess, I don't see why riding the bike for 45mins wouldn't charge it, which does make you think its the stator..but then again like I said the new battery didn't have enough juice to start it in the first place...I don't know.

 

I don't think new batteries normally come fully charged. They've been sitting around for an unknown period...they are bound to drain some just from sitting. Sounds like stator to me too.

You could get the bike running and check the voltage at your battery cables. I *think* you should see around 14 volts (you might need to rev it just a bit)...if not, you know your charging system isn't working.

 

Thanks for the help guys. Just an update haven't had much time to work on bike but charged the battery up and put it in the bike, still won't start. Very weak type cranking, but continuously weak cranks unlike a dead battery. Bad ground? Im not sure how it could be the stator when a brand new charged battery is put in, it should atleast start the bike the first time anyways..?

 

is there any of that greenish corrosion anywhere near the terminals? I had some and thought nothing of it, turns out that was the answer to a similar problem i was having. Good Luck!

 

Good thought, but no there isn't. I'm gonna get a volt meter on it this weekend just to double check the battery is good. It fully charged itself. I had one of those little autochargers on it and it started after being connected to it for about 20 minutes. Which that leads me to think its the battery...I don't know hopefully i'll find out this weekend. Thanks for the help though guys

 

Hey Guys, should you always get 12.6v or whatever when testing the battery or is that only if it is truly fully charged? trying to figure out whether or not my new batt is dead too.

 

I don't think you can tell if the battery is dead by voltage alone. I think the voltage you list is about right, but the battery could have that voltage and still not be able to supply the amperage needed to start under load. You should get it tested.

You should do a push start and see if there is enough voltage to charge the battery at the battery leads to check your charging system.

 

So I finally got around to getting a digital VOM from the neighbor who got the battery for me. The day before I had ridden out to my g/f's parents house and her dad was looking at the bike for me and put a charger on it for about 45 mins. It started right up, road it home and the next day the neighbor came over with a new battery to replace it, we checked the volts on the batt and it was around 13v. It then surprisingly started without jumping it or push starting it and we checked the cables to the battery they were getting a little over 14v's so I think my charging system is okay? Im as confused as ever I guess the only thing I can think of is that my neighbors charger sucks and never really charged the battery at first and since my g/fs dad put it on a good charger it finally charged it up enough? I still don't get why my bike wouldn't have charged it after riding it for about an hr straight tho?