[AdrianB90]

Hi everyone,

I went for a quick ride yesterday to get some food, I was only inside for maybe 15 minutes, I come out, go to start my bike and it won't start. Luckily I was with a friend and we suspected it may be the battery, so we push start it, bike starts fine and off I go home. I get home and leave the bike off for about 20 minutes and try starting it again and to my surprise it starts. I wait until the morning, go to start it and nope doesn't start, so I am assuming it's the battery. I took the battery out and drove down to the nearest battery store, they tested it and sure enough the battery was dead. Bought a new battery, took it home and installed it. First crank over, bike doesn't start. I try again just to be sure and wouldn't you know it, the bike start. Turn off and try again, bike now doesn't start, even with the new battery, so now I am left confused. The lights come, fuel pump cranks over, all that good stuff, but bike starts sometimes and then other times it won't. If it was a starter motor or ignition issue I would assume the bike would just simply not start at all, but because it sometimes does I am a little lost. Any ideas on what it could be?

Thank you in advance!

 

[MAL]

Hi everyone,

I went for a quick ride yesterday to get some food, I was only inside for maybe 15 minutes, I come out, go to start my bike and it won't start. Luckily I was with a friend and we suspected it may be the battery, so we push start it, bike starts fine and off I go home. I get home and leave the bike off for about 20 minutes and try starting it again and to my surprise it starts. I wait until the morning, go to start it and nope doesn't start, so I am assuming it's the battery. I took the battery out and drove down to the nearest battery store, they tested it and sure enough the battery was dead. Bought a new battery, took it home and installed it. First crank over, bike doesn't start. I try again just to be sure and wouldn't you know it, the bike start. Turn off and try again, bike now doesn't start, even with the new battery, so now I am left confused. The lights come, fuel pump cranks over, all that good stuff, but bike starts sometimes and then other times it won't. If it was a starter motor or ignition issue I would assume the bike would just simply not start at all, but because it sometimes does I am a little lost. Any ideas on what it could be?

Thank you in advance!

Hello, and welcome to the forum!

When it doesn't start, does it still crank over?
Does it run well, when it does start?
maybe bad fuel, bad ignition coil, bad spark plugs?

 

[AdrianB90]

Hello, and welcome to the forum!

When it doesn't start, does it still crank over?
Does it run well, when it does start?
maybe bad fuel, bad ignition coil, bad spark plugs?

Thank you very much

Yeah still cranks and all that good stuff and when it does start it starts straight away no problem, no issue idling etc. Went riding yesterday and stopped and started fine all day and rode to work today started fine, so no idea. I'm thinking the new battery need to work it magic 🤷‍♂️

 

[MAL]

Weird, weird, weird!
Maybe some loose or corroded connections to the spark plugs???

Glad it seems to be working now though....

 

[AdrianB90]

Weird, weird, weird!
Maybe some loose or corroded connections to the spark plugs???

Glad it seems to be working now though....

Yeah very weird indeed 🤦‍♂️ Seems fine at the moment (of course after starting this thread lol), will monitor and if happens again I'll have to look into the wiring 👍

 

[jkv45]

Did you completely charge the new battery? They are not always fully charged.

Before you go to start it next time, check the voltage. You should get 12.7V or more if it's fully charged.

 

[AdrianB90]

Did you completely charge the new battery? They are not always fully charged.

Before you go to start it next time, check the voltage. You should get 12.7V or more if it's fully charged.

I know crap all about batteries lol and the battery place didn't tell to charge it full as I would assume a new battery would be full charge but maybe that's why the bikes all good now, new battery is full charged and working well because haven't had an issue since 👍

 

[jkv45]

I know crap all about batteries lol and the battery place didn't tell to charge it full as I would assume a new battery would be full charge but maybe that's why the bikes all good now, new battery is full charged and working well because haven't had an issue since 👍

Not sure I'm following...

So that was the problem then - new battery wasn't fully charged? Eventually charged by the cycle's system?

Unless the shop puts it on a charger it's not going to be fully charged after sitting on the shelf for a while. It's always best to check it with a volt meter and charge if less than 12.7V. Saves you trouble later.

 

[AdrianB90]

Not sure I'm following...

So that was the problem then - new battery wasn't fully charged? Eventually charged by the cycle's system?

Unless the shop puts it on a charger it's not going to be fully charged after sitting on the shelf for a while. It's always best to check it with a volt meter and charge if less than 12.7V. Saves you trouble later.

That is what I am assuming. It had trouble starting a few times when I first put the new battery in, did some test starts and it would sometimes and sometimes wouldn't, so went for a big ride and since then it has started fine everytime.

I don't have anything to check it, but like I said I just assumed these batteries were tested and ready to go lol. Bying a new battery it should be the shops responsibility to provide me with a fully charged battery because that what's I'm paying a lot money for right 🤷‍♂️

 

[MAL]

Not sure I'm following...

Something isn't right.
According to OP the bike was cranking over just fine, even with the 'bad' battery, but just not starting. That doesn't sound right to me.

Bying a new battery it should be the shops responsibility to provide me with a fully charged battery because that what's I'm paying a lot money for right 🤷‍♂️

Well, not really. You're buying a rechargeable battery that you can recharge before its ultimate use, after purchase.
The issue with car and motorcycle (etc.) lead-acid batteries is that they have a self-discharge rate of about 5% per month. That means if they were FULL when the seller got them in, they will self-discharge at about 5% each month just sitting on their shelf. I don't know of ANY store that charges its car/motorcycle batteries in-store, before their sale; although I can imagine the smaller shops will do this.
It's also the reason why I check the battery's MANUFACTURING date before purchase, and refuse to buy a battery that is older than a few months.

 

[jkv45]

(SNIP)
I don't have anything to check it, but like I said I just assumed these batteries were tested and ready to go lol. Bying a new battery it should be the shops responsibility to provide me with a fully charged battery because that what's I'm paying a lot money for right 🤷‍♂️

It's handy to have an inexpensive volt meter and an appropriate charger on hand.

As far as new batteries being fully charged and ready to go - you can't assume. A quick check with your volt meter will tell you for sure.

Sounds like it's all good now.

 

[MjNinja300ABS]

Hi everyone,

I went for a quick ride yesterday to get some food, I was only inside for maybe 15 minutes, I come out, go to start my bike and it won't start. Luckily I was with a friend and we suspected it may be the battery, so we push start it, bike starts fine and off I go home. I get home and leave the bike off for about 20 minutes and try starting it again and to my surprise it starts. I wait until the morning, go to start it and nope doesn't start, so I am assuming it's the battery. I took the battery out and drove down to the nearest battery store, they tested it and sure enough the battery was dead. Bought a new battery, took it home and installed it. First crank over, bike doesn't start. I try again just to be sure and wouldn't you know it, the bike start. Turn off and try again, bike now doesn't start, even with the new battery, so now I am left confused. The lights come, fuel pump cranks over, all that good stuff, but bike starts sometimes and then other times it won't. If it was a starter motor or ignition issue I would assume the bike would just simply not start at all, but because it sometimes does I am a little lost. Any ideas on what it could be?

Thank you in advance!

Starter .