Battery Replacement at 3,400 miles?

00v_Lucky · May 19th, 2009, 02:01 PM

My bike was left out on the street for around 5 hours at my friends house studying for finals. As I was getting ready to go home, I geared up and bam, turn on the ignition and after 1 second of the spark plug sound, dies. I turn the key to off, and back on, on and then back off, on again.

I waited for a few minutes and turned the key to on again and the dash lit up but when I tried to turn it on again the spark plugs gave a half second try to start up. Now the bike will now start up at all, no lights, no nothing.

Do I need a new battery? I might have drained the battery by leaving the killswitch to on and turning off my bike by the key instead or that I have been riding too much during the day with the high beams used too much?

What do I do? in order for me to get to the battery, i need tools, for tools, i need to walk the bike about a mile or two to another friends house. this sux!!!

Ayudame Por Favor! ( I think i jynxed myself with the "is this bad" thread... )

Could it be possible that the bike wont start due to moisture? i just remembered that the seat was wet because of condensation. Did i short circuit the bike due to the water running down into the battery?

kkim · May 19th, 2009, 02:07 PM

tools you need are in the toolkit that came with the bike. you should have that with you at all times under the seat.

take the battery out and recharge it using a battery charger or you can instead try jumping the bike with some jumper cables to a car battery to start it.

I'd ride w/o the highlights during the day.

00v_Lucky · May 19th, 2009, 02:15 PM

do you think auto zone would charge it for free?

pantera · May 19th, 2009, 02:28 PM

Autozone may,would be worth a shot if you do not have a charger.Leaving the kill switch on will not drain the battery if you have the key in the off position.

00v_Lucky · May 19th, 2009, 02:40 PM

thx brion, but I wonder what would be the cause for my battery to die at such an early age. hmmm

travis5018 · May 19th, 2009, 07:05 PM

you can turn the headlights off......?

kkim · May 19th, 2009, 07:07 PM

you can turn the highlights off and on.

capt_bugaloo · May 19th, 2009, 07:44 PM

Huh? How do you turn off the headlights on a stock '09 Ninja 250R..?

It's possible but unlikely the battery is low on charge. A simple recharge might resolve this.

Your bike is an 09 with not that many miles on it. I think it's more likely that the battery has a manufacturing flaw, and that should be covered under warranty.

kkim · May 19th, 2009, 07:49 PM

read the thread carefully... no one is saying the headlights can be turned off... only the highlights.

capt_bugaloo · May 19th, 2009, 07:54 PM

...sorry...

CRXTrek · May 19th, 2009, 07:56 PM

Make sure cables are clean and tight.
Mine came loose a little while after i got the bike , had to tighten cables and jump it , after that all was Good

kkim · May 19th, 2009, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by capt_bugaloo

...sorry...

np... I guess it was an easy misread as there were two of you that did the same thing.

have you heard before that riding with the highlight constantly on depletes the battery?

00v_Lucky · May 19th, 2009, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kkim

have you heard before that riding with the highlight constantly on depletes the battery?

I wish someone would have told me that sooner

stupid stealership told me to always ride with it on. So Kelly, im guessing you're not a believer that the highbeam does much for increasing visibility during the day? Oh and I saw someone on the road with the high vis yellow helmet and jacket. they do really stand out.

kkim · May 19th, 2009, 08:31 PM

I have read that riding with the highlight depletes the battery... I don't know if I believe it, but no, I don't ride with my highbeam on during the day.

The instructor at my MSF course was a strong advocate of riding with the highlight on during the day, though.

Do you have an alarm wired to your bike, maybe?

Alex · May 19th, 2009, 09:53 PM

I often run highbeams during the day and haven't run into battery issues. There is enough headroom in the ninjette's alternator (about 100 watts or so), that high beam usage alone shouldn't be even close to putting the bike in an electrical drain situation. But clearly something's going on here, I hope you figure it out and get things working again...

kkim · May 19th, 2009, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex

I often run highbeams during the day and haven't run into battery issues. There is enough headroom in the ninjette's alternator (about 100 watts or so), that high beam usage alone shouldn't be even close to putting the bike in an electrical drain situation. But clearly something's going on here, I hope you figure it out and get things working again...

That's good to know... which is what I figured, but a couple of threads on another forum discussed this and the guys were pretty adamant the high beams put a strain on the battery. I should have known better after looking at the output of the alternator.

almost40 · May 20th, 2009, 09:33 AM

Only run my dim during the night. Brights are always on during the day. Never had an issue. Alex is correct there is more than enough extra power produced by the electrical system.

k-os · May 21st, 2009, 09:10 AM

It may be possible that you drained your battery if you've recently only gone on short rides. You may have not ridden long enough for the battery to get charged enough.

Cochese · May 23rd, 2009, 06:08 AM

I used to have battery issues with my 1995 EX500. It tried to leave me stranded a few times. I got good at running as fast as possible with the bike in first, clutch in and jumping on and dropping the clutch lever.

00v_Lucky · May 23rd, 2009, 10:58 AM

thx for all your help guys. and my bike is back up and running. its weird. it randomly works and once again at school. it died but this time was back up and running in 2 seconds. this inconsistency of the battery kinda worries me =/

kkim · May 23rd, 2009, 11:01 AM

take it back to a dealer, under warranty, for an inspection if you think it's a mechanical issue.

doesn't sound like a battery issue, but more a random dying issue, correct?

00v_Lucky · May 23rd, 2009, 11:12 AM

i have no clue, i thought it was the battery because the dash wouldnt light up and such. what should i say to my stealership? (the bike is under my moms name and she is out of the country right now) I would also like to get a refund of my extended warranty, is there any way possible to do this?)

kkim · May 23rd, 2009, 11:17 AM

talk with the shop and give them the symptoms. it's up to them to figure out what's wrong.

I don't think your mom not being there is a problem... again, speak with someone at the dealership, preferably the salesman that sold the bike or the service manager.

headshrink · May 23rd, 2009, 12:28 PM

I did read somewhere (sorry don't know where), that there is a procedure to be reimbursed for the extended warranty. I THINK it will be prorated, but I also think that doesn't kick in until the factory W is done. So apparently it can be done.

cifex · June 23rd, 2010, 11:07 AM

Highbeams are not a problem in a day (modulator is even better).

That doesn't sound like a battery problem to me.

Guinss · June 23rd, 2010, 11:23 AM

First that comes to mind is a loose/bad connector on the battery. Because of the randomness of the bike electricity working and not working.

CZroe · June 23rd, 2010, 12:04 PM

I ran mine dead a few times though my own stupid mistakes (leaving the key in, for example) and I never needed to charge it specifically... just pop-start it and ride a bit until it's charged back up. Once I let it get REALLY dead and the tach was acting CrAZy for a good long time!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cochese

I used to have battery issues with my 1995 EX500. It tried to leave me stranded a few times. I got good at running as fast as possible with the bike in first, clutch in and jumping on and dropping the clutch lever.

You should get it up to speed in neutral. If it's anything like the 250, the bike has a lot of resistance in 1st even with the clutch in. Put it up on a rear stand, hold in the clutch and kick it into first and the tire will start spinning at idle speed even with the clutch held. You'll get a lot more speed and, thus, ability to crank if you kick it out of neutral instead of just re-engaging 1st gear via clutch.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guinss

Quote:

Originally Posted by 00v_Lucky

thx for all your help guys. and my bike is back up and running. its weird. it randomly works and once again at school. it died but this time was back up and running in 2 seconds. this inconsistency of the battery kinda worries me =/

First that comes to mind is a loose/bad connector on the battery. Because of the randomness of the bike electricity working and not working.

And the fact that the dash lights are out instead of just dim. The battery will lose the ability to start long before it loses the ability to light your dash at least a little.

Cedilla · June 24th, 2010, 06:31 PM

I will echo the others that have chimed in on this. I always run the highbeam during the day, and I have never once had a problem starting my bike.

Unbolt your seat, and check the connections at the battery terminals. Sounds like one of them is loose.

As far as push starting it, I've always used 2nd gear to push start my bike or car. I've only pushed off my bike a couple of times to see how easy it would be if I needed to push it off.

Good luck getting this problem straightened out.

May 19th, 2009, 02:01 PM	#1
00v_Lucky ninjette.org sage Name: Howard Location: Cypress, So. Cal. Join Date: Feb 2009 Motorcycle(s): '09 Candy Thunder Blue Ninja 250R Posts: 618	Battery Replacement at 3,400 miles? My bike was left out on the street for around 5 hours at my friends house studying for finals. As I was getting ready to go home, I geared up and bam, turn on the ignition and after 1 second of the spark plug sound, dies. I turn the key to off, and back on, on and then back off, on again. I waited for a few minutes and turned the key to on again and the dash lit up but when I tried to turn it on again the spark plugs gave a half second try to start up. Now the bike will now start up at all, no lights, no nothing. Do I need a new battery? I might have drained the battery by leaving the killswitch to on and turning off my bike by the key instead or that I have been riding too much during the day with the high beams used too much? What do I do? in order for me to get to the battery, i need tools, for tools, i need to walk the bike about a mile or two to another friends house. this sux!!! Ayudame Por Favor! ( I think i jynxed myself with the "is this bad" thread... ) Could it be possible that the bike wont start due to moisture? i just remembered that the seat was wet because of condensation. Did i short circuit the bike due to the water running down into the battery?

May 19th, 2009, 07:44 PM	#8
capt_bugaloo motorcycle rider Name: Bruce Location: Victoria, BC Join Date: Apr 2009 Motorcycle(s): '14 Yamaha V-Star 650 Custom (silver) Posts: A lot.	Huh? How do you turn off the headlights on a stock '09 Ninja 250R..? It's possible but unlikely the battery is low on charge. A simple recharge might resolve this. Your bike is an 09 with not that many miles on it. I think it's more likely that the battery has a manufacturing flaw, and that should be covered under warranty. __________________________________________________ '14 Yamaha V-Star 650 Custom (silver)

May 19th, 2009, 07:54 PM	#10
capt_bugaloo motorcycle rider Name: Bruce Location: Victoria, BC Join Date: Apr 2009 Motorcycle(s): '14 Yamaha V-Star 650 Custom (silver) Posts: A lot.	...sorry... __________________________________________________ '14 Yamaha V-Star 650 Custom (silver)

May 19th, 2009, 09:53 PM	#15
Alex ninjette.org dude Name: 1 guess :-) Location: SF Bay Area Join Date: Jun 2008 Motorcycle(s): '13 Ninja 300 (white, the fastest color!), '13 R1200RT, '14 CRF250L, '12 TT-R125LE Posts: Too much. Blog Entries: 7	I often run highbeams during the day and haven't run into battery issues. There is enough headroom in the ninjette's alternator (about 100 watts or so), that high beam usage alone shouldn't be even close to putting the bike in an electrical drain situation. But clearly something's going on here, I hope you figure it out and get things working again... __________________________________________________ Montgomery Street Motorcycle Club / cal24.com / crf250l.org / ninjette.org ninjette.org Terms of Service Shopping for motorcycle parts or equipment? Come here first. The friendliest Ninja 250R/300/400 forum on the internet! (especially Unregistered)

May 20th, 2009, 09:33 AM	#17
almost40 ninjette.org Monkey Spank Name: Kevin Location: Illinois Join Date: Apr 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2008 250R Track-Bike Woodcraft clip-ons and rearsets FZ-6 track bike Posts: A lot.	Only run my dim during the night. Brights are always on during the day. Never had an issue. Alex is correct there is more than enough extra power produced by the electrical system. __________________________________________________ Black 250R Full Area P QC Dyno Jet Kit 100 main 41T Rear Sprocket

May 19th, 2009, 02:07 PM	#2
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	tools you need are in the toolkit that came with the bike. you should have that with you at all times under the seat. take the battery out and recharge it using a battery charger or you can instead try jumping the bike with some jumper cables to a car battery to start it. I'd ride w/o the highlights during the day.

May 19th, 2009, 02:15 PM	#3
00v_Lucky ninjette.org sage Name: Howard Location: Cypress, So. Cal. Join Date: Feb 2009 Motorcycle(s): '09 Candy Thunder Blue Ninja 250R Posts: 618	do you think auto zone would charge it for free?

May 19th, 2009, 02:28 PM	#4
pantera ninjette.org member Name: Brion Location: Rochester, NY Join Date: May 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2016 Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Custom / 2017 Kawasaki Ninja 300 Posts: 133	Autozone may,would be worth a shot if you do not have a charger.Leaving the kill switch on will not drain the battery if you have the key in the off position.

May 19th, 2009, 02:40 PM	#5
00v_Lucky ninjette.org sage Name: Howard Location: Cypress, So. Cal. Join Date: Feb 2009 Motorcycle(s): '09 Candy Thunder Blue Ninja 250R Posts: 618	thx brion, but I wonder what would be the cause for my battery to die at such an early age. hmmm

May 19th, 2009, 07:05 PM	#6
travis5018 ninjette.org member Name: Travis Location: Tallahassee Join Date: Jan 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2008 Ninja 250r Posts: 43	you can turn the headlights off......?

May 19th, 2009, 07:07 PM	#7
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	you can turn the highlights off and on.

May 19th, 2009, 07:49 PM	#9
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	read the thread carefully... no one is saying the headlights can be turned off... only the highlights.

May 19th, 2009, 07:56 PM	#11
CRXTrek FORMER MOTORCYCLE RIDER Name: Steve Location: On a Trek SU200 or in my CRX Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): Rode an 08 250r then rode an 08 ZX-6R until i totaled it on 7/10/10 Posts: 758	Make sure cables are clean and tight. Mine came loose a little while after i got the bike , had to tighten cables and jump it , after that all was Good

May 19th, 2009, 08:31 PM	#14
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	I have read that riding with the highlight depletes the battery... I don't know if I believe it, but no, I don't ride with my highbeam on during the day. The instructor at my MSF course was a strong advocate of riding with the highlight on during the day, though. Do you have an alarm wired to your bike, maybe?

May 21st, 2009, 09:10 AM	#18
k-os ninjette.org sage Name: Andy Location: Sheboygan, WI Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): 1988 Honda Hawk NT650, 1989 Honda Hawk NT650, 1997 GSXR750 Track Bike Posts: 890	It may be possible that you drained your battery if you've recently only gone on short rides. You may have not ridden long enough for the battery to get charged enough.

May 23rd, 2009, 06:08 AM	#19
Cochese The Grand Royal Name: Cochese Location: Unmarked Rustbox Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Ninja 250R Posts: 258	I used to have battery issues with my 1995 EX500. It tried to leave me stranded a few times. I got good at running as fast as possible with the bike in first, clutch in and jumping on and dropping the clutch lever.

May 23rd, 2009, 10:58 AM	#20
00v_Lucky ninjette.org sage Name: Howard Location: Cypress, So. Cal. Join Date: Feb 2009 Motorcycle(s): '09 Candy Thunder Blue Ninja 250R Posts: 618	thx for all your help guys. and my bike is back up and running. its weird. it randomly works and once again at school. it died but this time was back up and running in 2 seconds. this inconsistency of the battery kinda worries me =/

May 23rd, 2009, 11:01 AM	#21
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	take it back to a dealer, under warranty, for an inspection if you think it's a mechanical issue. doesn't sound like a battery issue, but more a random dying issue, correct?

May 23rd, 2009, 11:12 AM	#22
00v_Lucky ninjette.org sage Name: Howard Location: Cypress, So. Cal. Join Date: Feb 2009 Motorcycle(s): '09 Candy Thunder Blue Ninja 250R Posts: 618	i have no clue, i thought it was the battery because the dash wouldnt light up and such. what should i say to my stealership? (the bike is under my moms name and she is out of the country right now) I would also like to get a refund of my extended warranty, is there any way possible to do this?)

May 23rd, 2009, 11:17 AM	#23
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	talk with the shop and give them the symptoms. it's up to them to figure out what's wrong. I don't think your mom not being there is a problem... again, speak with someone at the dealership, preferably the salesman that sold the bike or the service manager.

May 23rd, 2009, 12:28 PM	#24
headshrink ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Bob Location: CA Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): '08 Ninja 250r, '14 CBR500r Posts: A lot.	I did read somewhere (sorry don't know where), that there is a procedure to be reimbursed for the extended warranty. I THINK it will be prorated, but I also think that doesn't kick in until the factory W is done. So apparently it can be done.

June 23rd, 2010, 11:07 AM	#25
cifex ninjette.org guru Name: Z Location: Long Island, NY Join Date: May 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Ninja 250R (sold) Posts: 356	Highbeams are not a problem in a day (modulator is even better). That doesn't sound like a battery problem to me.

June 23rd, 2010, 11:23 AM	#26
Guinss ninjette.org guru Name: Simen Location: Norway Join Date: Jan 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2008 250R (Black) Posts: 298	First that comes to mind is a loose/bad connector on the battery. Because of the randomness of the bike electricity working and not working.

June 24th, 2010, 06:31 PM	#28
Cedilla ninjette.org sage Name: Chris Location: Huntsville, AL Join Date: May 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Ninja 250 (sold) Posts: 755	I will echo the others that have chimed in on this. I always run the highbeam during the day, and I have never once had a problem starting my bike. Unbolt your seat, and check the connections at the battery terminals. Sounds like one of them is loose. As far as push starting it, I've always used 2nd gear to push start my bike or car. I've only pushed off my bike a couple of times to see how easy it would be if I needed to push it off. Good luck getting this problem straightened out. __________________________________________________ The Ninjette is not a disposable bike. You are not ever supposed to get rid of it. It is like a [friendly] herpes virus.... once you got it, you get keep it forever. Originally posted by-Headshrink

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