September 8th, 2015, 09:58 PM | #1 |
ninjette.org member
Name: Kev
Location: San Francisco
Join Date: Sep 2015 Motorcycle(s): 07 Ninja 250r Posts: 11
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New rider and 250 owner - won't start!
2007 Ninja 250 was last running and starting fine 3 days ago. Tried to go on a ride earlier and she wouldn't start. Hitting the electric starter button does nothing, turning the key to "on" doesn't even switch on any of the dash lights.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated, but please be patient. I'm not very mechanically experienced, but I'd like to take a stab at it before I get it hauled to a shop. |
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September 8th, 2015, 10:11 PM | #2 |
Track Clown
Name: Chris
Location: Kingman, AZ
Join Date: May 2012 Motorcycle(s): '08 250R, 21 MV F3 800, Kawasaki 400 build Posts: A lot.
MOTM - Sep '15
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Start with checking the battery connections. Me personally I would use a nearby hill turn the bike to "On" click into second gear and start rolling down the hill while holding clutch lever at about 10-15 release lever and go ride.
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September 9th, 2015, 06:59 AM | #3 |
EX500 full of EX250 parts
Name: Bill
Location: Grand Rapids-ish, MI
Join Date: Jul 2012 Motorcycle(s): '18 Ninja 400 • '09 Ninja 500R (selling) • '98 VFR800 (project) • '85 Vulcan VN700 (sold) Posts: A lot.
Blog Entries: 1
MOTM - Aug '15
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If you get absolutely no lights at all, either the battery is completely dead (or disconnected) or the Main fuse is blown.
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*** Unregistered, I'm not your mom and I'm not paying for your parts, so do whatever you want with your own bike. *** |
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September 9th, 2015, 09:23 AM | #4 |
ninjette.org member
Name: Kev
Location: San Francisco
Join Date: Sep 2015 Motorcycle(s): 07 Ninja 250r Posts: 11
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My friend recommended the same thing actually. My street is already at a slight incline, so that might work. However the end of the block is a stoplight and relatively busy intersection so I might try that last.
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September 9th, 2015, 09:24 AM | #5 |
ninjette.org member
Name: Kev
Location: San Francisco
Join Date: Sep 2015 Motorcycle(s): 07 Ninja 250r Posts: 11
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September 9th, 2015, 09:27 AM | #6 |
The Corner Whisperer
Name: Chris (aka Reactor)
Location: Northern KY
Join Date: May 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2010 250 (track), 1992 250, 2006 R6 (street/track), 2008 R6 (track) Posts: Too much.
MOTY 2015, MOTM - Nov '12, Nov '13
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Welcome and good luck!
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Goal: Shake A Million Hands | Look through the corners | Track Day Prep | Closest track? | The Mid-Ohio School |
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September 9th, 2015, 01:11 PM | #7 |
ChocolateMilk Addict
Name: Maurice
Location: McDonough
Join Date: Mar 2015 Motorcycle(s): '05 EX-250 "Kallie" 85 KLT 110 ATC "Murdock" Posts: 329
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You can also attempt to jump it, start as you would jumping another car, BUT DO NOT HAVE THE DONOR CAR RUNNING, with its alternator and its battery combined it will hurt your ninjette. You don't even need keys, just pop the hood connect em up and try to start it, I REPEAT DO NOT HAVE THE CAR RUNNING. Good luck
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September 10th, 2015, 11:59 AM | #8 |
Lostcause enthusiast
Name: Graham
Location: Austin, TX
Join Date: Jan 2015 Motorcycle(s): 2000 EX250F Posts: 178
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Is the kill switch turned off? Is the neutral and oil pressure light coming on?
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September 10th, 2015, 01:02 PM | #9 |
ninjette.org member
Name: Kev
Location: San Francisco
Join Date: Sep 2015 Motorcycle(s): 07 Ninja 250r Posts: 11
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First off, thanks for all the great advice and kind words!
I haven't had much time the last few evenings to work on my ninjette but I did check the fuses at least. They're all intact. I popped the battery and put it on my trickle charger all night. It was topped off this morning when I left for work - so hopefully that works. If that doesn't do anything, I will try some of the other things that have been suggested in this thread. Will keep yall updated. |
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September 10th, 2015, 01:41 PM | #10 |
Rev Limiter
Name: Jay
Location: WI
Join Date: Jul 2013 Motorcycle(s): '06 SV650n, '00 Derbi GPR, '64 CA77 Dream 305, '70 CL450 Scrambler, numerous dirt bikes Posts: A lot.
MOTM - Jun '18, Oct '16
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If you have a volt meter, I would read the battery before trying to start it - it should be 12.7V or above if it's fully charged. Then read it as you turn on the key. It should still read 12.5 or so. If that checks out, read it as you are hitting the starter button. You should see over 11V as it's cranking. If at any time it drops below 11V it's toast - even if it read 12.7 V before putting a load on it.
A battery can show fully charged (green light) but drop off to nothing when under any amount of load. I'm thinking that's what's going on. Other things to check would be all of the connections to and from the battery and where any grounds attach to the frame. |
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September 10th, 2015, 06:37 PM | #11 |
ninjette.org member
Name: Kev
Location: San Francisco
Join Date: Sep 2015 Motorcycle(s): 07 Ninja 250r Posts: 11
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Hey everybody... Turns out it was the battery all along!
After a night on the trickle charger I checked the amps. When I was hitting the starter the amp reading dropped from 12.48 to 10.5ish. I immediately got changed and went for a ride (except I didn't get farther than the block before I realized I left the petcock in the off position). At this point though, I'm more curious as to how the battery managed to completely drain over 2 and half days... But she's alive and I couldn't be more stoked right now. Thank you all who chimed in with your experience and patient advice for a complete newb. Now I gotta buy a multimeter of my own. |
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September 10th, 2015, 07:03 PM | #12 | |
Rev Limiter
Name: Jay
Location: WI
Join Date: Jul 2013 Motorcycle(s): '06 SV650n, '00 Derbi GPR, '64 CA77 Dream 305, '70 CL450 Scrambler, numerous dirt bikes Posts: A lot.
MOTM - Jun '18, Oct '16
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Quote:
I had a car battery go bad while I was in a store. Started fine and drove a mile, shut it off and was inside for 10 minutes, came back out and it was completely dead - no lights - nothing. |
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September 10th, 2015, 08:35 PM | #13 |
Participant
Name: Dave
Location: South of Seattle
Join Date: Oct 2012 Motorcycle(s): '94 K75 std Posts: Too much.
MOTM - Aug '15
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How old is this battery? Was it well maintained?
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September 11th, 2015, 08:56 AM | #14 |
ninjette.org member
Name: Kev
Location: San Francisco
Join Date: Sep 2015 Motorcycle(s): 07 Ninja 250r Posts: 11
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The battery is supposedly 6 months old, though I'm not sure how well it was maintained. Would maintenance just consist of pulling it out whenever I plan on not running the bike for long periods of time?
I just bought the bike off craigslist and when I was test riding it, I started it up cold multiple times. |
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September 11th, 2015, 09:07 AM | #15 | |
The Corner Whisperer
Name: Chris (aka Reactor)
Location: Northern KY
Join Date: May 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2010 250 (track), 1992 250, 2006 R6 (street/track), 2008 R6 (track) Posts: Too much.
MOTY 2015, MOTM - Nov '12, Nov '13
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Quote:
Just do it!
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Goal: Shake A Million Hands | Look through the corners | Track Day Prep | Closest track? | The Mid-Ohio School |
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September 11th, 2015, 09:21 AM | #16 |
Rev Limiter
Name: Jay
Location: WI
Join Date: Jul 2013 Motorcycle(s): '06 SV650n, '00 Derbi GPR, '64 CA77 Dream 305, '70 CL450 Scrambler, numerous dirt bikes Posts: A lot.
MOTM - Jun '18, Oct '16
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Age of the battery doesn't really matter - they all go bad sooner or later.
I had my OEM Yuasa battery in my SV from '06 until '13, and it's wasn't completely junk, just getting progressively weaker. I've never used a Tender on it, just charged it in the off-season (kept in a fairly warm garage) for a few hours every month at 1A. A Tender may be better, but it will last a long time if you keep on top of it when not riding. No need to remove it from the bike to charge it. I learned an interesting thing at a EV competition from one of the top teams. They are using standard automotive batteries and running them completely down before charging - over and over. They can get additional voltage (over 12.7V, closer to 14V IIRC) by repeated deep cycling. They have some batteries that are 5 years old and still going strong. Just completely goes against everything you hear about how to get maximum battery life. |
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September 11th, 2015, 11:10 AM | #17 | |
Participant
Name: Dave
Location: South of Seattle
Join Date: Oct 2012 Motorcycle(s): '94 K75 std Posts: Too much.
MOTM - Aug '15
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Quote:
What the other guys have said about battery maintenance is sound advice. I just replaced the 7 year old (still functioning) battery in my K75 with a FLA Yuasa last week. |
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September 12th, 2015, 09:57 AM | #18 |
ninjette.org member
Name: Kev
Location: San Francisco
Join Date: Sep 2015 Motorcycle(s): 07 Ninja 250r Posts: 11
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I already have a battery tender, it's a Black and Decker model Bm3b (what I used to charge my battery when it initially died on me a week ago). Should I plug in my tender every time I decide that I won't be riding for like every three days or week?
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September 12th, 2015, 10:29 AM | #19 | |
Participant
Name: Dave
Location: South of Seattle
Join Date: Oct 2012 Motorcycle(s): '94 K75 std Posts: Too much.
MOTM - Aug '15
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Quote:
It's not a bad idea to hook the bike up to a battery tender if you haven't ridden it for a few days and you're not sure when you're going to ride again. |
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