Ride report from hell

[AmyF]

Well where to begin. I went for what was supposed to be another around town ride. Storms were rolling in nearby so I was nervous about that. That is never a good thing - ended up riding stiff and kept pulling toward the far left of my lane (at least I hope that's why - didn't have this issue yesterday when I was relaxed). Got to a turnaround point and stopped for a moment . Went to start it...and it wouldn't start. It tried but wouldn't go. Told husband to come and give it a jump which he reluctantly did. That's where the "fun" began. I didn't get too far up the road, darkness closing in fast when it stalled again near a gas station. Husband jumped it again. The third time it stalled it was near a parking lot entrance to this big ice cream shop so I desparately tried to get it over to the parking lot where when I got off (park lot wad at a n angle) I ended up dropping the bike on myself (already stopped and off the road ). Picked it up noticed smashed turn signal and a good twoninches broken off end of the clutch handle plus a small amount of gas spilled id say appx 8 oz or so?? This was after I realized my headlight was out A and I told husband I wanted to follow behind him so I wouldn't get smashed to bits. A couple rushed over and i told them what happened and how husband had gone offntoo fast so I was riding blind there for a bit. Needless to say he wasn't watching careful and went off too fast for my measly speed (skittish now and not happy riding in dark anyway aside feom no headlight and dimming back light.so I was riding partially blind. At any rate it was two or three more times he had to jump it before I got to our short road and walked it into the garage and promptly hooked it up to the maintainer charger. I had been putting it on maintainer nightly no stalling issues. But the last week or so I hadn't done that and today was the trouble. I'll have to have the kawasaki dealer look it over real good for me so I know what may be wrong other than obvious broken plastics from the fall. Doesn't help I'm the only one in family That rides so my family just doesn't get it. My husband I think resents it. Sorry I just had to vent it was just an awful frustrating experience for me.

I went out and got my.motorcycle license at 39 after a biker friend at work encouraged me. I didn't have a lot of self confidence but taking the advice and passing on my first try after zero riding experience e whatsoever that made me feel pretty good. I enjoy riding a lot. I'm not very mechanic though so I'll be relying more on our local shops.

[Finesse]

Grrrr, sounds frustrating. When it rains it pours, right...

If you never had this issue before and the only thing you changed was whether or not it was on the battery tender, it's probably your battery, you already assume... Any shop will have a meter for checking how your charging system is doing. The battery should be showing around 12 volts when the bike is turned off and somewhere between 13.5-15 at approximately 5,000 RPMs. If not, there's something wrong with your battery and/or your charging system. Maybe just a battery replacement would do it. Check your terminals where the wires connect to the battery. If the screws are loose it can cause faulty charging and electrical problems.

Hope you're okay after that bike fell on you! It happens. Levers are cheap, turn signals, don't worry, just sort out this battery issue and get back on and keep riding! Mmm, ice cream runs on a motorcycle... you should find yourself some riding buddies to share that with!

[RiderOnTheStorm]

Sorry for the rough evening! The worst experiences are the best learning tools sometimes.

Use this to become a better rider - we all have room for improvement. NE Ohio is an awesome place to ride!

[AmyF]

The batter was bought brand new about a month ago

[Finesse]

^Hmmmm... what kind of battery is it?

Maybe it's not battery-related. Did you replace your battery because of this issue happening before? Has this ever happened before?

[AmyF]

Just bought the bike early July. Bought new battery because other stalled very similar.

One thing I noticed today during these multiple jumps, when it would start to stall it would lurch several times before stalling out.

Yesterday was a nearly picture perfect ride. Night n day.

New battery is an Auto something from autoparts store

[Country Joe]

Amy,
I hate to say it, but it still could be the battery. I bought an Adventure Power battery earlier this year, it worked about 2 weeks and failed completely. I just say that to keep you from assuming that it couldn't possibly be the battery. Or it could be something else... Just sak for help here, there is plenty to be found here.
Joe

[AmyF]

Would a battery cause "lurching .. lurching .. stall" as the battery died?

[snot]

Originally Posted by AmyF

Would a battery cause "lurching .. lurching .. stall" as the battery died?

Sounds like you are not giving it enough throttle before easing out of the clutch.
My .02...
As another female rider ( started at 35) don't bash your hubby online. Mine is supportive and he use to make me angry sometimes when riding together but I never blamed him. You control your ride, if he leaves you behind and your scared pull over and wait. Riding angry or frustrated can cause you to make a fatal error.

[AmyF]

I was just frustrated. I was afraid to pull over and realize I should have. It's a little frustrating as he doesn't share the desire to ride like I do. He doesn't get it. I like this group because we all share that desire to get out and ride.

[snot]

Originally Posted by AmyF

I was just frustrated. I was afraid to pull over and realize I should have. It's a little frustrating as he doesn't share the desire to ride like I do. He doesn't get it. I like this group because we all share that desire to get out and ride.

You may need to find a friend to ride with instead or a group. Especially since you are new. You can take an advanced riders class to help you as well as track days (once your a little more comfortable).

[Kruse08]

Hey Amy I am not sure where you are located but I am in the Brunswick area near Medina and I am a newer rider but would be then happy to ride with you if you are close.

[snot]

@AmyF check here... www.ohioriders.net there are a ton of people that will help you and ride with you in your area.

[fry1024]

Uhg, sounds like one of those days when you just can't win. Glad you made it through. Soon you'll be at the local bike tavern telling the story to all you new biker friends over some tall-frosty-ones.

[LittleRedNinjette]

Sorry to hear about the bad ride. Its hard for others who don't ride and have 0 desire to do so to understand it.

Thankfully my family is support and understanding and my boyfriend rides.
They don't say it but i know they didnt me to get another bike after my wreck.

Just be patient with him. Hopefully he'll come to understand how you feel.

Wish you were closer, i would be more than happy to ride with you.

And i don't think you were bashing him, just venting some frustration. At least thats how i read it.

[AmyF]

I've got to get back out there tonight, weather permitting, to feel confident again. It was just frustrating on this ride last night, not to mention very scarey with the darkness factor. Trying to avoid a $$$$$ tow home in case I bring it into the shop for anything. As long as I take it easy and stay relaxed I should be fine. I'll feel a lot better getting more ride time in with more confidence too.

[LittleRedNinjette]

Are you taking it to the shop? Or did you try a new battery?

[AmyF]

I'm going to try and take it to the place I got the battery and tell them the issue they should be able to test it. My hope is the battery is bad and I can get a refund so I can get a better battery.

[LittleRedNinjette]

That be good. Maybe get a motorcycle battery? I don't know how much of a difference it makes. Not a battery expert.

[AmyF]

I'll see what they say about it. It should be clear tonight to ride.

[LittleRedNinjette]

Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

[momoru]

Make sure your terminals are tight. I had a weird stalling issue and that was what fixed it. (Secondary symptom is that your lights will kind of flicker with the idle of the engine).

Also, do you know how to bump start your bike? http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/My_batt...art_my_bike%3F

That might save your husband a trip and help you in a pinch.

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by AmyF

Just bought the bike early July. Bought new battery because other stalled very similar.

One thing I noticed today during these multiple jumps, when it would start to stall it would lurch several times before stalling out.

Yesterday was a nearly picture perfect ride. Night n day.

New battery is an Auto something from autoparts store

Try draining the bowls of the carburetors, you may have water accumulated down there.

Here is how to, .......... it is so easy that even your husband could do it.

http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Draining_the_carbs

Here is how to replace the headlight bulb:

http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/How_do_...e_headlight%3F

[flitecontrol]

I've known of several cheap Chinese batteries that were bad right out of the box, and others that failed prematurely. If you get another, get a Yuasa. They are good quality and last a long time. Amazon usually has them at a good price. http://www.amazon.com/Yuasa-YUAM327B...X7L-BS+battery

[choneofakind]

So you know how the rules in OH when we have our temps say 1) no passengers, 2) no riding at night, and 3) no highway? You're skittish/inexperienced enough that it is a really good idea to skip rides near dark or in bad weather. Your problems on this ride would have been much more manageable in the sunlight.

I think if you keep draining the battery at this point, your issue is no longer the battery. I think it's not charging properly. You need to test the charging system. You should be able to leave the bike without being hooked up to a tender and not have a dead battery. Also, it should not be dead from rides unless you're having to restart it every 2 miles.

Are your carbs operating correctly? If it's randomly stalling at lights, that shouldn't be happening. If it's stalling as you try to move, use more gas and feather the clutch longer so it can slip a bit as you start moving. Otherwise, you'll just get lurch lurch stall.

Any way you can ride with a camera to get video of this? Idk if I have much time this week or next week to ride out to you and test ride your bike.

[Worldtraveller]

I'm going to make another recommendation.

Call your insurance company and ask how much per year it costs to add roadside assistance. With my insurance (Progressive), it's a whopping $8/year. That little peace of mind that if I do breakdown somewhere, it's covered, is easily worth much more than that.

[Skullz]

I would definitely take it back to the place you bought the battery and have them test it, and also test the electrical system to make sure your getting a charge charging the battery. It is also possible you have something causing parasitic draw on the electrical system killing your battery, so you need to do a thorough check of everything to find the culprit causing your problems.
Easy way to check the electrical for a draw is to use a circuit tester with the negative disconnected and touch the probe from the negative wire and negative post.
http://www.harborfreight.com/circuit-tester-30779.html

[fry1024]

Originally Posted by Worldtraveller

I'm going to make another recommendation.

Call your insurance company and ask how much per year it costs to add roadside assistance. With my insurance (Progressive), it's a whopping $8/year. That little peace of mind that if I do breakdown somewhere, it's covered, is easily worth much more than that.

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