Battery problem?

[emilyLOVESlime]

I've already mentioned this in the new members thread, but my bike's clutch cable broke on the way home from the grocery store and I had to push her for about 10-15 minutes in the dark. I kept the lights on because it was 1 in the morning, and I think it killed the battery.

When I try to start the bike, she turns over but won't start. I could hear the battery become weaker and weaker each time I tried (the revving sound became less loud).

Today, I finally switched out the clutch cable and discovered that the fuel was on "off" instead of reserve or on, so I tried again to start the bike with the valve in the right place. The bike did the same thing again (weak noises). However, this time, there was a buzzing sound at end of the attempt...kind of weird, sounded electrical and came from the lower end of the body of the bike. Is this still just the battery dying or do I have a bigger problem?

I'm going to jump the bike with my housemate's car, but I want to know if there is something else wrong with it before I try.

Please let me know what other details I can add about my bike...I am a newbie at this and really have no idea what I'm talking about half the time...

Emily

[kkim]

nope... you just ran down the battery. bike doesn't like having the lights on w/o the engine running.

when you jump it, just run the jumper cables from the car battery without starting the car. bike should start right up.

buzzing/chattering is just a relay...normal.

[noche_caliente]

I've run mine down before as well, when another forum member ran out of gas on one of our rides!
Rather than jumping it from a car, you might want to invest in a batter tender - especially since you live in a climate where you probably won't be riding much in the winter.... motorcyclesuperstore and newenough both tend to have good deals on the junior, somewhere around $20

[kkim]

I agree with noche that a battery tender would be the way to go for prolonged storage, but, for now, starting it from a car battery to see if that's your problem is fine.

[Snake]

To add to what they just told you. Once you get the bike started you will want to let the bike run for a while so that it charges the battery. This would be a great time to go on a long ride but do not turn off the bike until you get home so you can shut it off and then try and emediately restart it to make sure the battery is still good and you have fully charged it.

[emilyLOVESlime]

Phew...glad to see that there isn't anything else wrong. I'll jump it today after work and update. Thanks so much guys

[Snake]

No prob. Anytime you need anything else just ask.

[emilyLOVESlime]

Hey guys...update: she still won't start

I followed these directions to a T (http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/How_to_...ike_from_a_car) and the relay sound stopped, the bike turned over and nothing happened. I pulled the choke like I usually do.

What else could be wrong? I'm getting so frustrated, she's been out of commission for a little over a month, if that helps (I was waiting for the clutch cable to come in and was on vacation)

EDIT: Forgot to add that before the clutch cable broke, the bike had stalled at the light twice (in the same trip back from the grocery store). I assumed I was out of gas even though I was only 188 miles into a full tank. Couldn't remember/see where "reserve" was on the fuel valve (ahhh newbie mistake!) so I just walked to the nearest gas station and got some gas. The minute I get the gas in the tank, the clutch cable breaks...lol.

My friend also just told me I was silly to not start the car when I tried to jump the bike...but I've read in so many places (as well as what Kelly just suggested) that the car isn't supposed to be running. *sigh*

[rockNroll]

Originally Posted by emilyLOVESlime

I've already mentioned this in the new members thread, but my bike's clutch cable broke on the way home from the grocery store and I had to push her for about 10-15 minutes in the dark. I kept the lights on because it was 1 in the morning, and I think it killed the battery.

When I try to start the bike, she turns over but won't start. I could hear the battery become weaker and weaker each time I tried (the revving sound became less loud).

Today, I finally switched out the clutch cable and discovered that the fuel was on "off" instead of reserve or on, so I tried again to start the bike with the valve in the right place. The bike did the same thing again (weak noises). However, this time, there was a buzzing sound at end of the attempt...kind of weird, sounded electrical and came from the lower end of the body of the bike. Is this still just the battery dying or do I have a bigger problem?

I'm going to jump the bike with my housemate's car, but I want to know if there is something else wrong with it before I try.

Please let me know what other details I can add about my bike...I am a newbie at this and really have no idea what I'm talking about half the time...

Emily

Originally Posted by emilyLOVESlime

Hey guys...update: she still won't start

I followed these directions to a T (http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/How_to_...ike_from_a_car) and the relay sound stopped, the bike turned over and nothing happened. I pulled the choke like I usually do.

What else could be wrong? I'm getting so frustrated, she's been out of commission for a little over a month, if that helps (I was waiting for the clutch cable to come in and was on vacation )

EDIT: Forgot to add that before the clutch cable broke, the bike had stalled at the light twice (in the same trip back from the grocery store). I assumed I was out of gas even though I was only 188 miles into a full tank. Couldn't remember/see where "reserve" was on the fuel valve (ahhh newbie mistake!) so I just walked to the nearest gas station and got some gas. The minute I get the gas in the tank, the clutch cable breaks...lol.

Looking at what you've typed so far, it seems like the grocery store was pretty close by and you made your trip with the fuel petcock in the "off" position and ran the bike to the store on what fuel it had in the lines/carbs, that fuel ran out and so you had to push. The battery going dead was a result of running the lights, weakening the battery, then trying to start the bike once you made the cable repair. Seems like there really wasn't any problem with the bike when it stopped running. Now that the petcock is in the correct position, your cable is replaced and you have fuel... what's keeping it from firing? ... hmmm.

My first suspicion would be the fuel you put in it... are you sure you put gasoline in the bike and not diesel fuel? If you're sure it was proper fuel I'd then check the spark plugs to see that they aren't wet/ fouled.

If this bike were here in front of me, I'd introduce "fuel" through the throats of the carbs to see if the engine would hit it.

[rockNroll]

Originally Posted by emilyLOVESlime

My friend also just told me I was silly to not start the car when I tried to jump the bike...but I've read in so many places (as well as what Kelly just suggested) that the car isn't supposed to be running. *sigh*

Never jump start your bike from a car with the car's engine running!!!

[emilyLOVESlime]

Originally Posted by rockNroll

Looking at what you've typed so far, it seems like the grocery store was pretty close by and you made your trip with the fuel petcock in the "off" position and ran the bike to the store on what fuel it had in the lines/carbs, that fuel ran out and so you had to push. The battery going dead was a result of running the lights, weakening the battery, then trying to start the bike once you made the cable repair. Seems like there really wasn't any problem with the bike when it stopped running. Now that the petcock is in the correct position, your cable is replaced and you have fuel... what's keeping it from firing? ... hmmm.

My first suspicion would be the fuel you put in it... are you sure you put gasoline in the bike and not diesel fuel? If you're sure it was proper fuel I'd then check the spark plugs to see that they aren't wet/ fouled.

If this bike were here in front of me, I'd introduce "fuel" through the throats of the carbs to see if the engine would hit it.

Lol. Gasoline for sure dude. 100% sure
The fuel valve was in the on position while I was at the grocery store; it got turned to off either when I parked my bike in the back of the house (when I left for vacation on the 18th of June) or yesterday when we had to pull out the fuel tank to get to the clutch cable (it was zip tied to the frame and I couldn't pull it out). I just forgot to switch it back to on in the morning. The main reason why I had to push was because the clutch cable was broken.

I am almost sure that I just really ran out of gas as well (even though I was only 188 miles into the tank), because the bike didn't just cut off suddenly, the engine/response to the throttle just weakened until it died. However, I also got the bike to start again (and it stalled again) twice on the way home until I realized/assumed that I was low on gas. Which is when the cable broke like I previously stated and I just gave up on trying to think and pushed it home.

If my battery is completely dead/drained, wouldn't the bike start with the car anyways?

If this bike were here in front of me, I'd introduce "fuel" through the throats of the carbs to see if the engine would hit it.

Would you mind explaining this? Thanks!

[rockNroll]

Originally Posted by emilyLOVESlime

If my battery is completely dead/drained, wouldn't the bike start with the car anyways?
Would you mind explaining this? Thanks!

If the starter was spinning the engine over while the bike was attached to the car battery, then yeah, the bike's battery being dead isn't keeping the engine from firing.

Id pull the spark plugs and make sure they're dry. Id then put the spark plug wires onto the plugs and lay the plugs on top of the engine so that the threads of the plugs are touching the metal of the engine. Hold the starter button to crank the engine for a couple seconds and watch the plugs to see if they spark. If there's no spark, then we need to find out why. If the plugs spark, reinstall them.

Your carbs may have been run dry and just might not be filling with fuel (we're still subscribing to the theory that the bike has just been run outta fuel). Introducing "fuel" through the carbs may get the engine to fire up momentarily. Doing this a few times may get your fuel system filled and running. The easiest way would be a quick "psssst" of starting fluid into the carb or the air intake of the air box (where the air filter is). See if the engine tries to start on that.

[tjkamper]

Jumping with a car is just fine. A battery tender is nice if you are going to have the bike parked over time, but in this case just jump it with the car, but be sure you just use the batter from the car. Don't start the car's engine.

[emilyLOVESlime]

Originally Posted by rockNroll

If the starter was spinning the engine over while the bike was attached to the car battery, then yeah, the bike's battery being dead isn't keeping the engine from firing.

Id pull the spark plugs and make sure they're dry. Id then put the spark plug wires onto the plugs and lay the plugs on top of the engine so that the threads of the plugs are touching the metal of the engine. Hold the starter button to crank the engine for a couple seconds and watch the plugs to see if they spark. If there's no spark, then we need to find out why. If the plugs spark, reinstall them.

Your carbs may have been run dry and just might not be filling with fuel (we're still subscribing to the theory that the bike has just been run outta fuel). Introducing "fuel" through the carbs may get the engine to fire up momentarily. Doing this a few times may get your fuel system filled and running. The easiest way would be a quick "psssst" of starting fluid into the carb or the air intake of the air box (where the air filter is). See if the engine tries to start on that.

Thanks a lot, I appreciate it! My housemate thinks the carbs are dry as well...she heard me trying to start it in the morning and even from the sound she was like...uhh I don't think you have fuel in there. Will try to figure this out in the next...2 hours, sigh.

[Snake]

Like rockNroll said I would go to the auto parts store and buy some starting fluid. Take the seat off then take the lid to the air box off and give a quick squirt in the direction of the carbs. You may have to do this a few times until fuel gets to the carb bowls.

[emilyLOVESlime]

Cool I will have to poke around Ann Arbor on my bicycle and see if any auto shops are open at the ungodly hour of 2pm on a Sunday.

[kkim]

when you are trying to start when jumped from the car, does the engine turn over just fine and now it's not catching... is that the problem?

[emilyLOVESlime]

Yes. The feel and sound of the engine are perfectly normal when I tried to start her while connected to the car battery. She just doesn't start.

[kkim]

The carbs need to be primed as they are most likely dry, as suggested. I've seen this problem with pregens a few times before.

The fuel petcock will only flow fuel when there is vacuum leading to it. It gets it's vacuum from the hose leading to the back of the petcock.

disconnect that hose, then put another on that hose spigot on the bcak of the petcock and gently suck on the newly installed hose to provide vacuum so the fuel can flow through the petcock. Put the petcock in the reserve position while doing this to assure you're flowing fuel.

After you do this, try starting the bike as you normally do. Plug the hose that you originally took off from the rear of the petcock or the bike won't idle once you get it started.

gl.

[emilyLOVESlime]

Okay...so the air intake is this thing right? Should I remove the foam/plastic, or just squirt the starting fluid straight into it?

[emilyLOVESlime]

Okay...put starting fluid in twice and she is BACK! I was so freaking excited. There was some smoke while I had her idle on the side of the road as I put back the bolts and the seat, but that went away. Rode her for about 30 minutes around campus and back and she had no trouble starting again.

Hopefully, she'll be okay tomorrow too- I'm going to fill the tank up. Thanks guys so much for your help!

[rockNroll]

Nice!! Glad you got things going. I bet that 30 minute ride around campus felt great

[noche_caliente]

great to hear she's behaving again!

[Alex]

Good work!

[Snake]

Glad to hear that you are back to riding. Have fun and be safe.