Bike had a hard time starting

cuong-nutz · October 12th, 2011, 12:56 AM

My bike had a very hard time starting earlier. It has been sitting for maybe 3 days due to the weather. It was sitting under the carport so it didn't get rained on but it did have almost a full tank--rode 20 miles. Kill switch is off and I proceed to start it. It didn't fire up so I just I just held the starter down hoping it would fire up. No-go. So I tried modulating the choke and throttle. No-go. I wasn't going to give up since I was already packed and geared up to go to work. So I started doing the rolling start while the starter was turning over and then dumped the clutch. It almost fired up. So I build up speed and dump the clutch again and it started up rough but kept running. Any ideas as to why it was hard start?

jmcblitz · October 12th, 2011, 10:15 AM

Your battery was probably just low on juice because it's been sitting for a couple days. Shouldn't be a problem after you ride around and charged it back up. Unless...

Is your bike still doing that now? If so, it might also mean your battery is showing signs of dying. This happened to me last month. I usually ride everyday, but I let my bike sit for a week about a month ago. When I tried to start it afterwards, it won't. So I bump-started it, thinking, "Oh, maybe it's just coz it was sitting."

Bike was fine that day, until I tried to start it again the next morning. The starter sounded like it had trouble turning the engine, and my lights were noticeably dim when I was firing her up. First try, no go. Second try, starter won't even turn. I only got a rapid "tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk" electric sound. So I bump-started. Again. Every morning.

Until after a week of bumping it every morning, the bike started doing the same thing when I tried to get home from work/school. I ride 20 miles for school and 10 for work, and my charger is running fine. Turns out my battery was dying so it won't hold a charge. I was bump-starting every time I wanted to fire her up for two weeks before I had the time to change the battery.

So if your bike is fine after this, don't worry about it. If it's still struggling to start after you rode it extensively, as in enough to charge up the battery, then you should get a volt meter and see if your battery is draining itself.

cuong-nutz · October 12th, 2011, 12:49 PM

Well it started up fine when I left work. I find it odd having a battery die so fast which I hope isn't the case with mine. Hopefully it was just a fluke that it didn't want to start.

choneofakind · October 14th, 2011, 01:11 PM

The batteries on Pre-gen's were known to just kind of... DIE. Randomly, with no explaination. That's what mine did this summer. It wouldn't surprise me the least if this also happened with new bikes.

cuong-nutz · October 14th, 2011, 05:10 PM

I'll keep on monitoring this and update if anything changes.

October 12th, 2011, 12:56 AM	#1
cuong-nutz RIP Alex Name: Cuong Location: Houston, TX Join Date: Apr 2011 Motorcycle(s): '10 250r, '09 265r Posts: A lot. Blog Entries: 2	Bike had a hard time starting My bike had a very hard time starting earlier. It has been sitting for maybe 3 days due to the weather. It was sitting under the carport so it didn't get rained on but it did have almost a full tank--rode 20 miles. Kill switch is off and I proceed to start it. It didn't fire up so I just I just held the starter down hoping it would fire up. No-go. So I tried modulating the choke and throttle. No-go. I wasn't going to give up since I was already packed and geared up to go to work. So I started doing the rolling start while the starter was turning over and then dumped the clutch. It almost fired up. So I build up speed and dump the clutch again and it started up rough but kept running. Any ideas as to why it was hard start? __________________________________________________ HalfFast Racing Team Serving Greater Houston Area Riders:WFO Riders MotoHouston HPC CMRA Ride Smart Fastline Lone Star Track Days

October 12th, 2011, 12:49 PM	#3
cuong-nutz RIP Alex Name: Cuong Location: Houston, TX Join Date: Apr 2011 Motorcycle(s): '10 250r, '09 265r Posts: A lot. Blog Entries: 2	Well it started up fine when I left work. I find it odd having a battery die so fast which I hope isn't the case with mine. Hopefully it was just a fluke that it didn't want to start. __________________________________________________ HalfFast Racing Team Serving Greater Houston Area Riders:WFO Riders MotoHouston HPC CMRA Ride Smart Fastline Lone Star Track Days

October 14th, 2011, 05:10 PM	#5
cuong-nutz RIP Alex Name: Cuong Location: Houston, TX Join Date: Apr 2011 Motorcycle(s): '10 250r, '09 265r Posts: A lot. Blog Entries: 2	I'll keep on monitoring this and update if anything changes. __________________________________________________ HalfFast Racing Team Serving Greater Houston Area Riders:WFO Riders MotoHouston HPC CMRA Ride Smart Fastline Lone Star Track Days

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Hard starting in cold weather	scorch	1986 - 2007 Ninja 250R Tech Talk	23	May 13th, 2016 08:25 PM
[motorcyclistonline] - Hard-Starting FJ1200 \| FAQs	Ninjette Newsbot	Motorcycling News	0	November 29th, 2014 10:40 PM
Need some help - starting up after down time	LexisReid	2008 - 2012 Ninja 250R Tech Talk	3	September 28th, 2013 07:52 AM
bike running lean, hard starting	d16soda	1986 - 2007 Ninja 250R Tech Talk	19	October 25th, 2011 09:25 AM
Hard starting... tight valves?	RaceBikeRentals	2008 - 2012 Ninja 250R Tech Talk	9	May 10th, 2009 07:35 AM

October 12th, 2011, 10:15 AM	#2
jmcblitz ninjette.org member Name: J Location: Irvine Join Date: May 2011 Motorcycle(s): '08 Kawi Ninja 250R Posts: 14	Your battery was probably just low on juice because it's been sitting for a couple days. Shouldn't be a problem after you ride around and charged it back up. Unless... Is your bike still doing that now? If so, it might also mean your battery is showing signs of dying. This happened to me last month. I usually ride everyday, but I let my bike sit for a week about a month ago. When I tried to start it afterwards, it won't. So I bump-started it, thinking, "Oh, maybe it's just coz it was sitting." Bike was fine that day, until I tried to start it again the next morning. The starter sounded like it had trouble turning the engine, and my lights were noticeably dim when I was firing her up. First try, no go. Second try, starter won't even turn. I only got a rapid "tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk" electric sound. So I bump-started. Again. Every morning. Until after a week of bumping it every morning, the bike started doing the same thing when I tried to get home from work/school. I ride 20 miles for school and 10 for work, and my charger is running fine. Turns out my battery was dying so it won't hold a charge. I was bump-starting every time I wanted to fire her up for two weeks before I had the time to change the battery. So if your bike is fine after this, don't worry about it. If it's still struggling to start after you rode it extensively, as in enough to charge up the battery, then you should get a volt meter and see if your battery is draining itself.

October 14th, 2011, 01:11 PM	#4
choneofakind ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: . Location: . Join Date: Feb 2011 Motorcycle(s): . Posts: Too much. MOTM - Feb '13, Feb '14	The batteries on Pre-gen's were known to just kind of... DIE. Randomly, with no explaination. That's what mine did this summer. It wouldn't surprise me the least if this also happened with new bikes.