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Message started by sunbomb on 03/22/12 at 22:32:54

Title: starting trouble
Post by sunbomb on 03/22/12 at 22:32:54

Hi,
I recently became the third owner of a 2002. After the winter, I rode it about a week back and forth to work. Today I parked it outside my workplace and it was in the sun for about 8 hours. After work, I went to start it and it would not turn. The neutral light was bright at first, but then slowly dimmed and even the headlight went off. "Ha," I thought, "I must have left the key on the lights setting absentmindedly and the battery must have run out."

Now I do have a battery tender. I assumed this could be used to not just top up the battery, but alo charge it. I went home, got the tender, plugged it in and the light on the tender turned to green (fully charged) very quickly. But the bike still won't turn. The lights turn on when I turn the key, but when I hit the ignition, it gives one loud click and then fades away.

Am I thinking wrong in assuming a battery tender can recharge a dead battery. If I am right, what else could be wrong with this ignition?

Sorry for the newbie questions. I did search the forum but was not able to find the right answer.

Title: Re: starting trouble
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 03/22/12 at 22:36:40

Id take the battery out & to an auto parts house or walmart,, somehwre where they can test & charge it. This is not a place to be guessing, you need to know you have a good battery before you can troubleshoot a no start on these things.

Title: Re: starting trouble
Post by sunbomb on 03/23/12 at 06:09:57

Cool! That is what I will do.

Thanks!

Title: Re: starting trouble
Post by Routy on 03/23/12 at 07:03:18

I would suspect the battery is full charged, that is why the tender says it is.
But the starter has a bad connection somewhere to the battery,.....making it appear to be near dead.

And to answer the question, yes, even the tender jr will charge a motorcycle battery,....as long as it is not stone dead.

Title: Re: starting trouble
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 03/23/12 at 07:52:14

YOu know,, Routy has a good point,, that ground on the engine is a known Booger point. I just tend to jum on a battery problem, cuz its soo blasted common,

I had a cheapo battery tender charging a low battery & I found it to be getting into a temp range I wasnt comfortable with, so I put the charger on, instead. Not sayin it wont do it, I was just afraid I was gonna cook it..

Title: Re: starting trouble
Post by sunbomb on 03/23/12 at 08:35:58

Could you expand on the "ground on the engine" part?

Thanks.

Title: Re: starting trouble
Post by EJID on 03/23/12 at 08:59:58

4B4D565A57555A380 wrote:

Could you expand on the "ground on the engine" part?

Thanks.

Here is where the negative battery cable should be attached to the "ground on the engine"

http://p1.bikepics.com/2012/03/23/bikepics-2370699-full.jpg

Title: Re: starting trouble
Post by sunbomb on 03/23/12 at 10:00:34

Excellent! I will look this up too.

Thanks.

Title: Re: starting trouble
Post by sunbomb on 03/30/12 at 11:03:04

Yep, it was the battery. Replaced with a new one (which was on sale at the local shop.)

Thanks all!

Title: Re: starting trouble
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 03/30/12 at 11:15:38

Then what was the lite on the tender telling you? That its on? or battery is charged? My lite stays on on my float chargers, if it plugged in,,
Hmm,, battery, Huhh? Whoda ever guessed?

Title: Re: starting trouble
Post by sunbomb on 04/01/12 at 11:21:54

Supposedly the tender shows red for "Currently charging" and green for "Fully Charged." When I first plugged it in, it was showing red for a period of time (say 1 hour.) But then it showed green right after. I can't believe that the battery would have charged itself in one hour. Anyway, I am going to convince myself it was a bad battery!

Title: Re: starting trouble
Post by HJH on 04/02/12 at 13:16:40

Remember all of the discussion on this website, usually at the beginning of the riding season in cold climates, by people whose batteries are just discharged enough to turn the bike over but not start them. Mine was that way in early March after sitting for five months. A real Battery Tender does charge the battery, then keeps it charged. I have them on my boat and travel trailer batteries, but not, until now, on my motorcycyle battery, since I usually ride the motorcycle enough, even here in Wyoming, to keep the battery charged. Following the failure to start in early March, I attached the Battery Tender for an hour, it showed green, and the motorcyle started normally. The battery was just discharged enough to fail to start the bike. So, yes, an hour of charging could and did get the battery charged enough to make the bike start.