Bike won't start, flat battery symptom.

[stryker]

This is one that had me scratching my head with my car some time back, till a friendly mechanic mentioned the cause.

It may be blindingly obvious but I thought I'll state this anyway.

Today my bike would not start (2nd time since I've had it), it was turning over but was just dead, no sign of starting. Then after about a total of 30 secs turning over the starter motor started to slow.

I hooked the bike's battery up to my car battery and it started withing a second of pressing the starter.

If your battery is on its way out, it may have just enough juice to turn the engine over but nothing left for the electronic ignition, hence no spark and no vroom vroom.

HTH anyone with mysterious winter starting problems.
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Now what?

[Kram]

this is when when you gotta stick it in second gear and push start it. though hard at first it's good exercise, and gets easier i think
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FS1E -> SR125 -> CB400N -> CB650 -> FZR600 Genises -> VFR400 NC21 -> CBR900RR Fireblade -> Renault Clio 1.4

[alains]

checking the battery is simple . put in slow charge for 6-8 H . after that , if the voltage has not reach 12.8 Volts replace it . otherwise , let it cool down , check the voltage every hour . if after 4 H your voltage has not gone down more than 0.4 Volt , your battery is OK .
refit your battery and if the incident occurs again you must check the charging circuit (alternator , regulator , diodes )
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the worst day fishing is better than the best day working

[stinkwheel]

[stryker]

Is that the sealed/gel based batteries then? I ask as my battery has a whoppin 12ah. I mean WTF good is 12ah?
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Now what?

[alains]

mister stinkwheel you look a good help but my job for 45 years is electrician specialized on cars & bikes . i know very well how the lead batteries work & die , they have progress since i begin , but they are still the same .
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the worst day fishing is better than the best day working

[stinkwheel]

Here is a top-tip for standard batteries to make them last longer. Go to the chemistry store at school and pinch a small amount of Ethyldiaminetetraacaetic acid (sp?) otherwise known as EDTA. You want the disodium salt. A pinch of this placed in each cell of a new battery will make it last longer as it 'mops up' any impure metal ions in the acid.

In my experience, using a standard, sealed battery (as available from halfords) will see much extended battery life. For one thing you aren't loosing electrolyte (when was the last time you checked the fluid level in your bike battery?) For another thing, there is no way for minor impurities to find their way in to the cells. The lack of filler caps also makes the whole affair about 1/2 " shorter (which can make a difference when fitting to bikes).
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.