Bike Wouldn't Start

[MattyNI]

Hi guys I have been riding my Honda CBF 125 now for almost 2 months with no issues however when I tried to start the bike this morning no engine light or neutral came on when I turned the key.

The bike has not been used from Thursday, I am guessing it is the battery ? any help on how to attempt to get it running would be great guys thanks as I am still a complete newb but trying to learn, had to get the bus this morning

I also checked it was not in gear on side-stand as that has caught me out before

Thanks,

[Aff]

Tried bumping or jumping it?
____________________
Current Bikes:Honda 929RR Fireblade, Honda CD200 Benly (Project), Stomp Z2 140
Electric Bike Project

[-Matt-]

Killswitch isn't flicked on by accident is it had me on a couple of occasions

[Teflon-Mike]

Sounds like battery's flat.

You'll need to charge it back up.

DO NOT try and get a jump-start from a car.

Cars have a different type of regulator on thier generator; and if you put jump leads from a car battery to bike battery, the bikes regulator, can try regulating the power from the cars generator... NOT designed to handle such a big generator... they can get rather fried. And your bike is:-
1/ A Honda, who are notorious for weak regulators to begin with
2/ A Fuel Injected Honda... I'd hate to think what over volts might do to that system... especially as its already got a bit of a reputation for not being the most 'robust' to begin with.

It may be possible to 'Bump-Start', pushing the bike down the road, in gear to turn the engine over, and get volts from the generator to make sparks to get engine running... BUT as its a fuel injected bike, I suspect that without electric i the battery to begin with, the fuel injectors wont work, ... so might get you fit, but probably not get bike running.

My advice is TAKE THE BATTERY OUT.... I dont know where it is on CBF; they are normally accessed either by lifting the seat up, or by removing a side-cover; and they are designed to be user-serviceable; so will come out with bikes OE tool-kit. Usually held in with a strap or plate, that may be on a clip or held with a single screw. Then the two battery cables are attached by a screw each.

Once removed, you can charge up on a car battery charger from mains electric; just be careful, that a car battery charger will be rated at perhaps 4 or 8A, and your little bike battery is likely to be around 5Ah where a Car battery will generally be around 70Ah... so it wont take so long to charge, and DO NOT use car 'booster' settings on a battery charger for fast charging or to 'jump-start' a car, that will bang out maybe 90A to turn big car starter motor! That will FRY a diddy bike battery!

OR you can charge on Jump-Leads from a car; making sure that you put + to + and - to - between car and bike battery. (Isolated from the motorbikes electrics, its fairly 'safe' to charge off a car, as oposed to 'jump' start; the car wont be putting its electric through your bikes regulator or injection system; JUST into the battery)

While its out; look at the electrolyte level... battery is clear plastic and full of acid; SO BE CAREFUL.. if it leaks or you spill it, it'll dissolve your cloths! But there's normally hi/lo level marks on the side to tell you if there's enough acid. If not DO NOT top it up with tap-water; needs de-ionised water from motor-factors.

When charged; pop it back in the bike, and bit of luck, away you go.

BUT, query WHY the battery went flat to start with, or this could become a habbit.

Cold winters morning; if the battery is old and tired; the cold can chill the electrolyte in an old battery enough they loose volts, and this is hint you may be due a new one.

Else? Check you didn't leave parking lights on. Has the thing got an alarm that can drain the battery when not in use? What about the brake lamp? Some bikes the brake lamp works whether the ignition is on or not; and if poorly adjusted, or the switch broke, can stay lit and flat battery.

Most likely though; combination of factors; and common one is just not putting as much electric into battery as you take out.... lots of short journeys, where big withdrawal made from battery each time you use the starter motor; not 'paid back' by the engine running for long enough or hard enough for generator to put it all back; after electric to run fuel injection, sparks, then lights and indcators and everything taken off... in fact, on little bike, if you short shift and dont rev it, and spend time sat at idle a lot; lights on, bike can carry on taking out of battery not paying back... a good long 'thrashing' can be quite healthy for a bike from time to time, you kow.
____________________
My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[Aff]

[Teflon-Mike]

[Rogerborg]

[Minty]

Snot going to be the kill switch as OP states no ignition lights.
____________________
My fingers smell of your mum.

[Boxing]

Another +1 for flat battery.

Get someone to push you and bump start it. Then ride it for about half hour and the battery should be charged enough to start the engine.

[MattyNI]

Hey guys, thanks for the replies. I didn't get a chance to do anything or I would have been late for work and the girlfriend had my car. But as it is my first bike I did not really want to try anything without finding out from you guys first!

So the best plan of action is to try charge it on Jump-Leads from my car with the car not running ? and how long roughly should it take ? sorry for all these really silly questions!

I think I know why it has went flat. It has a factory fitted Honda alarm and there is a charge button I used the charge button on it on Thursday. I started the bike after but did not take it out maybe this was the problem. Also the alarm was not responding when I tried to turn it on/off today.

My bike does not have a kill-switch for some reason.

[GeorgeB.]

CBF125s don't have killswitches

But yeah, sounds like a flat battery. You'll need to take both parts of the seat off to get crocodile clips on both terminals easily, although the rear seat comes off with the key, and IIRC the front seat has two screws under the rear seat. There's also a cover on the battery which has a few screws. (again, IIRC)

It should start off the car battery after a few minutes. Once you've got it started, disconnect the two clips without letting them touch, put everything back together and take it for a good ride to allow the battery to charge back up.

Good luck!
____________________
Current: '99 Fazer 600 | '99 Range Rover P38 4.6 HSE
Previous: Keeway TX125 | CBF 125 | CB400SF Project Big One
CBT 04/12/12 | Theory 03/12/13 | MOD 1 06/01/14 | MOD 2 13/01/14

[Skudd]

Jump it from the car, put car pos to bike pos and car neg to bike foot peg. leave the car engine off, then just start the bike. As soon as it is started disconnect the foot peg and neg of the car then bike pos and then car pos. Leave the bike running for a bit, then go for a ride for about 20-30 mins. All should be ok. You may then want to trick;le charge the battery over night if you have one, there is no need to take the battery out or disconnect it.

It may be worth trying to find out what flattened it in the first place, it could just be that you are due a new battery anyway.
____________________
Famous last words of Humpty Dumpty. " Stop pushing me "
Petty Anarchists look at "1984".............. The Visionary looks at "Animal Farm".

[MattyNI]

would it be worth trying to bump-start the bike first ? I did not even try that as I had to get to work.

I think the cause is the alarm on it.

[Skudd]

[GeorgeB.]

If the Alarm is an immobiliser too, I think you'll struggle, but it's definitely something to try
____________________
Current: '99 Fazer 600 | '99 Range Rover P38 4.6 HSE
Previous: Keeway TX125 | CBF 125 | CB400SF Project Big One
CBT 04/12/12 | Theory 03/12/13 | MOD 1 06/01/14 | MOD 2 13/01/14

[Skudd]

[MattyNI]

it is just an alarm no immobiliser as far as I am aware and also the alarm was not put on over the weekend. It was a £99 alarm so i really doubt it has one.

thanks for the replies guys will try bump or charge it off the car later and let you guys know how I get on! fingers crossed it will start lol

[GeorgeB.]

[-Matt-]

[MattyNI]

I am from Belfast prob not that local but thanks for the offer , It was fitted at Belfast Honda the previous owner of the bike had it done not me during a service. on the receipt it just says £99 alarm lol

[-Matt-]

If you've got a garage/powersupply around - i used to get flat batteries quite often because of a tiny-commute. Popped a pigtail on the battery and put it on charge whenever i can and its been fine for a few years since even with using the alarm 24/7

[MattyNI]

[-Matt-]

I used to do a 2-3 mile commute mon-fri for a while and occasional weekend runs if the weather/time permitted, and that didn't seem to do the batteries any favours so it might be a factor at the least.

The pigtail-power supply things easiest, but if you don't have a garage etc it might not be too much of a hassle to just take the battery out and give it a charge every now and then indoors - on a lot of bikes its just a couple of screws, on others like my current ZX6 its PITFA involving lifting the tank etc

[MattyNI]

[GeorgeB.]

I commute 1.5 miles each way and no problems
____________________
Current: '99 Fazer 600 | '99 Range Rover P38 4.6 HSE
Previous: Keeway TX125 | CBF 125 | CB400SF Project Big One
CBT 04/12/12 | Theory 03/12/13 | MOD 1 06/01/14 | MOD 2 13/01/14