No Power At all (Suzuki GN125)

[MahatmaAndhi]

Hi guys,

I got a battery for the GN125 (05) today. Put it in and everything was working: lights, indicators, starter.
The bike coughed in to life after lord-knows-how-long. It revved for about 5 seconds, and promptly died again.
Now all of the electrics have gone kaput. No neutral light, no headlights, nothing from the starter. Everything's dead.
I know nothing about batteries (or bikes in general) and I really hate electricity. Have a shorted it somewhere? Would an image help?
Help me diagnose this please.

Cheers.
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2008 Aprilia Sportcity 250

[Paulf]

You may have put a new uncharged battery in. Assuming you put all the electrolyte in you should trickle charge it before use. Try charging it and while waiting check fuses.

[AndyCF]

I would agree.

Unfortunately, despite being "new" it may have sat on a shelf for a few months or more, quietly slowly discharging (they do slowly discharge left to their own devices anyway)

Some vendors will routinely go around trickle charging their battery stock (we used to at the car dealership I worked at) , but there's no guarantee of this.

The past few batteries I've purchased have been car ones but I've always popped them on charge for a little bit first, if nothing else the charge/current draw shows you roughly how much 'poke' it had as such. To be fair they were all quite reasonable as in at a guess about 75% as the charger was sat at about 1A instead of 4A or more (charger is limited to 8 absolute max)



If you can: Whip the battery off and stick it on charge for a while, if you are going to do this with it "fitted" please disconnect both battery leads first though, but "off vehicle" is a bit better if you can.

I'm assuming its a 'ready to use' battery with electrolyte already present ? You should be able to see the fluid level though the vaguely translucent battery in most cases though.

Note: Please don't try to charge it if its empty / nearly empty / not near the full level marks, you'll likely cause warping of the plates and ruin it at a minimum.

Hope that's a bit of help.

[MahatmaAndhi]

Sorry, I missed details. The battery is brand new today. Bloke in the shop put the juice in. I left it about an hour, then charged it. The charger LED turned green after an hour or so. I disconnected it then I went out and did my chores, then tried it several hours later.
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2008 Aprilia Sportcity 250

[AndyCF]

Right OK, that does help to know.

We'll have to (assume) the new battery is good and not a dud (Rare but not unknown)

Examine the main battery leads, if needed undo them and check they are not corroded or otherwise damaged. Some bikes seem to have more than one positive or negative lead on the terminal itself, just double check you've not forgotten one (it has been known!)

Assuming you find everything is OK there, examine the other end of the battery cables, negative one at least. What you're looking for here is it being connected tightly and to a clean piece of metal so it is a good 'earth' point. If in doubt if possible (disconnect battery first!) undo this end of it and clean the lead end and its mounting up, then re-connect it.

Do you have a multi-meter / volt meter ? , If so check the battery voltage now.

[MarJay]

[TbirdX]

[MahatmaAndhi]

Hi guys,

I've got a multimeter now, so I'll give that a go. I've been doing chores today and I'm flippin' knackered and it's raining outside, so I'll leave it for now. I'll post an update over the weekend.

Thanks for the replies.
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2008 Aprilia Sportcity 250

[Nobby the Bastard]

Sounds more like it's blown the main fuse.
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Sprint ST 1050

[MahatmaAndhi]

I went back to it today and the lights and that were working, but nothing from the starter switch.
I tried bumping it by running alongside in my garden (it's a big garden) and absolutely nothing.
Oddly, when I sat on it and bump started it, it spluttered in to life. It sounds bloody awful, but it's working. Idling around 1,500RPM.
I rode it up and down the garden a few times and it worked off the starter switch after leaving it for a little while.
Unfortunately it's still a way off passing the MOT, so I couldn't go on the road, but there is life!
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2008 Aprilia Sportcity 250