bike wont start

[Type Gendy]

I've been having this intermitent starting issue with my bike lately. Sometimes the fuel pump primes but it wont have enough juice to turn the motor over. A few times in front of my friends it started right up fine. The batter is between a year or two old. I looked at it once and cleaned up the battery terminals an connections with a wire brush adn thought that would do it. Lately it hasnt been starting at all.

Is there something else to check on it? I'm gonna go follow the ground now and see if i can find where it goes. Make sure that is clean. Also gonna test the battery with bike running to make sure its getting a charge.

Anything i'm missing?

edit: A couple times early in the season when i turned the key on the fuel pump wouldnt prime. Come back it later or keep trying and it would start up fine. So it seems like a funky wire perhaps? or maybe an unrelated issue idk..

[Type Gendy]

battery is about 12.5, at idle i'm getting about 13.3 and if i rev it up it will go up past 14

[jawz0414]

Originally Posted by Type Gendy Sometimes the fuel pump primes but it wont have enough juice to turn the motor over.

Can you clarify that statement? Do you mean it's not getting enough fuel, or the motor is not cranking properly (slow cranking speed, etc.)? Does it just sit and crank, but not start?

I would also suggest monitoring the voltage while starting the bike. That number could be helpful in figuring out the problem.

[Type Gendy]

Well it only did it twice, the first day i pulled it out of the garage and then a week later. Basically i went to start the bike and everything powered up except the fuel pump, and it would not turn over, like when u have the kill switch on. But it has not done that in months.

Then randomly in the last month it turns over slow and wont have enough juice to fire the bike. Then it was fine for a couple weeks. Now it never has enough juice anymore. Seems like if the battery was toast it would have quit a month ago instead of getting back to normal startups for a while? This whole time the bike was being ridden frequently.

What should the battery voltage be when i hit the starter?

[stormi]

Technical Article: Fault Finding Guide - ElectroSport Industries

This should help.

[ktulu07]

Something stupid to check. On my Suzuki the battery terminal connections will get loose from vibration after riding for a while. When it happens it seems like the battery is dead or dying.

It may be worth a check.

[Desert Blade]

My blade did this all the time when the battery went. It would fire just fine. Nice rapid crank. I would ride to the corner store and shut it off. Come out tem minuts later, and it would BARELY have enough power to turn over. Sometimes I would have to push start it, ride hard for about ten minuts, and then it would be back to good cranking power. The lights and display always lit up like nothing was wrong power wise. Sometimes they would dim a little and the pump would not be heard priming. It would turn over a few times, slow its rate down quikly, and then go to the rapid click of a failed turn over. New battery fixed this all for me. The stock battery in mine only lasted 8 months of fairly consistant riding.

Fox

[96tangcobra]

have your rectifier checked,Mine did that when it was going out.Sometimes I could ride for a week,other times it would go dead in an hour.these things are notorious for having crappy rectifiers.

[chukky]

Hi,
Just some tech info.Its got nothing to do with your voltage on the battery.This could be 13v and you think everything is fine.Thats not it at all,its got to do with the AMPS of your battery.
From experiance I would say your battery is shot.Typical symptoms
Cheers
Chukky

[Type Gendy]

Thanks for all the info guys. I hope to look at it again this weekend.

how can you check the rectifier?

also can i check the amps of the battery with a standard voltimeter?

[96tangcobra]

Originally Posted by Type Gendy Thanks for all the info guys. I hope to look at it again this weekend. how can you check the rectifier? also can i check the amps of the battery with a standard voltimeter?

I have the instructions on how to check the rectifier somewhere,I'll dig em up 4 ya.But yes,your batt. could be shot too.Borrow a buddies batt. and see if that fixes it.

[stormi]

Originally Posted by stormi Technical Article: Fault Finding Guide - ElectroSport Industries This should help.

This will test the rectifier, and the rest of the charging system, including connections between parts, which can often be the problem.