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starter, battery, normal?
Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 8:51 am
by Dirtytoes
okay so i've hd this problem for at least a few months now, do not remember when it started.
in the morning when the bike is cold....the started does not start.....tho it still makes the starting sound...ehe,ehe,ehe,ehe,ehe..but its just keeps making that noise.....
i've had to run it downhill and jump start it EVERY time....after the bike warms up to operating tempeture, and i turn it off, it turns back on fine.
what do you guys think the problem is?
battery?
starter?
it's not normal...is it?
..something else?
P.S. yes, i've used the choke, it doesn't make a difference at all.
Re: starter, battery, normal?
Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 9:23 am
by jonnythan
Use the cho......
Oh.
Nevermind.
Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 9:42 am
by oldschoolorange
well seeing as though it turns over you have eliminated the battery and starter as the problem. check your plugs, jetting and possibly water in the fuel. Who knows you could have a faulty kill switch somewhere. Next time you try to start it and it won't pull one spark plug wire and see if it sparks
Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 11:34 am
by flynrider
I'll go out on a limb here and say that the battery has not been eliminated as a suspect. As I posted in another thread, there is a point in a battery's life where it holds enough juice to turn the starter, but the starter's current draw is so great that there is not enough reserve energy to power the ignition system. If you find that the bike starts right up when you bump or kickstart the engine, then the battery is a likely culprit.
Another reason to suspect the battery is that it seems to have this trouble only after sitting overnight. Most of my old batteries would hold a charge immediately after being charged, but it would drop off over time.
Putting a voltmeter on the battery in the morning would tell the tale. Anything below 12 volts would be suspect.
Re: starter, battery, normal?
Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 6:41 pm
by Dirtytoes
jonnythan wrote:Use the cho......
Oh.
Nevermind.
LMAO
LOL, that just made my day. hahahaha
oldschoolorange wrote:well seeing as though it turns over you have eliminated the battery and starter as the problem. check your plugs, jetting and possibly water in the fuel. Who knows you could have a faulty kill switch somewhere. Next time you try to start it and it won't pull one spark plug wire and see if it sparks
you could be right....cause i remember that i had to change the plugs after i washed the hot engine down with the hose...spilled coffee all over the bike...haha, not funny....anyway, when i changed the plugs but the plug wires AKA the things that cover the plugs had some green algee looking stuff on it that i cleaned as best as i could.....
tho i don't remember if this was before or after the first time the bike wouldn't turn on.
any way, i'll try it tomorrow and i'll see if it sparks.
flynrider wrote:I'll go out on a limb here and say that the battery has not been eliminated as a suspect. As I posted in another thread, there is a point in a battery's life where it holds enough juice to turn the starter, but the starter's current draw is so great that there is not enough reserve energy to power the ignition system. If you find that the bike starts right up when you bump or kickstart the engine, then the battery is a likely culprit.
Another reason to suspect the battery is that it seems to have this trouble only after sitting overnight. Most of my old batteries would hold a charge immediately after being charged, but it would drop off over time.
Putting a voltmeter on the battery in the morning would tell the tale. Anything below 12 volts would be suspect.
no i remember, first time it didn't turn on it was very weird....it was just a regular morning...hadn't dropped the bike lately or anything either...
anyway, it IS a 12v and i have attempted to bring it out before (the first time it wouldn't start), but couldn't figure it out.....darn ,i REALLY need that manual.....later on that day it turned on so i though it had "re-charged" itself.
i'm gonna try flynrider's suggestion tomorrow, its 10pm right now...anyway, if it is not the plugs.....i will turn over to the battery...but assuming that it actually is the battery, will i have to re-charge or buy a new one? how is pricing on both?
Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 7:38 am
by storysunfolding
Batteries have a range in price depending on the model of battery (less expensive if lots of bikes use it), type of battery (gel, glass mat, regular), cranking amps, warranty etc.
Expect to pay anywhere from $25 to $80.
Also- get a charger/maintaner made for motorcycles like the battery tender brand. Good for keeping the battery at tip top in cold weather.
Now are you saying that your battery is reading 12v or that your battery is 12v? Because I think the advice given was to make sure your battery was reading at least above 12v of charge.
hmm
Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 1:13 pm
by Dirtytoes
$54 for the battery....tho they only found a part# under honda?... anyway, i didn't get it bacuse i don't know if thats the problem.
today after an attempt to regularly turn it on with the starter.....after a few "ehe ehe ehe ehe ehe" sounds it started giving the "errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr errrrrrrrrrr" sound.
i assume thats bad?
anyway, i tried taking out the spark plug wire/covers and i was only able to take out the left one, for the other one i'd probably have to take the plastic, gastank..etc...off....so it'd too much of a hassle. anyway, after i took the left one out, i looked in it as i pressed the starter button and i didn't see anything....was i supposed to a see a spark?
do any of the above indicate anything?
Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 1:50 pm
by oldschoolorange
leave the plug in the wire and make sure the threads are touching a good ground, then crank and you should see the plug sparking. it might be an ignition system problem
Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 1:52 pm
by oldschoolorange
How many cylinder is your bike? If it uses 1 coil for 2 spark plugs a bad plug will cause problems as there is no ground path for the spark
Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 5:06 pm
by Dirtytoes
oldschoolorange wrote:leave the plug in the wire and make sure the threads are touching a good ground, then crank and you should see the plug sparking. it might be an ignition system problem
ohhh i see what you guys meant....i can't take the actual plug out....its too much of a hassle...i have to almost take the whole bike apart....but i'm 99.9% sure that its not the plug because i changed them like 2-3 months ago.
oldschoolorange wrote:How many cylinder is your bike? If it uses 1 coil for 2 spark plugs a bad plug will cause problems as there is no ground path for the spark
it's very sad, but i have no idea....i think 2 tho...and i have no idea what you meant by your second sentence.