so I picked up an '06 s2r1k, and.. I have battery problems, I think. After riding for 20-30 minutes, the bike won't start. After I jump it, the engine has trouble idling, but I just limp on home. This has happened twice, both times I've taken the bike out for a ride.
I charged the battery again last night, checked the voltage at the battery this morning, and it was 13.3 volts. so at least I know the battery will take a charge. I started the bike up and watched the headlight when I revved the engine up to about 3k, and i didn't see any change in brightness. Should I be seeing the lamp glow brighter with more revs?
i put a DVM across the battery and while the bike was running watched the meter. The reading stayed around 13.3v, may have gained or lost a tenth, but stayed pretty much the same as I revved the engine to about 3-4k. should I be seeing this number increase when the engine revs up?
i have a warranty on the bike, but would rather not let the dealer have it for two weeks to determine it was just the battery that needed replacing. I'm not so sure the charging system is working correctly. Any advice for me?
I had the same kind of problem - battery "seemed" to be OK - but a buddy at work suggested getting a new battery, problem solved. I've found that, at least on my bike ('00 M900ie), the charging system does not work very well below 3k RPM or so; if I don't put it on a trickle charger, after a few days commuting to work (45 mph top speed) it's difficult to start (sluggish starter).
Standard motorcycle batteries don't last too long - especially if not carefully tended - I don't have any experience with the new gel cell batteries, but they are mucho expensive.
take your battery to a dealer and have them do a load test, only takes a minute and some will do it for free (Duc dealers might be less apt to do it for free though so you might take it to an asian dealership)
that will tell you if its your battery. Your headlights shouldn't be getting brighter as you rev, at least not with a good battery.
funny i seem to be having the same problem!
just got my 00 M750 from a 20000k service, and i haven't ridden it in 4 or 5 days, and when i went to start it the battery didn't seem to be able to give power to the starter motor. it feels like the spark plugs just won't catch. everything is fine cos it just serviced, i have no idea why it won't start! i'm pretty sure the battery is fine too. any ideas? maybe i need a new batt.
any electrical issue = check battery first. Period. checking standing voltage isn't good enough, it needs to be load tested. If and only if the battery checks out, then start looking further down the line
well i bought a battery charger with trickle charge and i'll boost her up tonight. we'll see how it goes.
As woodyracing stated, a voltage reading is not enough, the battery should be load tested. The voltage reading is telling you thebattery is fully charged, but the reading is not telling you there is enough battery amperage (capacity) to crank over the engine. Your reading of 13.3 at 3K+ RPM is low. Here is a link for charging system diagnosis:
http://www.electrosport.com/technical-resources/library/diagnosis/fault-finding-guide.php
well, i've scoped it all out and the problem is that no fuel is getting to the plugs, that's why it wouldn't start in the first place.
i've already opened the pipes after the fuel filter and its flowing through there, so would anyone have any suggestion on where to go next?
First fix the cranking problem. Then worry about the rest. You may need to drain the tank and change the fuel filter if a fuel stabilizer was not added before the bike went ito storage
it's cranking fine, the plugs just aren't getting any fuel to light up. the fuel filter has just been changed, and it wasn't in storage, it just sat there for three days. i wonder where the hell the fuel is blocking up :-\
sorry for jacking your thread Mash
Quote from: mostro on August 17, 2008, 07:43:27 PM
i haven't ridden it in 4 or 5 days, and when i went to start it the battery didn't seem to be able to give power to the starter motor.
Quote from: mostro on August 18, 2008, 05:16:18 PM
it's cranking fine
Well which one is it? It's hard for people to help you out if you can't even tell us what's going on.
And just out of curiosity, how did you determine that "no fuel is getting to the plugs"? Have you ruled out the possibility of a lack of spark?
Pardon my skepticism, but the following gem wasn't exactly confidence inspiring.
Quote from: mostro on August 17, 2008, 07:43:27 PM
i'm pretty sure the battery is fine too. any ideas? maybe i need a new batt.
I found a great troubleshooting guide which includes details on testing the stator and the voltage regulator. it's available from a link on http://www.mad-ducati.com/. Go to that page, click on 'Tech Links' and look for the article called 'Charging or Not?' in the 'Battery Info' section.
OK, so I think I've fixed the problem. Using the document I posted about above, I tested the Stator - Fine, I tested the Voltage Regulator - Fine. Then I saw one of the connectors coming from the voltage regulator was burned. One of the spades with a green wire was melted, and not making a good connection. I soldered on a new lug and cleaned up the connector a bit, reattached it, then retested everything. Now, with a meter on the battery, I see the voltage rising when I rev the engine. I didn't see that before.
Nicely done. [clap]
Systematic testing and close inspection, that's the way to go.
And thank you for posting what you found. That could help someone out in the future. [thumbsup]
The melted wire come out of the regulator has me curious. When my regulator went kaput on me it fried all 3 wires coming out of it. The bike still ran until I pulled over and shut down. Then I couldn't restart. I'm wondering if you regulator is on the verge of kicking the bucket if it's getting hot enough to melt wires... unless something else caused the melted wire in the first place.
More likely it was high resistance from a dirty/poor connection. Resistance = heat = toasted