Bike Won't Start, Battery Problem- HELP

  • Thread starter Thread starter CLUBBERLANG
  • Start date Start date

CLUBBERLANG

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Just put a new battery on my 1100GS last week no problems, rode it all last weekend. Went to start it this weekend, and it wouldn't start ! It was as if it had a flat battery. It turned over a couple of times, then just started clicking. By the way I have the bike on an optimate.

I took the battery off and took it back to the shop I'd bought it from, thinking it was a dud. They tested it and found it was a good battery, showing 12.2V and 170 cold crancking arms. They offered to charge it up and suggested I try it again, once fully charged. I did this and the same thing happened, it turned over a couple of times, then started clicking. I kept trying, and noticed that the battery was getting very warm.

So I took the battery off again, and took it back to the shop, they tested it again and it showed "good battery" 12.5V 170 cold cranking arms again. They noticed that the battery was really warm, and the mechanic said, the problem wasn't the battery, it was "a bad earth".

Can anyone confirm this, or offer any other suggestions
 
Sounds like an internal short :eek: What's the voltage reading after you tried to start the engine and failed?

BTW the terminals are on nice and tight, aren't they?
 
could be a bad earth from the battery neg to the frame, bad connection between the battery pos and the starter, or a shot starter motor.
 
John Armstrong said:
Sounds like an internal short :eek: What's the voltage reading after you tried to start the engine and failed?

BTW the terminals are on nice and tight, aren't they?
Click to expand...

Couldn't get a reading on my multimeter ?? Does that mean anything ??

Yep terminals on nice and tight.
 
Thinking on, if the battery is getting very warm it's beacause it has a high discharge rate.

So either the battery has an internal short, or there's one on the bike, ie +ve cables shorting against the frame, or there's an internal one inside the starter.
 
Can you get a volt meter and put it on the battery terminal (the lead ones) while cranking to see if the voltage drops significantly. Normally I’d expect around 10v (Maybe a bit more, maybe a bit less) while actually cranking with a good battery.

Can you try jump leads to the bikes battery to see if it will start at all?

edit: must post faster... :)
 
ebbo said:
Can you get a volt meter and put it on the battery terminal (the lead ones) while cranking to see if the voltage drops significantly. Normally I’d expect around 10v (Maybe a bit more, maybe a bit less) while actually cranking with a good battery.

Can you try jump leads to the bikes battery to see if it will start at all?

edit: must post faster... :)
Click to expand...


I have one of those booster packs that the AA and RAC use, and put the red lead on the positive battery termianl and the black lead on the frame, and it didn't make a bit of difference.
 
Have you tried disconnecting the battery and using the booster direct to the bikes cables. Need to be carefull!

At the moment to me it sounds like the battery is not the problem.
 
John Armstrong said:
Have you tried disconnecting the battery and using the booster direct to the bikes cables. Need to be carefull!

At the moment to me it sounds like the battery is not the problem.
Click to expand...

Yes tried that, and got nothing,

What's the best course of action to eliminate each problem, so I can find exactly what the root cause is.

Thanks for all the help guys...to be honest I'm at my wits end with it !!
 
Have you taken the starter cover off and felt whether the starter itself is getting hot?

Stewart
 
I'd look at trying to jump straight to the starter without using the bikes cables. But that's probably easier done off the bike. Then, if it's like an airhead starter, which I guess the technology is very similar, you'll need to have the jump leads direct to the +ve and -ve connections on the starter, and then have a much smaller cable to touch the solenoid connection. If all works, then it's the bikes cables, if not the starter.

Have you seen these threads:

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=164930&highlight=starter

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=162058&highlight=starter

Starter motor failure is not unknown, and if the battery tester is saying the battery is good ...
 
Problem now sorted, it was a knackered starter motor.

Thanks for all your help guys, it's much appreciated
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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