problems starting after cold weather and sitting up

[llamakc]

Hello. I own a 2002 GS500. She's been sitting up for about 3 weeks to a month b/c of weather and my travelling for holiday. I came home to crank her and it was a no-go.

If I let it sit, the battery gets enough juice to crank her again, but it doesn't start. These are recent spark plugs, oil level is ok, and gas is full.

Do I need to yank my battery out and go get it charged?

--ken

[kigroy]

How cold is it where you are?  If it is extremely cold you might want to push the bike inside a heated garage and let it warm up.  Then try starting it.  You might be able to get it to warm up just enough to allow the battery to start it, and then you can build up the charge enough again in the battery to make it function like normal.    

However, I would take the battery out and get it charged, especially since you mentioned that letting it sit allows the battery to build up enough charge to crank it again, but not enough to start it.  

Good Luck

[llamakc]

Thanks. It's not too terribly cold here (US, NE GA), but we've had a spat of cold and I've been away for nearly a month.

I'll go get it charged. I appreciate the response.

[yamahonkawazuki]

can charge in the bike, but, also, when mine sat for month and a half, a teeny tiny shot of wd-40 (the extremely flammable kind, helped things along), but a fully charged battery in your case should work. choke it fully, you may have to crank it for a while, but she'll start

[llamakc]

Thanks. I'm going to pick up a charger today. Needed one on hand anyway. Please oblige my ignorance: I have never used WD40 or starter fluid on a bike: this is my first street bike after two decads of dirtbikes. Where at the carb do I give it a spritz of fluid?

[llamakc]

Thanks for the WD40 tip. I bought a charger, filled the levels, cleaned up the contacts, hit the air intake with some WD40, and the bike started up after a bit.

I won't let it go that long again.

happy riding!