I tried to start the bike tonight but it wouldn't start (having sat about a week without being run). The bike turned over a few times and then it was too weak turn over. I could hear it trying to turn over the engine but not enough juice i guess.

Is this normal behavior for a battery?

I'm going to jump start it tommorow with my cars battery and see where it goes.

You guys think the batteries on its way out..or it just sat too long without running?

Well, it might seem blindingly obvious but it depends a lot on the state of charge when you stopped using it. John Bates has posted, and answered a lot of questions about battery life and capacity. A search might be usefull. If I remember correctly, under some conditions a battery can loose about 10% per DAY although mine have always done better than that. Jump it and see how it goes but I would also trickle charge it for a day so you know it's fully charged and then keep an eye. If you still have problems you may have a battery on the way out or charging issues, alternator possibly but this is much less likely.

As with all problem don't jump into the high-tech areas until you eliminate the obvious easy answers first.

I had trouble getting my bike to start a few nights back.  I think I might have flooded it.

By the time I got it to start I must have cranked the starter 30 times with no adverse affect on the battery.

Quote from: bannerI tried to start the bike tonight but it wouldn't start (having sat about a week without being run). The bike turned over a few times and then it was too weak turn over. I could hear it trying to turn over the engine but not enough juice i guess.

Is this normal behavior for a battery?

I'm going to jump start it tommorow with my cars battery and see where it goes.

You guys think the batteries on its way out..or it just sat too long without running?

A week seems like an awfully short time for a battery to go dead.

How does your electrolyte level look? How old is the battery?

Just be careful jumping your battery. If you use a car, jump it without running the cars engine. It would be better if you could get ahold of a battery charger, but you can jump the battery if you need to.

or just bump start it and then ride it to charge up the battery.

I think it's on it's way out. A year ago I had to change mine. I was so out, that if I waited for more then 8 hours between rides, it wouldn't start anymore.

Jump start it, ride for an hour or so and try to start it the next morning. If it is weak, measure the voltage at the poles when the bike is running at some rpm (should be more then 12V). If the voltage is ok, you'll probably have to change the battery.

If it needs more than 2 ... your bike is busted or you're not riding enough, if its less than a dozen, of 2 second bursts 10 seconds apart ... the battery is busted or you're not riding it enough, if You're holding it down for over 2 seconds or not letting it sit 10 seconds between bursts you're busted or not riding enough, if you continue to do that ... your starter may get busted and you'll be crying instead of riding ...  :lol:
Cool.
Srinath.

yeah...i'll see whats up.

The thing backfired too in the midst of me trying to start it and the whole neighborhood went quiet. I was like ouch..

I think whats going on is the choke cable got stuck(needs lube) and i just wore down the battery trying to turn it on. Unless one of the neighbors got mad at the motorcycle parked in his spot and decided to do something to it.

And Srinath...i'll definately apply the rules you gave....i also figured something was busted