Ok, I haven't been around in a long while..  probably because i havent' been riding in a long while. (about 8 months) (mainly because i got a ticket).  During that time i stored my bike outside, but I live in san diego, so it's only rained probably 8 times in that duration and never had any "extreme" temperatures (below 40, above 100)

Regardless, I started feeling the urge to go ride some more, ticket be damned.. but when I went to start my bike:

1) Engine turns over once, then clicking from under the seat.

Being a good boy, i came to the forum and searched.  Tried a few things (prime for a few seconds, then try start, etc) and eventually gathered that the problem was my battery.

So I went out and bought a battery charger deal for 40 bucks.  I took out my battery and saw the fluid was just above the bottome fill line so that was good.  I hooked it up to the charge. Much to my suprise, it read "charged" after only 10 minutes.  Weird.  So I took the battery back out to the bike, connected it.

This time it turns over 3, maybe 4 times and then stops.  Subsequent tries get maybe a half a turn and then clicking.

Back to the forms.  I find this post:
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=19154.0

which seems to describe my problem.. but I'm a little afraid of spending 50 bucks for a battery and find out its something else and then have two good batteries and a charger when i could have been spending money on the problem.

So am i on the right track? any other ideas/suggetions?

thanks.

-nathan

have you tried to push start your bike?

nope.  not a bad suggestion though

If the battery is more than a couple years old, it's entirely possible that it's completely sulfated from sitting discharged (and they will discharge themselves over time from just sitting).  When that happens, they have a far reduced capacity.  You'll charge them and they'll appear "full" but only give you a few cranks, like you're describing.  It's possible to recover them, by running them through a bunch of charge/discharge cycles or using a desulfator charger but that's been a mixed bag in my personal experience.  A new battery always works.

So if your really super-cheap, try charging it, starting it, charging it, etc... and you might "exercise" your battery back into a barely working state, but if that works, you'll probably want to get a new one anyway.

Chuck is right.

Get a new batt

cool thnx.  I'll go pick one up tomorrow and try it out!

The bike was sitting for 8 months.

Prevention: http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=312.0

Hope this helps for next time.

Nate-

Let's go for a ride sometime...I might be getting the GS back this weekend...


I live in PB now, too.

Quote from: Mk1inCali on December 12, 2006, 10:02:21 PM
Nate-

Let's go for a ride sometime...I might be getting the GS back this weekend...


I live in PB now, too.

you know what? that sounds like an awesome idea.  Hopefully i can get everythign working this week and spend a few dayus getting the feel of the bike back.  I'm out of state for like a week and a half for xmas, but we def should go ride like early jan? maybe first week.. i dunno.  i'll hit u up on myspace.

Yea, carbs need to be clean, valves need to be adjusted, and heck they need to be rejetted and have a good air filter. Cos 3-4 cranks is plenty to start a bike. Else buy a new battery - like a sealed one from walmart and drop it in side ways.
Cool.
Srinath.

yea your battery is dead it dosn't hold a charge, that why the charger is done in 10minutes and that's also why it pooo-pooos out on you after 3-4 cranks

Quote from: seshadri_srinath on December 13, 2006, 06:59:14 AM
Yea, carbs need to be clean, valves need to be adjusted, and heck they need to be rejetted and have a good air filter. Cos 3-4 cranks is plenty to start a bike. Else buy a new battery - like a sealed one from walmart and drop it in side ways.

i really, really, really, home the carbs don't need any work..  I checked out the how-to page and yea... that's just a tad beyond my skill level.  I'm pretty sure i'd break everything. =)

Well, I guess put a new battery in and fresh gas and ride it regularly ... will clean itself out ...
Cool.
Srinath.

Quote from: themaffeo on December 13, 2006, 09:28:25 AM
that's just a tad beyond my skill level.  I'm pretty sure i'd break everything. =)

I spent years thinking that.  Guess what?  My skill level didn't get any better.

Then I started to just do it, as they say.  A pile of simple tools, a Haynes manual, and some common sense is all I've ever had.  I haven't had to bring any of my bikes to a so-called "professional" mechanic yet.  Sometimes I show up here and ask some embarassingly stupid questions, but that's just for aspects that I haven't had any experience yet.  (Like some of my recent exhaust questions... I have no f'n clue.  )

Its most likely the battery. Had a Suzuki 4 wheeler that did the same. Stored it outside in a shed for a few months. Went out and nothing but a click click. Put it on the charger and after a night tried it out and it would do a slow weak crank and stop , slow weak crank and then stop. Put the multi-meter on the battery and it showed 11.9 volts. BUttttttt when you hook it up , turn the key on , lights and try to crank over a 4 stroke motor with a weak but fully charged battery...... that 11.9 goes to about 3 or 4. Put a new battery in it and Vroom.

Good luck , go with a battery first.

~Barry~

damn you.. you just reminded my GS has a new battery in it.. sitting in the garage of my parents house for the last 6 months.. cause i am not home to ride.

bah!

when i get back to LA i have to do a complete overhaul of the ole GS.

I had the same problem yesterday. Charged, and the battery said it was charged - but no firing. Went and got a battery, started right up. My bike kept making a buzzing that I thought was a starter. I treid to jump it, and it fired right up, so I replaced the battery. Hard to find the right battery though. I overspent, but I didn't have to keep calling and running around.

Bob

Hey man if you need any help with the bike, I've been through the carbs on my GS before, and could definitely lend a hand if you'd like (assuming it needs some cleaning).


Myspace it is.

the battery was the problem.  Got a new battery ($62) charged it up (6hrs) slapped it in, gave it a little gas and the engine roared to life.

Just got finished changing the oil (i was about 1k overdue) and then took it for a spin.  felt like it hadn't been sitting at all

thanks everyone!!

$62 for a battery ... WTF ...
selaed ones ar walmart are like $40 or so, and the regular GS battery (non sealed) is $30.
Anyway - good job. You should start in 1-2 tries ... that = good everything.
Cool.
Srinath.