Hi guys. My brother just bought a 2001 GS500 with ~3K miles on it. He let it sit around without starting it for a while ~2-3 weeks and now the bike wont start.
The battery appears to have a decent amount of juice - the lights work, but when you press the ignition button, the engine cranks once or twice and then stops, but you can hear a series of clicks (the ignition coils?)
I've tried using the choke, but it doesnt help. Is it possible that the choke cable needs adjusting? What could be the problem(s)? I've heard that GS's are cold blooded, but how cold blooded are they    Could it just be that I'm trying to start the bike in ~55 degree F weather?
Just to be clear:
The bike is very clean and has 3K miles on it.
Battery life seems good. The bike cranks once and then all u hear are a series of clicks.
As far as I know, the jetting is stock.
Mods so far are - suspension (Kat rear shock, RT(?) springs in front), drilled exhaust.
Yes - the bike was in neutral, the kick stand up (not that it matters) and the kill switch was in the appropriate position  
The only other thing I noticed, and this was a little weird., was that when the bike was in first and the clutch pulled in, when I pushed the ignition button, the bike would start to crank and pull forward slightly. which shouldnt be happening with the clutch pulled in. The bike used to ride fine, so I'm not really sure thats a clutch adjustment issue - maybe this is separate from the starting problems.

Clutch kill-switch?  so a search.. there was a recent thread on circumventing this problem.

peace

my bike acted like that in cold weather last winter.  however, by cold weather i mean around 10 degrees, not 55.  i don't know the exact nature of your problem though, but hey, you're not the only one.

nah,nevermind the clutch switch... If it were the kill switch letting you start in 1st, you would certainly be able to start in Neutral.

Think.... THEN post, vtlion    :x  

getting the hang of this search thing...
http://www.gstwins.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4220&highlight=start

that post suggests that a bad battery would give the series of relay clicks that i've been seeing. and that would make sense given how long the bike sat. so i'll try trickle charging the battery...
any other thoughts.
btw. love this board. its like the little brother to the svrider board.  :mrgreen:
(ducks and covers)
j/k  

Yep, it's the battery.  You've got enough juice to flip a relay, but not enough "cold-cranking amps" to turn over the engine (or maybe even engage the starter solenoid?).

The trickle charge should do the trick.

As for the bike pulling forward in first when you start it - a tiny bit of that can be considered normal, but go ahead and check the clutch adjustment.  The recent thread tight clutch cable might help.

Quote from: JackSplat
btw. love this board. its like the little brother to the svrider board.  :mrgreen:
(ducks and covers)
j/k  

No I dont think so...The SV might be the bigger brother...(more like little brother that got "Honey I blew up the kid" into a bigger bike...but this board is better than the Sv board...why...there is way too much commercial interest in the SV...too many companies/aftermarket hacks looking to make a buck off that bike...its drowned and colored by that group. This group is so much in the opposite direction...we usually spend more shipping the parts than what we sell the part itself for. Pretty much everyone is going sorta broke...cos they dont care to turn a profit...Pure love of bike. So information in this board is pretty un diluted with commercial interest...The Sv might be the next GS...but I have to see what the past looks like in 2010...and then think of buying it...then complain when they quit making it in 2013 and then react luke warmly when in 2014 they bring it back with a full fairing...Yea that about right...
Cool.
Srinath.

Would it make sense to try jump starting it?  If any of the kill switches were bad or something was really wrong in the electrical system then you shouldn't be able to jump it either.  If it starts rolling down a hill (or run and push!) that points to the battery, yes?

Trev

charge battery on a 2a charger till done, then try. ive jump started off of my cage, (leave donor engine off!!!), but charge bat. first see if that takes care of it. we'll still be here if you need further help