It surprises me that so many people don't know that a rapid clicking is a low battery. Something I learned when I was 5.
In Iowa in the winter, an old Plymouth with old battery would grind. Then rapid clicking. Then slower clicking. Then just a single click. I learned it was the starter solenoid opening and closing due to weak battery. Same exact thing happens on our GS's with a starter relay (aka solenoid on old cars). Same can happen even on newer cars.

COLD STARTING: One way to help in cold weather he said was to turn o the headlights for a minute. I thought "Wouldn't that drain the battery?" he replied "No, the lights pulling current will cause the battery to warm up". True: using power causes a battery to heat up. A little  warmth makes a world of difference.

So I used that trick the past few days when at my house it was under 40* F. Suzi is OK. So is Junior. But Phenix has a few issues. Maybe poor ground from the coils because the frame was painted (I will run separate grounds shortly).  So...
1. Crank for 10 to 15 seconds: good crank but no spark.
2. Wait 5 seconds
3. Try again - maybe he starts, maybe not.
4. Wait 20 seconds for heat to warm up the whole battery.
5. Starts right away.

Over a few days of testing, this always has worked. Wait a while for the battery to heat up. Starting probably causes localized heat in a few spots. Let that heat dissipate through out the battery. Next test will  be on a cold morning to actually measure the voltage - cold and after warmed a little. I'll also do a test with just the headlights on and see what happens to temperature of battery and voltage.

The key is try starting a little - enough to make the battery warm up but not enough to drain it. What was odd is one morning I didn't remember this. By the idiot light voltage indicator I drained the battery down to 11 volts.  I was pissed and ready to jump on Suzi. But after 1 minute I tried again and it instantly started. I felt the battery (thought about swapping it) and it was warm.

I might add that the battery in  Phenix was just swapped from Quin after I discovered Quin went to 16.5v when running. Bad voltage regulator may have abused the battery. Quin got a new regulator and swapped batteries between Quin and Phenix so I could run it in Phenix and see if it was OK. Quin is not ridden due to crappy chain which I do not consider road safe. Also his gauges just got sold Monday and I have to put a good set on.

So..... 2 things I learned from my father. True then for cars and still true today for bikes.

Wow, nice tail to tell.  I never considered that heating the battery would help in such a positive way.  Normally heat is bad but in this case I can see it helpping.  Thanks for sharing.

IDnK about heating the battery wither although it makes sense. But down here in the south, we dont have any of those issues anyway

yep its funny how some people do not know the basics anymore.  last year the daughter's former boyfriend drove his car about 4kms on a flat wheel/tyre to our house cause he had no idea how to change it.  I asked him what his father actually taught him as a kid.  I knew the answer since he spent his years in boarding school as his parents operated business in a strife torn country where people live in guarded compounds.

anyway back to topic.  so I showed him how to change the tyre/wheel going right back to basics.  I knew it was pointless as it was in one stoned ear and out the other, but it just amazed me how he lacked even the most basic knowledge of car care.  typical put the key in and it should go sort of driver.

I ride when it is cold out (25*F) to work, which is a 12 mile commute.  Garage is detached, no electricity, so it's at ambient outside temperature.

When I go out and start it, I crank the bike and it typically starts within 3-5 seconds with the choke all the way on, no throttle.  Now, it's VERY cold blooded, so it's put-put-put for 10 seconds until I blip the throttle, and then it jumps to 3K-4K RPM like it should.  I do have a 20 pilot jet, which helps.

I have noticed that the battery gets "warm" like that...most batteries do when they are being exercised.

Interesting trick...I'll have to remember that.

It is not heating the battery. If you think I am telling you to heat your battery you are incorrect.
We all know batteries work better in warm weather than cold - makes sense for most any chemical reaction.

All I speak of is the battery naturally generating heat when it is being used. We all know batteries can get hot - just hold a 9v battery and power something pulling a lot of current. How many times have you had a "Damn that battery got hot!" moment?

If the battery runs the starter or lights, it will warm itself up a little. If the battery goes from freezing to 50*F from a little use, that's quite a difference for output performance.

When growing up in Iowa, you learn tricks for cold days on your typical carbureted car from the  50's-70's. There was the heated dip stick. Putting a light bulb under the hood all night to keep things a little warmer.  And the occasional "put the battery in the house for the night to keep it warm" though we never did that one.

One of my bikes is a little fussy when down to 40 so I decided to pass on my observations. He will no doubt run better when I do the extra ground wire mod that was posted in another forum (Which makes a lot of sense for  any bike!). Given the frame was painted before I got it, I am sure lots of the frame bolts do not have a good ground where the coils are grounded to the frame. Hence he is a little fussy and needs good voltage to be happy.

Just some observations. Take it for what its worth. Not intending to start the typical internet arguments.

When I had a cold near dead battery a mate told me to pour a bucket of hot water over it. Worked a treat got me to the battery shop to buy its replacement lol. Just don't go crazy with your pouring lol.

Growing up in Illinois (right next to Iowa:-) we had carburated cars from the 30's-50's.  My first car was a 38 Olds, just couldn't resist throwing in a bit of can you top this.   

Seriously though warming the battery does a lot of good in very cold weather.  Riding here in NE Ohio and starting my bikes in temps down to 20F I've jumped them all from the car a few times every winter.  My garage for the bike is across the street behind another building and doesn't have electricity.  One day a few years ago my wife was gone in the car already when I wanted to go out for a ride in freezing weather and I ground the battery down dead trying to start the bike so I pulled the battery and caried it back to our apartment and put my 1 amp bike battery charger on it for 1 hour and took it back and put it in the bike and it started right up.  Putting 1 amp into that 10 amp/hr battery didn't do it as much good as the charger heating of the battery did.

When I told my son about it I got one of these for Christmas:

http://www.batterychargers.com/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductName=94026903

Charge up the jumper unit once a year in the fall and it's good for jumps all winter and for plug in 12v lights to work on the bike year around.  Even carried it back to jump the car once when the oem car battery needed replacement.

Now that I've been using the Scorpion AGM batteries the past 3 winters I rarely have to jump the bike anymore, the AGM batteries seem to have more voltage left to produce spark while cranking the bike in cold weather.

Mind you guys, I'm in Florida and the lowest I've had to start thing thing in was about 45, but still!

When my battery is charged (had a dead cell, replaced 2 days ago) the bike will start right up within 3-4 cranks, no choke needed either. I found that the choke only helped when the battery barely had enough juice to turn the bike over, and made no difference with a full charge

This thread is incredibly ironic because today I just decided I need to start my bike after sitting for about a week in the cold garage... Pushed her out and gave the starter button a push, and I hear the infamous rapid clicks as I watch my gauge and indicators dim.  Pulled out the meter and sure enough the battery read 11.3V when bike off and only 9.8V when I turned the bike to on. . After waiting a minute, I tried again.  The bike clicked, got a slight turn, and the clicked again... Just wasn't enough there to do the trick sadly.  One more last ditch effort gave about the same result.  Pulled the battery and the acid levels are low, so its charging overnight, then I'll top off with distilled water tomorrow. 

I'll definately keep these tips in mind when she's on the edge of starting in the future... I would imagine the lights trick would work better than a few well timed attempts at starting.

- Bboy

hehehe,

i grew up a little north of duluth, mn, and moved to the warmer climate of vermont.

starting engines here is easy compared to there 

illinois? iowa?  southerners!

Brought back memories of UK winters and my Dad's *hit motorcars when I was a kid. I can see him now, hunched up by the kitchen gas stove heating up the plugs he'd taken out of the Standard 8 or the Morris 10 in a valiant effort to get the heap started on a freezing cold morning when the 6v battery would be knackered and he would have resorted to swinging the thing on the starting handle. Oh, happy days!

You had a father? I thought you were built at a Suzuki factory?

lol!