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Low(ish) Battery = No Spark?

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    #1

    Low(ish) Battery = No Spark?

    Yesterday I tried to start the beast for my morning commute and it refused to fire. It cranked for a while (not really enthusiastically, though) and NOTHING, not even a pop. This is very unusual as the bike has lit off immediately every time I have tried to start it this season. It normally cranks for <1sec and there is fire. This time I got nothing. It had sat for maybe a week without use, but that had not been an issue so far this year until yesterday (yes, I let it sit for a minute on PRIME before starting it). So last night I hooked up the charger and topped up the battery for a couple of hours. It then started immediately with no problems. I do realize my starter needs a cleaning and probably new brushes, which is my project this weekend, but it has not been a real problem yet this season, either. I also am working on getting to checking over the health of my charging system and electrical harness, but the beast has run fine for ~1000km so far this year, so it has not been a priority to this point.

    So, will a slightly discharged battery actually drop enough voltage while cranking to not light the fire? I can see a battery tender in my future if this is typical behavoir for an 1100...


    Mark
    Tags: None
    #2
    Most likely the battery is showing signs of wear here. If it continues to happen a fresh battery should cure it for you. A battery tender is a must for a motorcycle or lawn tractor battery. Unless you live where you use the bike regularly year round you want to put a tender on it. At a minimum over the Winter. I don't use mine over the summer as I ride them but over the Winter using a tender will make your batteries last years longer.


    I hope it isn't something else gone bad but from what you describe it sounds like a fading battery to me.

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      #3
      If you top your battery with distilled water and charge it, you should get a reading after it is charged of around 13volts, check it again say every 4 hours and note the reading, after about 12 hours it should be around 12.5 volts and should not drop any further if it does i would replace the battery.

      Comment

        #4
        Most likely the battery is showing signs of wear here.
        Very possible, it came with the bike and is of unknown vintage. It hasn't given me any grief so far this year, though. And the bike has sat for days at a time earlier in the season while the weather sucked. This is the first time it gave me any trouble at all.

        A battery tender is a must for a motorcycle or lawn tractor battery
        You know, everybody says that, yet I have never had to use one and my batteries tend to last many years. I had the OEM battery in my GSXR750 last 9 seasons of use and this was with nothing more than sitting in the garage over winter and a spring charge before riding for the summer. My ZX-9 never even needed a charge the last two years and the bike started up flawlessly. Maybe I'm just lucky...

        I will also clean up the starter and see what that does for me. This beast seems to work the battery much harder on starting than any other bike I have had, so I am sure helping it out is a good thing.


        Mark

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          #5
          If you top your battery with distilled water and charge it, you should get a reading after it is charged of around 13volts, check it again say every 4 hours and note the reading, after about 12 hours it should be around 12.5 volts and should not drop any further if it does i would replace the battery.
          Hey Wrench,

          I have finally had some time to tinker a bit and the battery never charges to more than about 12.6-12.8V and after sitting for a couple of days it will drop to 11.6V or so. I guess it is time to invest in a new battery...Could be worse.

          Mark

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            #6
            I think you found your problem. 12 volts is a dead battery. :-)

            Earl


            Originally posted by mark m
            I have finally had some time to tinker a bit and the battery never charges to more than about 12.6-12.8V and after sitting for a couple of days it will drop to 11.6V or so. I guess it is time to invest in a new battery...Could be worse.

            Mark
            Komorebi-The light filtering through the trees.

            I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than be crowded on a velvet cushion. H.D.T.

            Comment

              #7
              I thought that was what this sounded like right off the bat.
              They will often take a charge but lose it quickly when they are getting weak.

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