If not the battery, what?

[Woob]

Greetings from a newbie.

I have a 1983 GS650L that was handed down to me from my father (I think it was one of his favorite bikes). It sat for a year or two and now over the last year I have got it running. It sputters a bit but, that's not my problem.

It used to take about 30 minutes of cranking before the bike would finally turn over. I went out to start it the other day and when I turned the key - nothing! Nothing turned on. No lights. The big Zippo. I thought it might be the battery. I put the charger on it overnight and the next day it showed a full charge but when I turned the key... you guessed it - Nothing?

I hooked up the jumper cables from the truck to the bike and yep - NOTHING!

Now comes my question. Where do I go from here? What do I need to check? Please be specific. I'm not a complete idiot but I'm not a mechanic either. I'm learning by doing and enjoying it.

Thanks for any help anyone can provide.

[rustybronco]

Battery connections corroded (check ground(s) at the engine) you can hook one jumper cable from the battery neg post to a bolt on the engine.

check fuses with an ohm meter. the only true way to test them

did it sit outside for any lenght of time?

[tconroy]

I have the very same bike and i love it!Now, did you remember to hold the clutch in and have it in nuetral when trying to start it? Make sure you dont have your kill switch have on and off.This is sometimes the problem.Did you clean the ground and positve sides to the batter?have you checked or changed your fuses under the seat.Under the battery you will find a ground wire connected.clean it off so your getting a good ground.If none of the above work try spraying wd-40 in the ignition where the key goes and see if any crude comes out the bottom. Tell me if any of this helped and we will try to go from there.it probably just a ground connection somewhere.

[Woob]

did it sit outside for any lenght of time?

It has not sit outside. It has always been in a garage or shed.

I'll get back to you guys on what I find following your advice. Thanks.

[Woob]

OK. Maybe I'm a bit more of an idiot than I originally eluded to. Guess I couldn't see the tree for the forest.

Anyway, you were both correct. It was a 15A main fuse under the seat. I had the seat off and it was staring me in the face the whole time.#-o

I guess its true that 2 heads are better than 1.

I still have plenty of issues that I'll be posting. I look forward to the help you all have to share.

Thanks much.\\/

-Woob

[chuckycheese]

Dumb?

I've done things that were a whole lot dumber than that!:-D

[Woob]

Thanks, Chucky.

[chuckycheese]

Yeah

You bet, Woob! I think all of us have missed things that we wouldn't miss next time but, the fact is, most of us have learned a great deal from each other. I think this forum is more powerful than some people realize.\\/

Stick with us and I guarantee that you will also tell someone something that they didn't already know!

Welcome aboard!:-D

[tconroy]

OK. Maybe I'm a bit more of an idiot than I originally eluded to. Guess I couldn't see the tree for the forest.

Anyway, you were both correct. It was a 15A main fuse under the seat. I had the seat off and it was staring me in the face the whole time.#-o

I guess its true that 2 heads are better than 1.

I still have plenty of issues that I'll be posting. I look forward to the help you all have to share.

Thanks much.\\/

-Woob

wait till you try to start it and find out your kill switch is half on and off. It took me five minutes to figure that one out one day.Every one on this site looks forward to helping each other out on problems,thats why its so popular.Plus you have the same bike I do so what you are going to run into I have been there and done that!!I look forward to helping you any way I can.next problem................LOL!