How to know if my battery or starter motor is toast

[Anonymous]

So my bike starts once in a while. I have charged the battery to a full charge twice, yet it only starts up once in a while and it doesnt have that instant 'spudder' to turn over. it kinda whines the first few times, and even then, it doesnt attempt to turn over quick. Do i need a new battery or starter motor. how much would a new starter motor cost me?

thank you please,

Tanner

[Anonymous]

What type of oil are you using, it may be a temperature related problem. Proper usage of the choke is another thing to consider. Also, is your battery new? I used to be able to start my bike when it had been outside for 4 hours in -30 weather day after day. Now that it's on its second winter I can't leave it outside for more than an hour when it's 20 below even after a full charge.

If you want to check the starter you need to take it apart but this includes removing the cam chain tensioner. You'll want to do a search on how to deal with the tensioner before removing the starter just to see if you're comfortable with the procedure.

Steve

[Anonymous]

i just changed the oil with 10W40 natural oil. the battery is im guessing, at least 3 or 4 years old. should i try replacing the battery? how much will that cost, $35? it is a 12 volt, correct?

[Anonymous]

The correct battery type for your bike is YB10L-A2, 12V - 10 Ah.

As for the starter problem:
your starter just might need some new brushes, or the starter solenoid (relay) is not working properly.

[Anonymous]

Also remember that with the help of a friend, you can try jump starting your bike since it is a 12 volt system. That should also help determine the source of your problem. My guess is that your old battery is toast. If it turns over good with the jumper cables connected to a good battery then you need to start with a battery.

[Hotblack]

I would guess that a four year old motorcycle battery is past the freshness date even if it's seen constant use. Even many car batterys don't last much longer than that. As for giving it a full charge, do you check the specific gravity after charging it? You might give the battery all the charge it can take, but if your balls ain't floating you're SOL. Also, it's less accurate to check the electrolyte in the cold, it's better to bring the battery in and let it warm up first.

So: I'd give the battery a 'full charge', then check it with a hydrometer. If it's not full up, I'd charge it some more to see if it takes more charge. If specific gravity is still low the battery has lost some of its capacity, and on a bike I'd toss it, they need all the battery they can get. Also if all the cells don't charge reasonably uniformly that's a sign your battery is going soutn.