Bike won't start anymore

[turbine17]

Hello fellas,

I'm new to this forum because I just bought a used 2006 gsxf600 Katana last week. I've had the bike for a total of 11 days now and now I'm having a huge issue. Hopefully people on this forum can help me out.

I bought this bike and it was running just fine and i rode it home. the next day, it wouldn't start, the battery was apparently dead. I went out that same day and bought a new battery. I installed it and everything was running just fine until yesterday. yesterday (10 days later) I rode the bike and i parked the bike with the lights on for 5 minutes. It wouldn't start and eventually the bike lost it's battery. I tried getting a jump on the battery and it didn't work. Instead I went to get a replacement battery. I changed the battery and it still wouldn't work. instead i needed a push start to get it running. When i got home, it wouldn't start after i stopped the ignition. seems like the battery died again. I went and got another replacement battery. same scenario, I went and rode around for a little bit and then stopped and turned off the engine and then turned it back on with ease. i even left the light on for over 15 minutes and then tried starting it again. it seemed like it worked just fine. So i just put it in the garage and called it a night. The next morning it started just fine and then I took it out for a ride. about 1/2 mile into my ride, the engine just died on me. wouldn't start again. tried to even push start it and it won't work. I took the push my bike of shame and put it back in my garage.

fellow katana riders. please help me

[Kreylyn]

Get a voltage meter and check the charging system. Trace any connectins and check them as well to the alternator.

Krey

[boomer_95]

sounds like your charging system isnt working atall... if it dies after a bit of a ride but not when its just left with the lights on then its almost defintatly the charging system. test if theres any voltage coming from the starter by hooking a multimeter to the battery. if it reads over 13 volts (14.7 is usually max volt) when its running with a bit of gas then it might be your conections on your battery.. if not then your charging system i shot somewere down the line

[category5]

If the charging system checks out, it could be a bad terminal on the battery. I have this weird thing sometimes where all I have to do is tap on the terminal and then it'll right up.

[turbine17]

hey guys. So i check the battery using a voltmeter. i took the battery out and then touch the two connections to reset the motorcycle computer (was told by a friend that it works) . then i checked the battery with the voltmeter and at first it was reading about 13 something. and as the time went along, the charge kept lowering and lowering. what do you guys think the problem is and how to fix it? thank you everybody.

[arsenic]

I think your friend is an idiot.

[boomer_95]

I think your friend is an idiot.

haha ooo ya!

and is that with the bike running? or off? if off then you have a parasitic draw in the system. meaning that there is a light on or somthing is drawing power when its not sposed to be. if its when running and the volts go from 13 down then the charging system may be bad. try holding the bike at a stedy rpm (round 4-6 K RPM) and the battery should read around 14.7. If not then there is your problm

[turbine17]

this is when the bike is not running but the on key is on. I'm assuming, this is probably a wiring issue then. How do i check the wiring?

[boomer_95]

how long does it take for the voltage to drop and how much does it drop? like a volt a min or something? the quicker the drop the bigger the draw. also do the cheak when its running at idle and at 4+ RPM like i said to make sure its charging right. also invest in a battery charger so you dont have to keep buying a battery every other day. are the terminals for the battery coroded? or any ground strap? (if there is any, im not sure on a post :/ )also were is the key positiond? on off? or lock? my bike keeps the tail lights on when its turned to the furthest left position.

[scottynoface]

Wow.

[Kreylyn]

The bike computer...

Woah!

Anyways, I would get a baseline and make sure your testing the battery not connected, connected with key off, key on, and at idle, and at 3k+ rpms.

If your dropping not connected, it's pretty obvious you have a bad battery for example.

Krey