Dead bike.

[PWilliams84]

Not really sure what's going on. I'm not a motorcycle guy by any means, I just bought this thing on a whim in 2006. It's an 06 Katana 600. I've only put about 2300 miles on it. I drive it daily, it's my main source of transportation. I parked it at school for a 2 hour class and came out and it wouldn't start. My neutral light lit up for a split second and went out. I figured it was a dead battery so I went to Advanced Auto and had them look up my battery and got it this morning. I just tried to put it in and it doesn't fit as well as the old one. The terminals on the old battery were a little smaller and there is a lip on the connectors that makes it fit flush on the old one, but it didn't on the new one. The terminals were touching though, so I would have thought it would have made a connection. I also attempted to jump it last night, which I've done before over a year ago when I wasn't riding it as much, so I know how to do it. It didn't work either Any suggestions guys? I saw the ignition fuse inside the fuse box and put a new fuse in with both the old and new battery and that didn't work either. It's just plain dead. Any ideas?
Thanks so much.

[shadowhunter04]

Other than check the fuses, was there anything that happened while you were in class? I know that I've left mine out in the rain and before I fixed it, the water used to short out some terminals = wouldn't start. Not sure that helps at all... :/

[Smokey]

Does your oil pressure light and headlight come on? If not, I'd be re-checking the fuses on the main block (left side under fairing).

[PWilliams84]

No, it wasn't raining when I was in class, just started raining last night and this happened yesterday around noon. No oil pressure or any other lights come on..completely dead...fuse box under fairing?...Sorry, again not a motorcycle guy so I'm not sure what the fairing is. The only fuse box I found was next to the battery when I remove the seat and it has ignition, headlights, highbeams, signals. Is that called the fairing??? Thanks for the responses guys.

[the_wanderer]

figured it was a dead battery so I went to Advanced Auto and had them look up my battery
Thanks so much.

So did you get a new battery, or do you still have the old battery in there? Just as a hunch, if it was working fine before class and dead after, maybe you switched the ignition to the "warning light" position where the rear light turns on without the headlight being on. That will drain a battery in a few hours.

If you got a new battery, did they charge it up after they added the acid? Most motorcycle batteries come dry and have to have the acid added, then charged after the acid is added. (Yes, I know, they will normally work okay even if you don't do that.)

[PWilliams84]

I don't think I put the ignition in that position, in fact I'm not even sure if that position exists on my ignition. It may, I just haven't used it. If I did, the new battery should have worked because it had a paper on it saying that all of that had been done and that it was ready for install. I wasn't aware of the main fuse they mentioned above, so I'll be trying that tomorrow. I live in a college town and about 20 minutes from the school. This is the 2nd night the bike will be sitting on campus, so I'll have to check these things out tomorrow. Thanks for the help and if anyone else has any recommendations please say so because I have to travel to try this stuff.
Thanks so much guys.

[aznthundrhed]

No, it wasn't raining when I was in class, just started raining last night and this happened yesterday around noon. No oil pressure or any other lights come on..completely dead...fuse box under fairing?...Sorry, again not a motorcycle guy so I'm not sure what the fairing is. The only fuse box I found was next to the battery when I remove the seat and it has ignition, headlights, highbeams, signals. Is that called the fairing??? Thanks for the responses guys.

the fairings are the plastics around the sides of the bikes.

[yngveny]

You will find a fuse under the green cover behind the left side fairing.

[PWilliams84]

Awesome picture, thanks so much.
Is it likely that the fuse can just blow? Does that happen over time? Does it signal that there is a bigger problem or is it just one of those things that's bound to happen?

[greencupbay]

One time when I went to a mechanics house with my Katana for him to check something; and within the time that he checked it and I went to start up my bike, a fuse BESIDE THE BATTERY blew... No lights at all, no turning over of the engine... no nothing... Took out EVERY fuse in there and looked in and sure enough it was just a simple fuse (I think it was a 20, but idk; take ALL of them out 1 by 1 cause they are tricky). Now if the lights all still come on and the neutral light is the only one that doesn't and it doesn't crank, all you have to do is start the bike with the side stand up.

[yngveny]

Awesome picture, thanks so much.
Is it likely that the fuse can just blow? Does that happen over time? Does it signal that there is a bigger problem or is it just one of those things that's bound to happen?

A fuse shouldn't blow for no reason.
Could be you have a problem in the wiring somewhere.
Check the fuse, replace if blown, and take it from there.
If it blows again you know there is an underlying problem.

[Hot Rod]

This is how I solved my problem.... Try checking these fuses.

One 30 amp fuse and the Kitty Kat is purring again. There are two fuses mounted on opposite sides of the battery cable a little less than a foot from the battery terminal. I had to take out about 6 cowling screws and pull the cowling out of the bracket just below the fuel tank to reach this area. It is possible that one of the fuses is a spare but it doesnt look like it. SO I bought some extras. Thanks to all for the ideas. I thought I was looking @ $$$$$$$.

[PWilliams84]

I had the battery tested this morning, there was nothing wrong with it.
So I removed the fairing and found the fuse box we were talking about. There were 2 30 amp fuses in there. I'm guessing the one closest to the center of the bike was the main one and the one on the outside was the spare. I flip-flopped them, reconnected the battery, and tried to fire it up. Nothing. No lights, no response. Any other suggestions?

[PWilliams84]

So a guy I met who knows a lot about bikes, just not necessarily sport bikes came and checked it out. He tested the battery and all of the fuses. All were reading 12V. He then attempted to jump it from the solenoid. The starter turned but the bike didn't try to fire. He thinks that because none of the lights are working, the ignition console isn't working, but the battery and all of the fuses are fine and it tried to jump but there was no spark that its the ECM? Says it would be what controls the lights, ignition, spark, and that since none of them are responding it must be that. Any thoughts on this? Anyone had the ECM go bad? Is it a difficult task?

[pilotdada1]

I'd have to drag out a wiring diagram to be sure, but I don't think the ECM controlls all the lights on a Kat.
James