Captain, we don't have the power! (Please help!)

[WebDevDan]

Hey guys... I'm a complete n00b here. I just got my 2006 Katana 750 home from Miami yesterday (I'm in Fort Lauderdale). I'm really excited... the bike is practically new with only 5500 miles on it. But... I've run into a big problem.

The bike ran fine yesterday. It started at the dude's house, started again when I test rode it, started again when I rode it home, and started once at a light when I stalled it because I'm retarded. But as of yesterday evening, when I turned the key to the "on" position, there's no power to my bike at all. The headlights don't come on, even the little dash clock turns off. With the key in the "off" position, the clock is on (bike has some power) but "on" = nothing. WTF?! Also, in park, the front light comes on very, VERY dim, if it comes on at all.

I'm sure the battery is fine, but I have no idea what could be causing this. I'm open to suggestions.

Thanks,
Dan

[05RedKat600]

Bad battery or a bad ground. Check the battery connections and clean them very well.

[Badfaerie]

Hey guys... I'm a complete n00b here. I just got my 2006 Katana 750 home from Miami yesterday (I'm in Fort Lauderdale). I'm really excited... the bike is practically new with only 5500 miles on it. But... I've run into a big problem.

The bike ran fine yesterday. It started at the dude's house, started again when I test rode it, started again when I rode it home, and started once at a light when I stalled it because I'm retarded. But as of yesterday evening, when I turned the key to the "on" position, there's no power to my bike at all. The headlights don't come on, even the little dash clock turns off. With the key in the "off" position, the clock is on (bike has some power) but "on" = nothing. WTF?! Also, in park, the front light comes on very, VERY dim, if it comes on at all.

I'm sure the battery is fine, but I have no idea what could be causing this. I'm open to suggestions.

Thanks,
Dan

Start with the silly little basics,
First, is the kill switch on?
Second, is it in gear?
Third, are you holding the clutch in?

[WebDevDan]

Start with the silly little basics,
First, is the kill switch on?
Second, is it in gear?
Third, are you holding the clutch in?

It's not that it's not cranking... it's that it's not doing ANYTHING. No lights, no clock, no attempting to crank, no clicking from the relay, nothing. It's not my first bike, just my first Katana , the kill switch is definitely "off" (i.e. engine is on)

Bad battery or a bad ground. Check the battery connections and clean them very well.

I just had the battery out and cleaned everything off (it seemed pretty clean, but I had a problem with my old bike and i know scrubbing helps). The connections are all fine (I had the whole bike apart and went through the harness, the grounds, etc). Everything seems in order.

[Badfaerie]

It's not that it's not cranking... it's that it's not doing ANYTHING. No lights, no clock, no attempting to crank, no clicking from the relay, nothing. It's not my first bike, just my first Katana , the kill switch is definitely "off" (i.e. engine is on)




I just had the battery out and cleaned everything off (it seemed pretty clean, but I had a problem with my old bike and i know scrubbing helps). The connections are all fine (I had the whole bike apart and went through the harness, the grounds, etc). Everything seems in order.

The side stand safety switch will kill power when the bike is in gear and the side stand is down.

The clutch safety switch will kill power to the starter when the clutch is not held in.

The newer kats have a bypass that kills the lights when the starter button is pressed. Theoretically, they should come back when the button is released, but I've heard it happen that the lights don't come back on until the engine actually kicks over.

If those aren't the problem, then you have a bad battery and/or bad ground, like Red said, or a blown fuse. Start tracing your voltages to see where it's dumping.

There really is very few things that can cause this. So, if you had cleaned and checked everything, and it was all good, your bike would start.

[WebDevDan]

The side stand safety switch will kill power when the bike is in gear and the side stand is down.

If those aren't the problem, then you have a bad battery and/or bad ground, like Red said, or a blown fuse. Start tracing your voltages to see where it's dumping.

Are there any fuses other than the obvious? I know there's a block and relay under the seat, and the two 30A's on the starter relay. I know on some older models there was some kind of "circuit breaker" but nothing I've seen on this bike would indicate that we have one. I'm going to take the battery to get tested right now.

[muffinman]

Sounds like battery. I have a 2 month old battery and mine did the same thing last week after sitting for about a week.

BTW I'm not far from you so if you need a hand let me know. GL

[diavolo]

Connect a voltmeter to your battery with the key on, engine off, and check the voltage. Then, attempt to start the bike, and note the voltage again. Could be your battery is dead, and only has surface voltage - and no amperage to start the bike. Also, on the 06 750, only one of the 30A fuses on the relay is hot - the other is a spare.

[WebDevDan]

Starting to look like the battery...

Well. Even though my charger said "full," autozone's battery tester said something in the range of 9v. Starting to look like the battery, I'm going to try it on a slow charge and see if I can get it to at least fire up. Weird thing is that yesterday, it started maybe 4 times with no issue, then sat for about 5 minutes before it died.

[KatanaGSX92]

Weird thing is that yesterday, it started maybe 4 times with no issue, then sat for about 5 minutes before it died.

That's actually not so unusual. I've had that happen to both car and motorcycle batteries. When they decide they are done, they are done.

[05RedKat600]

Well. Even though my charger said "full," autozone's battery tester said something in the range of 9v. Starting to look like the battery, I'm going to try it on a slow charge and see if I can get it to at least fire up. Weird thing is that yesterday, it started maybe 4 times with no issue, then sat for about 5 minutes before it died.

If their battery tester said 9V, just go get a new one. Trying to slow charge it won't do anything, trust me on that. It will be 60 bucks well spent.

What happens is the charger says its fully charged, you remove the trickle current and it goes back to being flat again. I've seen that more than I care to.

[thetable]

Flat battery or bad/loose battery cable based on your description.
-I would start by disconnecting the battery, cleaning the terminals, and checking the voltage at the battery. Based on your description, I'm guessing you will see 10-11V. Could be low electrolytes (add DISTILLED water), or it could be just dead internally.
-If the voltage is above 12.5 (everything disconnected), then you either have a really weak battery, or a really weak battery cable. Hook the battery back up, turn the key to "ON" and check voltage AT THE BATTERY. If it drops to below 11V, then it is a really weak battery (fails load test). You're going to have to replace it, or at least check and correct electrolyte levels if it isn't a sealed unit.
-If it doesn't drop much at all, then it is a weak battery cable.
The ground cable is the easiest to check and replace, and also the most likely to go bad without failing spectacularly. It could be abraded, frayed, oxidized, or simply loose.

[mcssls]

well, see, now there's your problem....

[WebDevDan]

It was the battery. I've never experienced something like that before. New battery is in, I went with the fancy sealed one since I've had better luck with them in everything I've ever ridden. I'm quite happy and thank you ALL for your help... I only wish I'd come here before I disassembled the whole bike and tested the relays, switches, etc!!!

If nothing else, at least I got to know my new bike intimately.

[05RedKat600]

It was the battery. I've never experienced something like that before. New battery is in, I went with the fancy sealed one since I've had better luck with them in everything I've ever ridden. I'm quite happy and thank you ALL for your help... I only wish I'd come here before I disassembled the whole bike and tested the relays, switches, etc!!!

If nothing else, at least I got to know my new bike intimately.

Always remember: If you're SURE something is not the root of your problem, it probably is.