Starting problems.

[_=YeaBoy=_]

Hello,
I'm sitting onthe bike.
The kick stand is up.
Key is in ignition, to On.
Holding in the clutch.
Pressing the start button.
Bike does nothing. Not even a click.

Note, just about 15 mins ealier when i was starting, the starts were sounding weaker and weaker.

[Tmod]

Ok let's start with what year and model is this?

Do you get any lights or anything when you turn the key on?

Tmod

[_=YeaBoy=_]

I guess that will be important!

1998 Suzuki Kat GSX600F.

The Red oil light was on.
I was in neutral so the Green N was lit.

Thanks

[Tmod]

Do you have a voltmeter you can check battery voltage with?

Tmod

[_=YeaBoy=_]

Nope i dont have one, but getting one from RadioShack for $12 wont hurt; even though this will probably be the last time i use it.

[Tmod]

Nope i dont have one, but getting one from RadioShack for $12 wont hurt; even though this will probably be the last time i use it.

Don't count on that as long as you own anything that uses electricity.

Tmod

[_=YeaBoy=_]

Well when i get one, what should the battery read on the voltmeter? I guess there is a range of voltage for a battery with a charge that is sufficient.

[alphageek]

Starting Problem

Well the voltmeter isnt going to put much of a load on the battery, so chances are it will read correctly. What I would do is hook up a pair of jumper cables to it from your car. If it fires right up, its your battery. If it has the same problem then the battery is fine, it might be your starter. If its an old battery its probably just time to change it, however, if its relatively new it might be your alternator. The voltmeter would come in handy for checking that. Most likely its just a battery issue though, I just got a new battery from walmart the other week, it was $50 with the core return.

[Tmod]

Well when i get one, what should the battery read on the voltmeter? I guess there is a range of voltage for a battery with a charge that is sufficient.

Sorry for the late reply but right around 12.5 with no load.

Also hold the meter on the battery terminals and try starting it and see what it is.

Tmod

[alphageek]

Its going to drop significatly, possibly down to zero, you cant get an accurate reading that way. Because the votage is going to be in parallel with the bike, not serial. The bike is going to be using all the voltage to try to engage the starter, there isnt going to be anything left for the voltage meter to read.

[DreKat]

have you tried boosting the bike from that car battery? Just make sure the car is NOT turned on. Double check to make sure the kill switch is in the right place, double check the kick stand plunger (its a kill switch for the kick stand)

[_=YeaBoy=_]

Hold the train. I read that jumping the bike from a car battery was a very big no-no.

Could someone give me very detailed steps to jumping the bike battery with my car?

ie - Which cables go on first.
ie - Which cables come off first.
ie - What about the kill switch, on or off.
ie - What about the kick stand, up or down.
ie - Anything else which might help not destory this bike.

Please.

[Newbie2it]

Pos to Pos, Neg to neg, Just make the final connection being the ground on the bike and for that, if you want to be on the safe side, Ground it to the motor somewhere or to the frame.

Yes it is safe to jump from your car as long as the car is NOT running and your bike is not touching the car. Same rules apply to a car as a bike there.

[DumbLuck]

keep in mind that a car battery has somewhere between 500 and 900 amps available for cranking over a motor. The typical common bike battery has 12. bad things happen when bikes have that much juice available. keep the time connected to a car battery to an absolute minimum. right now i have a bike in the garage awaiting parts after the owner and his buddy were crankin on it with a 100 amp boost charger. melted the rectifier. One suzuki i repaired after the same treatment took a new stator, rectifier, regulator, CDI, and starter. plus of course fuses and bulbs.

[sdb2168]

i had the same problem..i could park somewhere and come out it wont start or take it off the charger and let it run and turn it off and come back 20 minutes later battery dead. battery ..after buying several batteries a mechanic realise that the clock was faulty and diconnected it and i havnt hade a problem starting since. the clock stays on all the time and was draining the battery because it was bad...i been affraid to try another clock so i just do without.