Calling all troubleshooting experts: Bike won't start.

vinman · Post by **vinman** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 1:48 pm

2002 R1150R, no ABS. I've had my bike in storage (indoors) for the past 2 and half months. I had fully charged the battery (original battery, now 3 years old) prior to storage and used a fuel preservative. The bike ran and started fine the day I put it in storage. I had run the bike for about 15 minutes about a month ago and it started fine. Drove it up and down a side road a couple times and it was fine.

Today I turned the key, indicator lights came on, head light was on (no dimming), tail lights on, pulled up on the fast idle lever, pulled the clutch and hit the start button. All I got was a loud and rapid CLACK, CLACK, CLACK sound from the front of the bike with the indicator lights flashing at the same time and speed as the sound. WTF?! Turned off the key, waited about 30 seconds, tried again. More of the same noise. It didn't even sound like it was trying to turn over.

Any ideas???

ErikU · Post by **ErikU** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 1:50 pm

That sure sounds like a battery issue to me. Aside from charging, be sure to check and clean the battery connections if needed.

Post by **sjbmw** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 2:03 pm

That Clack sound is very familiar to me, it happens if I kill my battery.

How did you charge the battery before storage?
The bike's clock will drain a sitting battery.
The juice needed to crank it over is much more than the lights need.

Post by **Boxer** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 2:19 pm

Vinman, that's a very weak battery. The short ride did nothing but drain it more. I'd take off the tank and check water levels then hook up a charger again. Unless there's abad cell, you should be fine after that.

Do you have a Battery Tender? I use the Junior all winter, but never for more than a couple of weeks at a time. Mine is also an original battery three years old.

vinman · Post by **vinman** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 2:42 pm

Yeah, I thought of the battery first too. So why the loud clacking noise? How much have you guys paid for a battery? I take it there is general good luck with the gel type batteries?

Post by **DJ Downunder** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 3:01 pm

Try push starting it...just roll it up to running speed..second or third gear..bounce on the seat as you drop the clutch...it should fire up ok.

DJ

turnercj · Post by **turnercj** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 4:15 pm

The clack clack sound is the starter motor solenoid shunting the gear forward onto the flywheel. What would normally happen is that the starter motor would then turn and crank the engine over.

Prior to all this happening, the battery has to prime the fuel pump and power up the ECU that controls the fuel injection and ignition That takes a fair lump out of the battery.

If your battery is anything but fully charged, there won't be enough current left to crank the starter motor so all it can do is shunt the gear forwards, hence the clack. The lights will flash 'cos each time the solenoid tries to move, all current is directed away from the other circuits.

If you do manage to turn the engine over but it doesn't start, remember you may be putting raw fuel into the cylinders and then onwards to the cat. That will screw the cat up.

Fully charge the battery and then take th bike for a long ride. Put some fresh fuel in as well.

fnfalman · Post by **fnfalman** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 4:36 pm

Your bike had been sitting too long. The battery may have enough juice to run the light but not enough to crank over. Battery Tender or some sort of trickle charger is your friend.

vinman · Post by **vinman** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 5:27 pm

Thanks guys! I have a battery tender but the bike is in a storage unit a couple miles away and there is no power available there. Now if I lived in California, which I hope to do before the fall, this may cease to be a problem as I'll be able to ride all year long.

Post by **baltm604** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 5:30 pm

does your storage unit have a light bulb? you can cheat and get an adapter to plug your tender into the light socket for power

...

ba

Arbreacames · Post by **Arbreacames** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 5:57 pm

For $69 you can have one of the best batteries available for your scoot shipped straight to your door. Look for an Odyssey PC-680 on eBay. I bought from odyssey_world, but I am sure there are plenty of other good sellers. Odysseys come charged and ready to install. While you wait for it to be delivered, look it up on the net and decide how you want to install it. Placed conventionally up, you might need a small angle bracket on the negative terminal. Placed on its side you won't need anything.

Post by **CycleRob** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 12:02 am

vinman,

Put a fork in that battery - - - it's sulphated and never gonna comeback to full charge. 2.5 months is too long for both the Motronic memory and the clock's parasitic load without a charging, especially if that's the original battery. If it is the original, that's a good/average service life.

Do not buy the same flooded cell type battery again. Get the sealed maintenance free Odyssey PC-680 like Arbreacames says.

vinman · Post by **vinman** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 9:45 am

From what I've seen a BMW sport touring forum some have bent the cable ends to make it fit the battery. Its either that or buy the copper post adapters. I checked BobsBMW, he sells the Odyssey for $136. A quick search on the internet and I find the very same battery for $75 to $95 dollars.

Arbreacames · Post by **Arbreacames** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 11:10 am

vinman wrote:...I find the very same battery for $75 to $95 dollars.

My quick search yields $48.80 + $20 S&H. It's from odyssey_world who has 99.8% positive feedback from about 3000 sales.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Motorcyc ... dZViewItem

Post by **Boxer** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 12:01 pm

They're getting cheaper by the minute!
I might even spring for one this year sometime, if my 3 year old lead acid water cell antique gives me any problems.

Badger · Post by **Badger** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 2:05 pm

that is a very weak battery.......attach a battery tender and let it go to green. Starting the bike and riding it for ten minutes drains the battery....need to run it for half an hour or more.....

ekiM · Post by **ekiM** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 8:21 am

Vinman,
I live in Annapolis and just replaced my BMW battery with an AGM by PowerSonic. I got the battery at Battery Warehouse in Annapolis, where it cost $45. The terminals are in exactly the same position as the stock batter--it just fit right in, perfectly. I could deliver one for you, as I drive by Columbia on Rt 32 each work day. My BMW battery is still in pretty good condition and it is fully charged--you are welcome to it, too. If you need help replacing the battery, I can help you do it in less than half an hour. Just let me know.
-Mike

Post by **jb44** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 9:13 am

Here's the angle bracket for the PC-680.

http://ascycles.com/detail.aspx?ID=1356

You only need one... for the negative terminal.

However, for $7.95 plus shipping, you might want to make your own... or just bend the connector on the end of the cable to fit...that's what I did.

jb

Post by **Dauntless** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 2:24 pm

Here it is at http://www.batterymart.com/battery.mv?p=ODY-PC680

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Calling all troubleshooting experts: Bike won't start.

Calling all troubleshooting experts: Bike won't start.

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