She just wont start!!?

icklelea · Post by **icklelea** » Sun Jul 09, 2006 3:09 pm

Right iv had ongoing problems with my bike since i had her serviced 3 months ago... my main problem has been with my revs - whenever iv been riding around in low gears if i stop she revs at 2000 for about 30seconds and will then drop back down to about 1000. I took her to the garage about 3 weeks ago to have a new chain fitted and get them to have a look at what was causing the prob with my revs. they charged me Â£70 to tell me that it was my restrictors causing the problems - funny that considering iv never had a problem before my service and no know one else to ever have problems with restrictors. but its ok cos for Â£50 they can take them out!!

since iv had her back from them shes been really tempramental starting, iv had to hold the electric start a lot longer before she finally kicks in and then i have to really rev her or she dies.

on two occasions she just didnt start, i got on her, wiggled her about a bit (technical i know!) and shes then been fine! that was until the other day... and she wasnt starting at all! everything was completely dead. absolutely no output. i got my mate to bump start it and i got really feint lights on my dash, but she wouldnt start on her own.

so iv bought a new battery and still nothing! iv got lights on my dash which fade when i put my lights on or press my electric start. there is no sound at all when i do press the start (as in ticking over etc). iv cleaned every connector i can access with the fairing off, iv shorted across the start relay, iv checked the fuses..

and im totally stuck for ideas?!!?

i dont really want to take it back to the garage as i just feel like they take the piss out of me, and being a student i really cant afford it atm!!

Am i worth trying to bump start her? any other ideas? help!!!

Post by **masterofinsanity** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 9:04 am

sounds like the regulator/rectifier has gone POP, have you checked for dodgy earth from you're battery?

icklelea · Post by **icklelea** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 10:16 am

How do i check that?!

Post by **masterofinsanity** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 10:54 am

just check the connections from the battery to the engine aren't corroded, seems like an earth drainage somewhere, put a jump lead from the negative on the battery direct to the engine and see if it makes any difference.

icklelea · Post by **icklelea** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 11:26 am

ok i admit it im a wimp

i got my insurance company to come get me to take me to a garage!

Iv got exams this week and next and have already spent hours trying to find a problem.. i dont really know what im looking for so iv given up! ill let the rip off merchants .. err i mean professionals deal with her!

i wonder how much they are going to bank rupt me this time

icklelea · Post by **icklelea** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 1:59 pm

right well.. the garage managed to fit me in early (brownie points there!) so they were in my good books telling me that...
they have found the problem and fixed it... still in good books
the problem ... a dead battery - good books torn up, shredded, stamped on and well grr!! :smt013 :smt013 :smt013 :smt013

err no... iv literally just fitted a brand new battery... he asked where i got it from so i said an internet shop, he said it was probably a dodgy battery - which is funny considering when i had it in the bike it was kicking out 14.8volts?! doesnt sound dead to me!! so iv asked for the battery back!

they also check my alternator etc and charged me an hour labour for putting a battery in! it took me 20 minutes to do it and i didnt have a clue what i was doing!!! :smt013 :smt013 :smt013 Â£77 down the drain... going to argue it out between the garage and the shop - im not paying for 2 batteries!!

however... it does mean my bike is up and running again

Post by **masterofinsanity** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 2:12 pm

next time you should be more patient and we will guide you through it, you CAN do it

icklelea · Post by **icklelea** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 2:46 pm

thanks guys

will have more faith in myself next time!!

now... who to strop at about this battery!! i feel an argument coming on

wonderpupp · Post by **wonderpupp** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 3:02 pm

It could be the battery though, my ER5 had a short across the battery - showed good voltage across it, but wouldn't hold the charge to start.

That was a brand new battery too. If you charge up the battery they took out, and put it back in to your 400, it might start, but after running the battery might feel hot. (or you feel the heat between your legs. Mmm.)

Then you can find out if you were sold a dodgy battery off the net.

icklelea · Post by **icklelea** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 9:50 pm

Update:
i went and picked her up this evening... drove her to the petrol station 8 miles down the road and she was riding like toad, really sluggish and just pants... got to the petrol station to realise that the garage have ridden 15 miles on her

and have put it onto its reserve tank

(she goes about 140 miles to a tank easily, and it was on 120 and they'd put it on reserve?!)

so...off i trot to the petrol station... fill her up, take her off reserve... go to start her up and ... nothing, dead... got lights and horn but not starting! i tried her about 8 times - nothing!!

ultra peeved a) at the fact iv just paid Â£77 for a bike that has broken down again after a massive 8miles and b) the arsehole who had driven up my butt to get to my petrol pump. so i push her to the side where im not a happy bunny, try again and she starts

very sluggish - sounded like petrol wasnt getting through, but once she started she was absolutely fine?!?!

Help!?!?!

Rob-ZX4R · Post by **Rob-ZX4R** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 9:57 pm

The revs staying up and then dropping could be an air leak somewhere. Check your airbox and the rubber mounts on the carbs.

The fact that the bike is dead could also be a reg/rec problem (I just changed my reg/rec). Charge the battery fully, and then try and get it to start, put a multimeter across the battery terminals, @ idle it should make about 12-12.5V, then rev the bike to about 4K rpm and it should be making 14-14.5V. If it isn't either your reg/rec or alternator is shagged and not charging your battery.

To be honest it does sound like a shagged rectifier. If you need more help PM me and I'll be happy to take some pics and try to do a walkthrough.

icklelea · Post by **icklelea** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 10:06 pm

well they claim that they checked everything which is why it was an hour labour to fit a battery, so most of the main bits have in theory been checked. the report i got states its reading 14.4volts at idol - will check myself in the morning.

bleh!! they can have it back til they mend the buggar!!!! i never had this problem before they checked why my revs are playing up!!

the revs i was told was purely my restrictors, that they checked for an air lock and couldnt find one... it was after getting my bike back from that that the battery problems have started!!