Yet another "Won't Start" post. But would like any help!

Nothing original here...but...

My '96 VFR750 with 11,000 miles would not start for me today. My battery was reading around 14.60 voltage-wise, from the multimeter I used.

Lights would come on...would crank a few times but no start. After resting it a bit and trying again, the bike would barely turn over then nothing...except the clicking.

My r/r should be ok (replaced last summer) and I tested another one I keep as a spare.

I haven't ridden the bike in a while; it's been garaged kept with some Stabil in the full gas tank. Using choke did not help.

I've tried to research through the threads...what would be my first process of elimination? Spark Plugs? Stator? Starter motor? Any other fuses I need to check besides the main one (which is good, since the lights come on)

Thanks for any advice. I could use it!

 

A fully charged lead acid battery should show 12.6 volts. A fully charged AGM battery should show 12.8 volts. If you show 14.6 with the engine not running your battery is overcharged and probably shot. If you show 14.6 volts with the engine running it is in a good charging range.

Click on Yuasa Batteries, Inc. then click on literature and then click on Yuasa Technical manual to learn everything you ever wanted to know about testing and charging batteries.

Good luck.

 

The true test of a battery isn't the VDC at rest, but VDC under load. From your description it sounds like your battery is very weak, but there are other possibilities.

Leave your multimeter on your battery while you're cranking your bike and watch the VDC. It will drop some, this is normal, but if it drops to much under 10 or 11 VDC while it's trying to push your starter...it's likely discharged or shot.

 

Thanks, Maggot and Dizzy, for your replies.

The battery was bought last summer but I didn't have it on a trickle charger while it has been garaged for the past three or four monthes -- although I did start the bike up every few weeks for a few minutes, but that's probably not enough to keep it charged.
I put the battery on a charger last night; will see if that works, if not, try a new battery.

 

How long did the bike sit? Did you drain the gas from the float bowls on carbs when you parked it, if not most likely they most likely are gummed up. Sounds like your battery only has a top charge on it, but your voltage sounds terribly off for a battery that has been sitting....do you have another meter to try?


Regards,

Will R. Seattle, WA.

 

Will,

Bike sat for about three-four months. I did start it a few times during that time period and let it run for a couple of minutes.

No, I didn't drain the float bowls on the carbs when I parked the bike. I recharged the battery overnight and tried starting this morning. Voltage on the meter was 12.65 on battery, going down to 11.50 or so while trying to start.

The bike turned over like it wanted to start -- no dying or clicking of solenoid -- but I did get two or three massive backfire "pops" when trying to start it. Some light smoke was coming out of the muffler...

 

Sounds like you need to give the batt a good charge and the sparkplugs a good cleaning. You might try to start it with a "boost" charger on it. My '83 has done the BANG thing a time or 2 when trying to start it on a weak battery.

 

Is the engine turning over like it should now? Battery would appear to be OK after charging.

Sounds like it's gas flooded...or it fouled a plug.

 

Dizzy, yes. The engine was turning over fine, no sluggishness or hesitation. Just not starting.

Gas flooded could be the culprit or a fouled plug. Forgive my ignorance, what's the best way to remedy that?

I will check into the plugs as well. I did smell gas during the first day when I started it...it caught but needed full choke to run (it was very cold.) Then when it died, no luck of restarting. (I should have left the choke on a bit more, I guess).

Thanks to all who've responded!

 

If it's flooded, you want no choke and full throttle. The choke gives you less air and more gas, which is the opposite of what you want if it's flooded.

 

ether is your friend. i would then check the plugs

 

Hey HH, these guys are all giving you some good stuff. I have to agree it sounds like it is flooded but I don't know anything about the carbs on a '98. My expertise stops at the carbs on a '72/73 CB 750 and that bike was impossible to flood. I will bet once you let her sit and dry out and get the battery fully charged it will probably start right up.

FWIW once you get it started run a can of gumout through the gas tank. They don't like to sit for a long time with gas in the floats. On my old bike when the weather turned bad I would fill the tank with gas, mix in a little Stabil and run the bike with the fuel shut off until the bike died. Then I would hook up the Battery Tender and let her be. When you go to restart after sitting turn the fuel on first then check the tire pressure or do something while you wait for the float bowls to fill. Then start her up. I always add some Gumout to the first tank of the season.

 

HH 96...some good suggestions here. Living in MN (where the storage season is long) and working in a shop I've found it's not unusual for a real hard start when you finally get your bike out of storage. It's not unusual for a spark plug or two to foul beyond use.

Replace the plugs and try it again. Start out with a few seconds of "flood procedure" as Slothrop described, it probably won't start but it'll help clean out the residual fuel. Then go full choke and no throttle.

Expect your bike to run like crap for the first several minutes, maybe even til you can ride it. It'll more than likely be OK after that.

BTW...I haven't found it very helpful to start bikes during storage unless you can actually go out and ride.