New Starting Problem

[mjs1125]

My 99 Interstate with 114,000 has always started within 1 or 2 seconds, cold or hot, first of the day or after sitting for a week, outside temp 20 degrees to 100, it was solid a rock. 

Lately when I try to start I have to let it crank and THEN if I let the button release then it will probable fire up.  If I don't time it right and hold the starter too long or too short or move the throttle  it will not start.  Once running, everything seems normal.

I keep a tender on the battery during the colder temps and the battery crank speed seems normal (until I try it too many times).  The choke seems normal.  I have never had a problem starting the bike and it seems to have come on suddenly. 

Any ideas ans where to start trouble shooting?

Thanks

[Ricky-D]

The only trouble shooting I predict will be finding your wallet.

Your battery,,,, regardless,,,, is the culprit.

I know it's had to accept, but that is your problem.

The battery is on it's last legs and the tender doesn't recognize the fact.

Please don't take this as criticism, you are not alone.
This is a very common and recognizable reaction to a very specific problem.

***

[Chrisj CMA]

The only trouble shooting I predict will be finding your wallet.

Your battery,,,, regardless,,,, is the culprit.

I know it's had to accept, but that is your problem.

The battery is on it's last legs and the tender doesn't recognize the fact.

Please don't take this as criticism, you are not alone.
This is a very common and recognizable reaction to a very specific problem.

***

+1 go get a battery and put a FULL charge on it, dont let teh alternator do it

[eric in md]

+2 just put in a new charged up battery see what happens .. i bet ya it will be fixed.

[John Schmidt]

Yup, they're right....battery. When you let up on the start button for that instant the engine is still moving slightly and the starter isn't pulling off the battery. Therefore, you have extra juice available to fire the ignition. When the starter is in motion, it draws too much of the available power to also fire the plugs. Get a new battery, just don't buy the cheapest thing you can find or you'll be investing in a new one by this time next year.

[mjs1125]

Thanks guys. 

John, that is good information and now I know why. 

Battery tomorrow and let you know.

Thanks again

[R J]

Hey Brother, charge that battery EXACTLY like the direction say so as to get a complete full charge in it.

Good luck.

PS:  DO NOT make your 1st charge an hour on a regular charger.

Slow charge it overnight.   Don't ask how I know this.

[JC]

I have found that letting the battery drain to the point of near exhaustion a couple of times a year and bringing it back up slowly with a trickle charger will extend the life of your battery considerably.

[Gryphon Rider]

I have found that letting the battery drain to the point of near exhaustion a couple of times a year and bringing it back up slowly with a trickle charger will extend the life of your battery considerably.

I have heard and believe the opposite, that letting a lead-acid battery fully discharge is HARMFUL to the battery's life.

[gordonv]

I agree fully with everyone else. But no one also asked you the question if the chock is fully on?

This was a common post just a couple of months ago, and there are some with great pictures, but you have to move the thumb control PAST the line of the 2 halves of the switch assembly. It will feel like you will break it, but that is when the 6 carbs are starting to open.

Try this first, for your hard starting.

Then you can look into your battery further, because it is not holding to large of a change.

I did a lot of reading about 4 years ago, into building a solar charger. batteries is one thing I could get a lot of used ones (expensive) from a business. Lead acid batteries DO NOT like to be discharged, they like to be always at a high state of charge (we are not talking Deep Cycle here, boats). I forget the point, lets say 50% of charge, every time you go below that point, you are lessening the life of your battery and causing sulfication on your lead plates. The plates are what gives you your volts and the amps stored (surface area).

A battery conditioner will over charge the battery to try to desulficate that "corrosion" off the plates and make it go back into the sulfuric acid solution. But it's not 100% perfect, so betwen the discharge and the reconditioning of the battery, at some point there is not enough battery left to allow you to have too much Ahrs on your battery.

[Ricky-D]

I have found that letting the battery drain to the point of near exhaustion a couple of times a year and bringing it back up slowly with a trickle charger will extend the life of your battery considerably.

I have heard and believe the opposite, that letting a lead-acid battery fully discharge is HARMFUL to the battery's life.

Yep, GR's right.

You'll never know how long that thing would've lasted, doin' that!

***

[HayHauler]

Yup, they're right....battery. When you let up on the start button for that instant the engine is still moving slightly and the starter isn't pulling off the battery. Therefore, you have extra juice available to fire the ignition. When the starter is in motion, it draws too much of the available power to also fire the plugs. Get a new battery, just don't buy the cheapest thing you can find or you'll be investing in a new one by this time next year.

Exactly right John.  My new battery the stealer installed was not properly charged from the beginning and gave me the same problem reported here.  I disconnected it, put it on a 2 amp charger for 12 hours, and all is well.  My pod lights didn't work and found that the kid at the dealer changing batteries left off the power wire.  The relay was working, but no lights. Needed a longer + side bolt and I am back in business. 

Hay
Jimmyt

[mjs1125]

New Battery took care of it.  When I looked at my maintenance records show the battery was installed 4/2004.   I guess it was ready.

Thanks again

[eric in md]

   great

[Fudd]

I have found that letting the battery drain to the point of near exhaustion a couple of times a year and bringing it back up slowly with a trickle charger will extend the life of your battery considerably.

I have heard and believe the opposite, that letting a lead-acid battery fully discharge is HARMFUL to the battery's life.

That's kind of my feeling also.  To me, it seems like only old style NiCads benefit from a deep discharge.  Lead-acid batts have always lasted better for me when fully charged, hence trickle chargers. 

If I wrong here, find me some supporting data.....I'm always up for re-thinking my oppinion.

[alph]

I'm amazed that your battery didn't last longer.  i might be the "odd" one, but i replaced my battery last spring, it was the factory original in a '99 I/S.

anyway, glad you found a fix, i would have hooked a jumper cable to the battery before i got a new battery just to be sure that was it.