Bad Battery? Cranks, will not start.

[mmvalk]

Today was FINALLY nice enough to take my bike out of hibernation.  Checked the tire pressure, took it off of the  lift, turned on the petcock, engaged the choke (all the way down!), turned the key on and hit the starter button.  No joy after much cranking - wound the battery down.  The tank is full of Seafoam treated gas.   The battery was on a trickle charger (CTEK 3300) since November. Battery (YUASA YTX14H-BS) was purchased Feb 2010.

The battery is re-charging now.

Shall I purchase a replacement battery?  Or is there something else I should pursue.

Marty

[KY,Dave (AKA Misunderstood)]

Try jumping from a NON-running vehicle to see if it starts and therefore is a bad battery

[Jess from VA]

My (OE Yuasa) battery is also fairly new, also on a Battery Tender all Winter, also a concoction of full tank of (polluted with corn) gas/Strartron/Marine Stabil/Seafoam, also full choke, and I also could not get a clean start the other day, and drew the battery down.  I just put the Battery Tender back on till the green led came back on, and it started up fine the second time around.  Now riding it two days, and it's all good.  

(Mine stay on the Tender year round when not riding) (What I routinely get, and look for is, after returning from a ride, I plug back in and get a red (charging) led... which goes off in around 30 seconds to 90 seconds; tells me the battery is good and charging system working) (often wondered why after a hard ride, I need 30 seconds of charge, but I let the bike idle for a minute or two opening the gate and shed and rolling in, and there is little (or no) charging at 900 rpm idle, so that must be it)

Swapping two bikes every 4-6 months, this is the first time I didn't get a clean start the first try, but I'm not worried.  I am trying to ride the whole 7 gallons empty to get last November's gas/mix gone.

[mmvalk]

All is now well.  I pulled my bike out of the garage into the afternoon sun and re-hooked the charger.  An hour later, i tried to start her and lo and behold, she started right up. 

Like you Jesse, I leave her undisturbed on the CTEK 3300 charger (convinced that my Battery Tender fried my last battery!)  all winter and in-between rides.  30 seconds after attaching the CTEK she is fully charged.

Appreciate your response.

Marty

[Tx Bohemian]

...I pulled my bike out of the garage into the afternoon sun...

and re-hooked the charger.  An hour later, i tried to start her and lo and behold, she started right up. 

Almost sounds like my issue with the "after market trigger wheel"!

Below 50^o ambient temp my '99 would crank but not start. Spun like the Tasmanian Devil just wouldn't fire up!!

Turned out to be a faulty 6^o AM Trigger wheel.

Went back to a stock wheel modified to 4^o and she starts in 30^o temps now.

Hopefully yours was just a bit lazy after sitting for so long and is ok now.

[KY,Dave (AKA Misunderstood)]

(often wondered why after a hard ride, I need 30 seconds of charge, but I let the bike idle for a minute or two opening the gate and shed and rolling in, and there is little (or no) charging at 900 rpm idle, so that must be it)

I do as you do with the tender. That delay before the green flashes and then goes steady, I assumed was the tender establishing itself/cycling or something. Who knows.......

[desertrefugee]

Guys, like oldwings (something I'm quite familiar with), it takes a bit of cranking to fill the bowls back up.  I would bet that's what's going on here.   The bowls fill just as the battery is winding down.   Although, if things are all in line, it shouldn't take more than a minute total cranking time.  (Even that's quite a bit).

[Jess from VA]

(often wondered why after a hard ride, I need 30 seconds of charge, but I let the bike idle for a minute or two opening the gate and shed and rolling in, and there is little (or no) charging at 900 rpm idle, so that must be it)

I do as you do with the tender. That delay before the green flashes and then goes steady, I assumed was the tender establishing itself/cycling or something. Who knows.......

Probably, that is it.  Whatever the reason, a very short duration before constant green means all is well.  If it stayed red charging for hours after a ride and I'd be thinking alternator (on a pretty new battery).

But Dave, my older Battery Tenders never give a flashing green (they are maybe 8-10yo).  But my new one for my new elect start generator did, and I was alarmed (WTF is that?!).  Went to the manual, and it was explained.  Oh, OK.  (New bells and flashing whistles)  

[Hook#3287]

Guys, like oldwings (something I'm quite familiar with), it takes a bit of cranking to fill the bowls back up.  I would bet that's what's going on here.   The bowls fill just as the battery is winding down.   Although, if things are all in line, it shouldn't take more than a minute total cranking time.  (Even that's quite a bit).

I tried a different approach this spring.  I had emptied the bowls last fall and this spring I cranked the starter for just 2 -3 seconds.  I figure this puts a vacuum on the line and gas should flow to the bowls, filling them.  I waited 3 -4 min, and she fired right up.

[Jess from VA]

Guys, like oldwings (something I'm quite familiar with), it takes a bit of cranking to fill the bowls back up.  I would bet that's what's going on here.   The bowls fill just as the battery is winding down.   Although, if things are all in line, it shouldn't take more than a minute total cranking time.  (Even that's quite a bit).

I tried a different approach this spring.  I had emptied the bowls last fall and this spring I cranked the starter for just 2 -3 seconds.  I figure this puts a vacuum on the line and gas should flow to the bowls, filling them.  I waited 3 -4 min, and she fired right up.

Excellent idea.