Mechanical help, please!

[OoxTruExoO]

I've had my bike battery on charge for the past week or so, and it's reading full. It's a fairly new battery (just over a year old). Whenever the cold weather hits, my bike really struggles to start. But she fires right up in good weather. I tried bump starting it this morning. 2nd gear and the rear tyre would lock a little, so I tried 3rd gear and the engine tried to catch, but only chugged about 4 times before giving up. If I try to turn it with the ignition only, and then put the charger back on, it reads as "in need of charge". (i.e No longer reading full)

I even tried combination of bump starting it in 3rd gear and hit ignition to help her, but no go. Any ideas as to what might be the cause? I think the spark plugs might need replacing too. I'm the first to admit that I have little to no mechanical knowledge, so I'm stumped.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Dr Kongo]

I'd charge the battery, then measure by how much the battery voltage drops when you turn on your light + high beam
if it's 0,3 - 0,4 V, the battery is ok, any more than that is usually worrisome and if it instantantly drops 1.5V, at least one cell of your battery is dead
(same if it drops to 8 or 9V while trying to start)

If that's not the case, I'd start the engine and check if the battery gets charged (if it has 13.5V - 14.5V at cruising rpms)

If that's not the case too then check if there's lots of current when your ignition is off although that's probably not the case when this only happens in cold weather

 

[gpzDave]

Really sounds like the battery is stuffed, unfortunately even a battery that's only a year old could be knackered by now.

Depends on the bike and usage but they can wear out that quick, perhaps if it's an old lead/acid style battery?

 

[Footle83]

Had the same kind of issue myself this week

The Medic (CB500, My bike) wouldn't start on Monday and was just making a clicking/ticking noise. so I tried jump starting it with no luck. My local bike garage charged it for free yesterday but it cost me a days holiday at work got it back from them after 6 hours on charge, fitted it and it started. went for a 40 mile ride, came home. Then tried to start it and it worked no problem.

This morning just leaving for work, it was about 2 degrees celcius where I am, go to start the bike choke open on its sweet spot, the engine just turned over then ulitmately no more whirring and the annoying clicking/ticking noise began again. managed to jump start it. got halfway to work and it just cut out. nothing. No electric start and it was flat ground so didn't want to knacker myself out after pushing it up a hill four times in the morning trying to get it going.

True, I would say get a new battery but keep the other one on charge ready for the day on which it may happen again. I Originally thought it would be spark plugs but my local garage told me it was either the battery was dead or it is the starter solanoid. Either way the battery will probably need replacing. Good way of knowing is just to keep trying the ignition and when you start hearing the clicking give the horn a quick tap and if it doesnt sound as it normally is it is most likely the battery.

The below was me being stuck for an hour waiting for my boss to come and pick me up, the convenience of breaking down outside of a corner shop is that I had a warm steak slice while I waited

 

[Trinith]

I Originally thought it would be spark plugs but my local garage told me it was either the battery was dead or it is the starter solanoid.

Could also be the R/R. You too should check the charge voltage.

 

[whichplanetisthis]

Sounds like a typical dead battery, of which I have had very, very many (I am an electrical/electronics engineer by profession). Either that our the charging system is faulty. If the lights on your bike get brighter when you rev it up but the bike still fails to start next time (or seems sluggish) then it's a dead giveaway. If the lights don't get brighter then you may have a charging system issue, but since a new battery is relatively cheap, why not just buy one and see if it solves your problem. It probably will.