battery gave out.. again

[03cobrah]

hey guys here again, i couldn't find my old thread as of right now but ive been having problems starting my bike again... the last time this happened i changed the battery out and it worked like a charm, now it's at it again and won't start!

i'm thinking about push starting it but i don't want to temporarily fix the problem, could it be because i bought the bike at 23,000 miles it's on it's last leg?

i do take short trips to and from work, and the last time i rode my fz6 it was pretty cold but tolerable, and this is two days from then.

edit: this is my old thread, http://www.600riders.com/forum/fz6-technical/35500-battery-help.html#post379278

and this is the battery i ended up installing a month ago.. bikemaster truegel battery (mg12b-4) maybe this battery is garbage and i need a stronger one? this is pretty annoying i missed my advanced riders course because of this, i'm thinking of getting a new fz6 or something else.. help very much appreciated

 

[DDS]

Do you have it on a battery tender?

Any heated grips, heated jacket, aftermarket alarm etc?

 

[03cobrah]

Do you have it on a battery tender?

Any heated grips, heated jacket, aftermarket alarm etc?

no battery tender since i live in the barracks on the third floor i won't be able to hook it up to any outlets.

i bought this bike used, to my knowledge there are no aftermarket electrical accessories the only thing i can think of is the license plate light that was installed to pass inspection, but that is never on with the key out.

i dunno if this makes a difference but when i turn my bike off i don't hit the kill switch i just turn the key to off.

edit: and also it was cold yesterday around 40degrees with some very light rain.. maybe fuel lines got froze up?

 

[cdnSTIG]

i think you might have gotten a junk battery. i would charge it up and take it somewhere to have it tested. most auto parts stores should do this for free. i would also check what voltage your charging system is putting out. it should be somewhere between 12.6 and 14 volts. no more no less.

 

[SirIsaac]

could it be because i bought the bike at 23,000 miles it's on it's last leg?

Many, many members have more miles than that on their FZ6, nowhere near its "last legs."

and this is the battery i ended up installing a month ago.. bikemaster truegel battery (mg12b-4) maybe this battery is garbage and i need a stronger one?

That looks like a decent battery, appears to be the proper one for the FZ6.

i dunno if this makes a difference but when i turn my bike off i don't hit the kill switch i just turn the key to off.

As long as you turn the key off, this makes no difference at all.

edit: and also it was cold yesterday around 40degrees with some very light rain.. maybe fuel lines got froze up?

40 degrees is not cold enough to freeze anything. Does the engine turn over when you press the starter button? If so, and it just does not start, then you must have a fuel or ignition problem. If it does not turn over, or just barely turns over, you have a charging system and/or battery problem. Since you just replaced the battery, I tend to suspect a problem with the charging system, i.e., the battery is not being recharged. I'd advise you to take it to a mechanic to have the alternator and voltage regulator tested.

 

[novaks47]

Could also be a fluke, and you got a bum battery. It happens. I went through two on one of my cars, where they wouldn't hold a charge. Once the parts store tested them, they could see it on their machine. Third one is holding strong though! Check your charging system with a multimeter as previously mentioned, and if that checks out fine, get the battery tested. Are you getting any longer rides in? If not, you're going to keep having this problem, no matter what moto you have. Either that, or get some sort of solar tender, assuming it's safe enough to leave out.

 

[Sweeney_Todd]

You would check the charging voltage, should be above 14V at 5000r/min

 

[macem29]

could be time to take it into the dealer to get his straightened out,
have you been boosting off a car? this can damage the shunt in
the charging system....(thanks motogiro)....and all those short
rides are also troublesome, take it for a rip every few days

 

[03cobrah]

thanks for the replies guys, i ended up waiting till it warmed up during the day and push started it.. and it fired right up, i've already rode it to work tonight and it seems to be alright, but only time will tell again. i'm pretty pissed cause i missed my advanced sport bike riders course they were giving on base, oh well.

 

[scottsst]

it very well could just be the cold weather that is getting to the battery. I have had it happen to my other bike more than once but that bike has an older battery in it. I suggest you get the charging system checked out as well the FZ6 has a weak charging system to start with so it won't take to much to harm it.