Problem with FXR150, think its battery?

[El Lanzo]

Hey guys,

Just bought an FXR150 second hand a few days ago. The bike had been kept in storage for a month of so before i bought it but worked fine when i got it. I have been riding it for a few hours a day for last few days with the lights on always (does anyone know if you can turn them off btw?). Basically it wont start when i press electric start button even though the lights (if i do get it started, the lights seem to become slightly more powerful when i rev the engine) are still on but my friend managed to kick start it. I assume the battery just needs charging? Anyone know how i go about doing this if that is the problem? Cheers, El Lanzo

P.S i have only tried kick starting it a few times myself in bare feet lol, but my friend managed first time (in shoes), apart from that, is there a trick to it like holding the clutch down or something?

P.S.S lol, anyone know how fast the battery dies if i have the bike "on" (not the engine though) with the lights on? And also, how long would i have to ride, to charge battery sufficiently if i cant charge it in other ways (if possible)

[Ixion]

Your battery is probably stuffed. Maybe the charging circuit.

Charge the battery, and get an auto sparky to check the charge rate

Trouble kick starting a 150cc? Spinach is the secret. And thick mittens.

[avgas]

Battery dead - replace before charging circuit gets stuffed to.
Kick starting the FXR is quite simple (wearing shoes). Jump on the bike and slowly work the kick start down till it feels 'tight', then lift you leg back up till the kick start has reached as high as it goes and then push down with a good solid kick. If this does not work well the first time try the choke on about 1/4. If that doesn't work a second try, then give her a little throttle.
If it coughs a little then dies, back the choke off, back the throttle off and try again.
Don't worry after about 3 or 4 starts you will get the hang of kicking it over.
I miss not having a kicker any more.

[et al]

The poor little battery is powering two headlights while trying to crank the engine over and it won't cope unless the battery is in good nick/fully charged. I wired in a separate switch so that you could turn the lights off before starting the bike - suggest you try that if you have the know how. I don't think the charging system on those bikes is designed to match the output load of having two headlights permanently on.

[El Lanzo]

hmmm ok thats weird, went out there and it started with electric start first time, but it sounded like it was about to stall if i didnt rev the engine so i rev'd it. Maybe the engine is cold?

I've got a battery charger here that my dad uses to charge the car batteries. It is a automatic 4000 battery charger 12 volt. On the back it says
"input: 230-340V a.c. 50Hz 90W
output: 12.8Vd.c 4A
...
For 12 volt lead-acid batteries only. Minimum battery size recommended 20Ah"

Anyone know if this is the right kind to charge my wee little FXR150 battery, dont wanna blow it or anything and if it just unplug the normal wires on it charge it up and stick the normal wires back on (i.e dont needa take battery out or do anythign special)?

My manual says "the battery is located under the seat. This battery is sealed type and requires no maintenance of fluid level and gravity. But have your dealer check the charging condition of the battery periodically. The standard charging rate is 0.5A x 5-10 hours and maximum rate is 5.0A x 30 minutes. Never exceed maximum charging rate."

[stanko]

I think you should PM Flying Pony

[El Lanzo]

How do i go about PM'ing him or her , i usually just click on a person's name and select it. Also, why? lol Is he/she a battery expert or something? lol

[Ragingrob]

Sounds like the kinda trouble you'd have if your spark plug was dirty/fouled. Would be a good idea to have a look at it :).

In terms of battery, yes it could be on its way out too, check what the battery is reading with a multimeter, it should read about 12v if not slightly higher. It should be OK to charge it with the car charger AS LONG AS you make sure it's only for 30mins or so.

It's quite normal for lights to brighten when revving. Have you been starting it (well trying to) with or without the choke? It's getting colder and colder and the bike may respond better to starting with the choke on these days. Pity my choke is jammed haha!

[El Lanzo]

I've been starting it without the choke 'cause tbh, i don't really know what it does or how exactly to work it. The previous owner gave me a quick demonstration before i bought it where he flicked it on and it started and rev'd by itself or something, do you hold the clutch down or anything or how exactly do i use it lol. Any other suggestions

[Ragingrob]

Na just push choke down and it lets in more petrol to the carb to make it rev higher to warm the engine up, then once it warms up you lift the lever back up to turn choke off. Hmmm problems can hint many things that could be wrong, start with the battery and sparky and see if you can find the problems there as they're the easiest.

Just grab a multimeter and chuck it on the battery terminals with the bike not on at all to see if it's fully charged and up around 12.8V or so.

[El Lanzo]

found a way to pm him/her. Any other suggestions guys? Just bought this and hoping the guy didn't sell me a lemon or something :doh:

[fireball]

i think you should let me play with your FXR its been awhile since ive had a play on one

dont quote me on this but once bike is running and you rev the engine and the lights brighten and dim with the throttle after you replace the battery i would suggest checking the wiring it does tend to come loose after time

[awayatc]

P.S i have only tried kick starting it a few times myself in bare feet lol, but my friend managed first time (in shoes),



Maybe your bike is trying to tell you something.....:spanking:

[El Lanzo]

bumpity bump

[El Lanzo]

bumpity bump

[Ragingrob]

Have you checked the battery and sparky? I'm free Tuesday arvo if you need a multimeter I'll pop round and check out the batt or anything :)

[El Lanzo]

Hmm na i wouldnt wanna drag you all the way from the southern lands to lil old north shore. Besides, i think its fixed now that I've given it a good charging. Thanks anyway though!

[Flyingpony]

bumpity bump
When the bike doesn't want to start using electric, check if the dash is displaying the start up sequence because if it is, then your engine management system is not getting enough juice and therefore no spark.

If the bike hasn't been used for awhile, kick start is a safe option so not to stress the battery. Engine should always start 1st/2nd kick.

Check and replace as required the usual suspects: spark plug, oil, filter, brake fluid, chain/sprockets, carb clean, and tyre pressure.

In answer to your other posts:
- lights are permanently on.
- kick starting in bare feet is painful, slipping off lever is also pain
- leaving lights on with engine off should be sweat as for at least the duration it takes to remove your riding clothes etc. 10min easy.
- can't charge the battery, go for a 30km trip to the shops
- if you want to, use choke if it's below 5c. Don't worry, it can't flood easily. Bike starts just as readily with a snip of throttle.