gsx-r not starting

[hazzy]

We fixed the problem, it turns out the bristles in the starter moter where sticking or old and warn, gave it a few bangs and shes working again, wonder how long this will last before i have to replace them.

[Guerrilla]

I have a similiar issue but since I don't know the jargon(and have no clue what I'm doing) I've been searching the web for hours w/ no success. I bought a new battery a week ago and was driving my bike around my neighborhood the past week. Yesterday I drove it to work in the morning and in the afternoon it wouldn't start. Not only did it not start when I turn the key to the ON position the clock on the dash disappeared. I hit the starter switch and I didn't even hear a click. I got a jump and drove it home (20 minutes) pulled in the driveway killed it and it wouldn't come back on. Assuming that I'm using the multimeter correctly, the battery read 12.3 volts with the key in the OFF position and 0-2.3 in the ON position (I didn't even try to test it while pressing the starter switch). Does this mean my battery is jacked up or do I have a short?

[F5 Dave]

Well there's the problem. You should never drive a bike. Try riding it & it may want to behave.


Sounds like a short BUT,
I suspect the battery is toast & any current is killing it. Disconnect it & apply a load, erm ideally a couple of wires to a headlight bulb.

[F5 Dave]

Nice

Yeah I can imagine you could bang them for ages. Warm you up on a cold rainy night too.

[Guerrilla]

Dave thanks for the reply. As my disclaimer declared before I'm a newb so I apoligize for the questions. So I took my battery out and tested it with the multimeter. V with a ~ over it read 11.7 at 200 and the V with a line and 3 dots over it read 5.7 at 200. What is the difference? I didn't want to cut the wires to my headlights so my idea to apply a load was to I cut the cord of an old pair of hair clippers, stripped the ends and touched one to the POS and one to the NEG. The multimeter then read 9.6 from 11.7 and 4.7 from 5.7 does this tell you anything or was it pointless?

[F5 Dave]

No prob with asking questions, that's what the forum is for.

Bit confused, but you seem to be measuring DC then AC. Batterys are DC, although the ~ is AC symbol. So am confused by your description.

So you short cct the battery? eek, but that would have been a heck of a load, so maybe the battery is not the problem.

[Guerrilla]

LOL yeah I have no idea what I'm doing. I'll take it to an auto shop and let them test it. My multimeter has a dial on it that you can switch between the following setting and I figured i had to test one of the two Vs.
__
...
V 20, 200, 500, 200m, 2000m

~
V 200, 500

omega 200, 2000, 20K, 200K, 2000K

__
...
A 200mu, 2000mu, 200m, 20m, 10A

[F5 Dave]

in same order

DC - Like battery
AC - Alternating Like from the wall socket
ohms - resistance
Amps - Current

[Ixion]

Banging warn bristles should last for ages.

I've always said those things were pigs .

[Ixion]

Well there's the problem. You should never drive a bike. Try riding it & it may want to behave.


Sounds like a short BUT,
I suspect the battery is toast & any current is killing it. Disconnect it & apply a load, erm ideally a couple of wires to a headlight bulb.

Your (OP's) battery is naffed. Which is either because it's defective or because the rectifer/regulator is toasted. Take the battery back to where you got it from and ask them to test it. It's not all that uncommon for a new battery to be defective and they usually seem to show up after about a week for some weird reason.

[Guerrilla]

Thanks guys. I'll take it in and I'll write back what they say.

[Guerrilla]

Went to get the battery tested but it was too low so I went and bought a charger and charged it over night. Took it back to the shop, they tested it and said it was a good battery. I put it back in the bike and got excited because in when I turned the key to the ON position the lights came on. So I started to feel like a jerk wasting your time on a battery the just needed to be charged. Well I went to start it and nothing happened, once again I didn't get a click or anything. I tried to push start it and got it running. I came back and reread this thread. I saw Dave say test the battery with a multimeter when I press the start button. Before I charged the battey, when I pressed the start button it would drain the volts to 0. Now when I press the start button no volts drain. Any ideas?

[Ixion]

Check fuses and connections. Put the multimeter across the battery, ignition off. Fully charged battery it should read about 13 volts. Turn ignition on , it should drop to 12 point something. Press starter switch it should drop a lot - around 8 volts is normalish. If it doesn't drop ata ll you have a blown fuse or bad connection (or stuffed starter solenoid). Push start bike, with motor running about 3000 rpm check multimeter reading, should be 13 - 14 volts.

Report back the voltage readings

[smoky]

bought a charger and charged it over night.

When your battery gets low, and you go for a ride and charge it - all you've done is given it a surface charge.That'll last for short while - but your battery won't have the staying power, and likley to go flat very easily again.
What it really needs a deep charge. thats when you put a load bank on it - ie lights on until it's completely flat, then do as Guerrilla has - get a battery charger and charge it on trickle charge for 24 hours or so.

[Guerrilla]

I looked at the five fuses (ignition, signal, meter, head-hi, head-lo) directly above the battery none were blown. I don't know how to check the fat main fuse that sits besides the other five. The terminals are clean and screwed on tight. Sitting there not running the battery reads 12.1 volts I turn the key to the on position and it dropped to 11.6 i hit the starter switch and it stays at 11.6 volts. I pushed started the bike and revved it up to 3000 rpms and it read 14.2 volts. So I think that leaves the solenoid right? I'll try what dave suggested early with the pilers.