2012 won't start

[newventurer]

Help! Bike has not been ridden for a while, has been on a battery maintainer which shows storage, tested battery shows good.
but, when I turn on the key, no lights, no display, nothing.
however when iI turn the key off then on the speedometer does go to peak then drops back to zero but no other power.
Thoughts?

 

[WJBertrand]

Loose or corroded battery cables? That would be the think I'd check first, simple and cheap if it turns out to be the fix.

 

[Dogdaze]

Start with the basics, connections, then jump the battery, just in case meter is at fault, ground / earth wires have been known to become loose.

 

[newventurer]

Thanks, cleaned 'em all up, didn't look corroded at all.

Still doesn't have any power ::010::

 

[HeliMark]

Also, how did you test the battery? Load test is really the only true way to know, not just a volt meter. And how old is the battery?

If the connections look good, my bet is even on the battery tender, your battery went belly up. Or the battery tender is bad. What you are describing is common to a bad battery. Little spurts of power and then none.

Mark

 

[Checkswrecks]

I just had to replace the battery in the 2012 in selling it. The bike was on a tender for about a month (off and on) when I sold it. The new owner had trouble getting it to start and then the next morning it would crank for a little and not start. Replaced the battery and it was it's old normal sweet-starting self.
The tender doesn't assure that the batteries have capacity, only that the available capacity is charged. Some of these batteries are now well over 4 years since manufacture, to be installed in bikes we received in 2011.

 

[newventurer]

The battery appears to have a date code in 2011. I took it out of the bike and to the auto parts store and the genius there said that the battery tested good, and he is in the business of selling me a new battery. Checked a bunch of the wiring, fuses, etc and will charge up the battery and put it back together tomorrow and see what happens.

Boy it was no fun taking off the AltRider engine guards to get the battery out, glad I haven't had to do it often.

 

[Juan]

Before removing the battery, a jump-start would have indicated if the battery was faulty or if the fault lies elsewhere.

 

[newventurer]

Before removing the battery, a jump-start would have indicated if the battery was faulty or if the fault lies elsewhere.

Never anyone around to give me a good jump when I need one ::025:: ::025:: ::025::

 

[newventurer]

Well no big surprise to any of you I am sure, overnight the battery would not give me an indication of fully charged. I went and got a new one this morning and voila, I have power.

It really does come down to age, which may also explain the absence of a jump

 

[patrickg450]

if it has only a single bad cell it will give you a "false" charge as it will be at 13.7 or better. That is why a load test is needed, you can do it yourself with a meter. Have the meter on it and look at it when you hit the start button. If it drops below 11.3 or so then bad battery. Can you hear it turning slow? If it has a fast turn over then and a good voltage from the test (closer to 12 or greater) then I doubt it is the battery.


Good luck, but seeing 12.7 does NOT mean you have a good one.