Sewanee
Member
While i have a rough idea of the problem, and its possible solutions, i wanted to run the symptoms by some more knowledgeable people before i start spending money.
I bought an 01 FZ1 of a dealer floor about 3 weeks back. It wasn't my original choice going in, but after sitting on it and taking it around the block i was sold. The bike had been in the show room for quite some time, and they needed to hook up the battery to an external charger to get it to start the first time. I rode the bike home, and then all over the back roads of eastern TN. Then the rain came and the bike was parked for about a week and a half. I take it out, and try to start it up, no go. The bike catches, fires, coughs, sputters and dies. I try again, and the same thing happens. The starter seems to be quite weak, not quite capable of getting the engine turning over fast enough to get compression. The battery dies after the third press on the starter button. No big deal, i'm parked on a bit of a hill, and i bump start by running and pushing it down the slope. The engine catches, and warms up and runs just fine.
The bike starts ok after i gas it up, while the engine is still hot, but after this, i have to bump start it practically every time. Its certainly a good work out, but its not something i want to keep dealing with (no surprise there).
My question is whether or not you all are in agreement with me, that the battery needs replacing, because it wont hold a charge for any amount of time after its stopped, or if you think there might be some other factor at work, like a short in the electrical system some were.
Thanks for any help you might offer. I cant afford to take it in the the stealership, as i'm a starving college student.
-Ian
I bought an 01 FZ1 of a dealer floor about 3 weeks back. It wasn't my original choice going in, but after sitting on it and taking it around the block i was sold. The bike had been in the show room for quite some time, and they needed to hook up the battery to an external charger to get it to start the first time. I rode the bike home, and then all over the back roads of eastern TN. Then the rain came and the bike was parked for about a week and a half. I take it out, and try to start it up, no go. The bike catches, fires, coughs, sputters and dies. I try again, and the same thing happens. The starter seems to be quite weak, not quite capable of getting the engine turning over fast enough to get compression. The battery dies after the third press on the starter button. No big deal, i'm parked on a bit of a hill, and i bump start by running and pushing it down the slope. The engine catches, and warms up and runs just fine.
The bike starts ok after i gas it up, while the engine is still hot, but after this, i have to bump start it practically every time. Its certainly a good work out, but its not something i want to keep dealing with (no surprise there).
My question is whether or not you all are in agreement with me, that the battery needs replacing, because it wont hold a charge for any amount of time after its stopped, or if you think there might be some other factor at work, like a short in the electrical system some were.
Thanks for any help you might offer. I cant afford to take it in the the stealership, as i'm a starving college student.
-Ian