Help! it wont start.

[kellyjo]

Clocked up 500 miles last week no probs. Last rode Thursday evening. Changed bulbs since then but apart from that bike has been untouched. just got it out of the garage and it was sluggish on first attempt at starting. Tried again (for only 7-8 seconds) and bit more sluggish. Third attempt and its obviously not happy :(. No problems up to today.
Forgive me cos i am a total newbie, but whats best to try now... Jump start from car? Remove battery and put on to charge? Walk to shop for choc and hope its ok when i get back? Please help, the suns shining and i should NOT be at my pc! Thanks guys x

[Holdup]

What do you mean slugish? turn over? have you checked the kill switch, most people dont (Dont know if curvey same as pointy where when killswitch is off it wont even turn the starter)

[kellyjo]

It was turning over but not firing up - sorry to be vague! After the third attempt its now struggling to turn over. Checked kill switch :-)

[petevtwin650]

I would try and jump start. Don't rev the car up when you do it and be careful not to short out to the frame as space is tight.

Battery could be marginal if it's an old one or stood around before you bought it.Or it could be the reg/rec playing up. Why did you change the bulbs?

Have you got a voltmeter?

[kellyjo]

Changed bulbs cos im riding late tonight (maybe!) so put in osram nightbreakers. OH coming over in an hour so will jump start and see what happens. Thanks.

[Alpinestarhero]

SOunds like a flat battery! Do you have access to a trickle charger (like an optimate or similar?), if so then you can put the battery on charge. For sure you can jump start the bike form a car battery (the car shouldnt be running!). I think you can connect the negative / earth lead to an unpainted part of the frame, then if you expose the cable on the starter motor (move the rubber boot) and connect the positive there, you can start the bike :)

[petevtwin650]

Changed bulbs cos im riding late tonight (maybe!) so put in osram nightbreakers. OH coming over in an hour so will jump start and see what happens. Thanks.

I was concerned cos if the bulbs had blown that would indicate a faulty reg/rec.

ASH advice about jump starting is to be followed. Ignore my stuff.:cool:

If you get it started, which you should, you need to find out why the battery went flat. Unless when changing the bulbs you left the lights on for a while whilst checking them?

[kellyjo]

OMG plan A just failed - i removed the battery to put on to charge and the alarm just started screeching at me, so battery is now nicely back in place! Off to try plan B and jump start...

[petevtwin650]

OMG plan A just failed - i removed the battery to put on to charge and the alarm just started screeching at me, so battery is now nicely back in place! Off to try plan B and jump start...

You need to put the alarm in Service mode KJ.

[kellyjo]

Jump started immediately :-) Thanks for the help. Am wondering if it lost a bit of charge when i was testing out my new bulbs the other night. The clouds have arrived but im off for a spin and fingers crossed no more trouble. Something else ive learnt about my new bike!