Pointy starting problems.

[Sabarius]

When I start my bike (2004 650s pointy 24k miles) it struggles to kick in, it's like the battery is flat and it finally struggles into life. At the same time the digital display flickers and goes blank like its struggling to draw power.

It's not actually failed to start yet but when it's iffy in the morning it's not giving me confidence that it's going to be ok when I try to come home again!

So a few facts that might be relevant...

- I mainly do short journeys 3m into work, plus a good blast once a week or so (50m)

- after a really good run it improves a bit for a day or do then it's back

- I've had the charging checked and that's all good right from idle to top revs (according to the mechanic)

- only thing that I've changed before this trouble started was install K&N filter and some iridium plugs. Not sure that's relevant

- over the winter my battery did go completely flat one time.

So where do I go from here? is it worth putting a new battery in just to try it? Is there much else it could be?

Thanks.

[Sabarius]

Oh and one time I drove a few miles to get fuel and it did it when I went to pull away. Again might be relevant

[DJ123]

sounds like a battery/electrical issue. test the battery and see if it is holding the charge

[Bibio]

what does the bike tick over at?

could just be a bit low.

[Sabarius]

About 1.5k revs. Not lumpy or anything, runs really nicely once it's started.

[MJC-DEV]

Worth getting a new battery and hook it up to a maintence charger at weekends or over night.

[Sabarius]

Someone at work suggested it might actually be damp in the ht leads from when I changed the plugs. Mentioned something about reselling them?

Might be worth a look as I did know to deal them with anything, just changed the plugs and popped the ht leads back in. How should I have done it?

[StewartR]

Could be the starter motor causing the problem. Okay so it was a car but I had the same symptoms, replaced the battery and no good. It was drawing so much current that there wasn't enough for the coil to get a decent spark together. The moment you stopped cranking it usually started. Short bursts of the starter got me round it 'till I changed the motor.

Before you commit to a new battery, see what current is being drawn while cranking. Not sure what the SV should draw but I think someone here will tell you that...someone more clever than I. Bear in mind that a regular multimeter will only measure up to 10 amps before it pops so that might be your main challenge with this check.

Only a suggestion but worth a stab before you commit. It certainly fits your symptoms.