Just bought it and broke down!

Hi all,

This is my first post as I'm tearing my hair out. I've just bought my very first bike from a private buyer in New Milton (Near Southampton). I bought a 2000 (W reg) curvy SV650S full fairing with 7,700miles.

I bought the bike as everything seemed to be running great. I got half hour along my journey home when I stopped for fuel. When I stopped I kicked the side stand out whilst in gear with the clutch in - this cut out, I guessed on the side stand cut-out switch.

When I came back out from paying for my fuel the bike would not start. I tried it several times with no luck. 2 hours later the AA man turns up and concludes a dead battery. He checked the charging of the battery, at idle he was reading around 12.5V, that went up to about 12.8 at 3,000 rpm and dropped off again above that.

The previous owner said that the battery is fairly new and that she's never had a problem with charging in the past (although, I'm not sure if she's telling porkies).

I've done quite a lot of searching this evening and have found there's a common problem with the R/R and that it's worth replacing. Does this sound like the issue? Could someone tell me how to diagnose this (laymans terms please - I'm no mechanic). Could it be something to do with the side stand cut out not switching off/causing issues (I doubt this as I managed to get it running using the AA mans booster - but this did not charge the battery and it died 500 yards down the road).

Basically I'm trying to find out how to fix this as cheaply and quickly as possible as I've spent my last penny (and more) just to buy it and I really want to get out on it.

Any info would be hugely, massively, greatly appreciated.....first bike....half hour out....break down....major frustration! I'm based in Bristol if anyone who may be able to help is free (can pay in beer/cider).

Thanks in advance,

Tom

[Juju]

So the AA man got it started. So presumably he managed to get some life into the battery, to get you home.

When you got home, has it started again? If not, then it sounds possibly like a charging issue, which could be anything. Curvys seem to have a common fault that the wiring loom can wear against the bodywork, (well mine did) which seemed to knacker the whole charging circuit, and I ened up with a rewound alternator, battery, wiring repar and a reg/rec for good measure.

If the battery was dead when Mr AA got to it, it doesnt sound like a dodgy cut out switch, although that is also a fairly common fault.

My guess is to wait for Sid Squid to appear, frankly the chap is a mechanical bible on SV's.

[TamSV]

Doesn't sound like the side stand switch is the problem

Originally Posted by DunkerT

the bike would not start.... I tried it several times...the AA man concludes a dead battery.

The question is - would it not start because the battery was flat..or is the battery flat because it wouldn't start?

What was happening when you were trying to start? Was it turning over quick enough but not firing or were you just getting the "whuum whuum click" of a flat battery?

If it was the latter, and bearing this in mind..

Originally Posted by DunkerT

He checked the charging of the battery, at idle he was reading around 12.5V, that went up to about 12.8 at 3,000 rpm and dropped off again above that.

..it may well be a charging issue.

There's a few tests you can do. Have you got/can you get a multimeter?

Get the battery on a charger just now to make sure it's fully charged before you start.

Come back once you've got the above together and someone will talk you through the tests to do. (I would do it now but I'm mildly drunk).

Hi guys,

When I tried to start it I got a few sputters of it trying to fire up but not enough to actually get it to go. The more I tried to do it the less it did until I jus got a clicking sounds ( battery dying I guess). If I waited 10 minutes and tried again I got the sputter again which died off to the click the more I tried it.

When the AA man got there he said it was a dead battery. He got it running again using the boost start machine which got the bike ticking over again. We left it idling and took the reading over the battery terminals (12.5V), then we put some revs on it (12.8V at 3000rpm and droppped after). As the bike was running but not charging I rode it up to a local motorcycle shop (500 yrds) to see if they could help. As I got the the shop the bike died just as I pulled up.

I ended up being recovered on the truck back to Bristol. I havent tried starting it since then as it's in my mates garage for storage until I can figure out what to do. I can get hold of a multimeter either tomorrow or Tuesday from someone at work so any instructions on diagnosing would be a big help.

Juju, that sounds like an expensive repair, I really hope it's not going to be that bad, how much did that all cost you? (if you dont mind me asking).

Thanks for the help so far guys.

Tom

get it onto a booster and see if it'll start-if its does i'd be thinking that its the usual suspect not charging the battery, simple replacement job, newish about 50 bangers, you'll be able to pick up a second hand one for about 25-30 but will have no guarantees how long it might last-some people end up going through a few others have the original one their bikes with no issues.

[Geodude]

If you get your hands on a multimeter have a run through this fault finder guide as its quite useful. Good luck

Cool, thanks for the replies. I'll give this fault finding a go (I think I get most of it) as soon as I can get up to my mates garage.

Thanks again, I'll let you know what I find.

[Geodude]

Hope you get it sorted bud. Don't know if you read my battery thread but might be worth a looksee just incase.

Crikey, looks like you went through a right pain with all that. Thanks for the help though, much appreciated. Just can't believe I'm going through all this with my first bike, been waiting to get it for years and then managed to get half hour out on it before it died!

Hopefully be able to fix it before long so I can get out before the weather really turns. My mate is getting the battery out and popping it on charge for me as we speak, will give it 24 hours for a charge and see if we can do some fault finding tomorrow night!

Thanks again,

Tom

[yorkie_chris]

Quite likely to be the reg-rec, they are a weak point and I've seen a few go when stood for a while. Even one which I'd checked was charging, then sold the bike only to have the embarrassment of it reappearing on the back of a trailer 2 hours later!