Bike wont start even with a jump start | GTAMotorcycle.com

Bike wont start even with a jump start

junk301

Well-known member
My bike didnt want to kick this morning so i tried jump starting it and even that wouldn't work....Really not sure why. The bike sputtered and died on me twice yesterday with full gas in the tank.. But after draining the float bowls in my gs500 it ran just fine...I tested it for 25km after. My bike is kept outside and i tried starting it at 730am...its possible the battery is dead but i dont know the reasoning as to why jumping it wont start the motor. Any helps appreciated.

My saga of motorcycle problems continues.
 
how did you try and start the bike?
 
Define "jump start". My definition is to connect to a car, car off, then start the bike. How old is your battery? Did you check the electrolyte/water levels? If you don't know, then you need to replace it. +6C is really not that cold, yet.
 
Need a better description of what's actually happening.
 
I think he meant bumpstarting it. The GS500 is a mean sucker to bump start... You need to get A LOT of speed. And did you try it in 1st or 2nd gear?

It's also a very very very cold bike. At least mine was... it hated the cold. But after warming up for a few minutes she was fine. Getting it started was the hard part...

Did you make sure to close the bowl drains? Is there still gas in the tank? Did you have the choke fully on? (even if bumpstarting, you still need the choke on for a cold engine.)
 
Ok:

-Battery is 2 weeks new.
-this morning i turned on the choke, gave it throttle as i attempted to start it. Tried again a few times then i could hear that the battery was dying.
-i then i attempted to BUMP start it. gave it lots of speed. downshifted from 3-1, opened clutch, choke on, throttle fully down....i tried this 3 times. I could hear that the bike wanted to start but alas didnt
- my dad just came back from an errand and helped me JUMP it. meaning car is off, just attach the jumper cables and let the open circuit do the rest. I waited maybe 20 sec then tried to start it. The starter was working properly but it wouldn't kick (choke fully on, and giving it throttle with each start attempt)
-i gave up and took the bus. :(
-Im back home now and the battery is sitting on the trickle charger. It had a volt reading under 12 so i hope this is the only problem
-My question is why wouldn't the bike start with a JUMP start???

And an fyi,

I bump started my bike 3 times yesterday for a different issue. Bike was stalling after 3 minutes of riding time, battery died after 2 attempts with the starter motor. I drained the float bowls and road around for 20 minutes(no stalling).
 
Have you checked your spark plugs - do you have a spark at all? If you have a spark, then electrical side is probably fine (assuming it's timing right), start checking/adjusting the carberator.
 
OK, so you killled your battery by cranking - normal.

Something's not catching/firing. Check your plug wires first. Try again. Pull the plugs. check those. steel wool them if they're charred or wet.

reinstall and try again. Don't crank the gas when your choke is open. It's already mostly a fuel mixture going in.

You need power/battery to turn the crank, but the engine still needs it's own spark/fuel to catch...
 
PHEW. i jump started the bike when my dad got home..It started luckily...i just purchased a better trickle charger..mine was the stupid one that didnt have a light or a safety stop mechanism...so now its charging. will try again in the morning. thank you all
 
I suggest, NEVER, EVER GIVING IT FULL THROTTLE WHEN STARTING IT COLD.
 

I think its because as soon as the engine starts turning over, the full throttle will cause the RPMS to shoot straight up. The oil hasn't had a chance to warm up yet so there's a potential for some engine damage.

But I could be completely wrong.
 
You don't want to flood the combustion chamber with fuel during start up.
If the plugs get wet, they will not spark.
Sure a little throttle may be helpfull. But full choke never helps any bike start.
 
You don't want to flood the combustion chamber with fuel during start up.
If the plugs get wet, they will not spark.
Sure a little throttle may be helpfull. But full choke never helps any bike start.

Agreed, sounds like the bike is getting flooded.

In the age of FI new riders dont know how to start their bikes.

One quick twist of the throttle on my ktm and the bike wont start before my leg is too tired to ride.
 
I'm not too sure about FI. It may compensate for full throttle.
But why would you give it full throttle?
 
I should rephrase that.

With FI bikes its push a button and it fires up. Replace that with a carb bike and a lot of people dont know how to get them going.
 
It's easy to run carb bikes...I remember the first time I started an FI bike and gassed it to the moon and she stalled right away...apparently, they don't need revving at startup is what they said

by the way 01 cbr ...you prelude is sold...
 
It's easy to run carb bikes...I remember the first time I started an FI bike and gassed it to the moon and she stalled right away...apparently, they don't need revving at startup is what they said

by the way 01 cbr ...you prelude is sold...

Some carb bikes are easier to start than others. You really shouldn't need to give a carb bike gas on start up either.
 
all motorcycles are engineered to start from cold with no throttle. Carb full choke. Fi just push the button. If you open throttle on either the motor can easily be flooded. On carbed bikes when hot you may need slight throttle opening. If you can smell fuel the motor is flooded. If you turn off choke and hold throttle wide open while cranking the excess fuel gets spit out the exhaust and bike will fire and then stall because no choke. So now turn choke on full and use no throttle again. Bike should start. This may have to be repeated if badly flooded. Your bike should always be parked with a full tank of fuel this helps with condensation. In a tank that is almost empty parked oiutside for two weeks there will be so much water in fuel it won't run at all. Drain fuel and carbs and refill with new fuel and stabilizer.
 

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