Bike won't start after winterizing | GTAMotorcycle.com

Bike won't start after winterizing

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MAD_MAX333

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2016 Kawasaki Vulcan S

Running fine before winter with no issues. This winter, as opposed to previous years, I decided to run the bike dry for the winter. So I siphoned as much gas as I could out of the tank, then ran the bike on idle until it finally died, which took foreverrrrrrrr.

Took the battery out and put it on a tender for a couple months but then took it off the tender.

So now I went and got 93+ new gas and put 4 liters of gas in. Just installed the battery back although I've lost the screws to the connection terminals so I'm using some random screws that barely screw in and hold stuff tight (will pick up screws this week). I turn the key and lights all turn on, I can hear the fuel pump priming, but when I try ot turn on it tries to turn over like normal for a 0.5 second then goes to rapid clicking and nothing happens. I tried turning the bike off and on thinking maybe the fuel pump needed to pull more gas or something, tried cranking it about 6 times, and nothing happening.

YouTube said it could be battery or could be fuel pump being burnt out for running on air a while? So I put battery tender on the battery again, then bought a battery tester. Battery said if it's under 12.4v it's bad. My battery is reading 13.6-13.8... that's good right? So if it's not the battery then what could people suggest? Is it a fuel system? Is it possible that 4liters isn't enough? Is the engine not getting gas somehow?

Really don't want to tow it to the dealer already sigh.
 
A video from the time you turn the key on with focus on the tach would be a much better description of what is not happening.
 
Why run it dry? Instead of full?
As Brian said your battery is not making good contact. My bike this spring, I turned the key the dash lit up for a second then went dark. Checked the battery connections and they were tight still. Removed the battery screws, cleaned the terminals with a piece of sandpaper. Reinstalled. Problem sovled.
 
Take the battery out and have it load tested.
Just because its showing sufficient voltage doesn't mean it has enough cranking amps.
The bike is a 2016, if this is the original battery it may be at the end of its useful life (7 years).
 
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More than once I've seen bad or corroded connections do just that.
 
As with the others, I would focus on the battery connections first. As you have disturbed cables, also check the frame end of the ground cable to make sure it has a good connection. A bad connection (or battery) will run lights but fall on its face when asked to do hard work.
 
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Sorry to hear, ditto on the no-start, for me it's likely the battery. Symptoms & more, below:

- drained the gas tank because I forgot to add fuel stabilizer and it was a full tank of 87, filled it up with 1L of fresh 94
- battery was also on a tender for ... most of the winter, initial reading was 13.5v
- same experience as you on attempting to start it (fuel pump sound, clicks, no start), voltage would drop to ~6v and rebound to ~12v very slowly
- ran jumpers from my car and bike started up on the second attempt (forgot to set choke on the first)
- left it idling for 15min charging from the car and then another 15min on its own, still ran ok
- turned it off and left it sitting for 30 min, would not start on its own again
- put the battery back on the tender, let it reach ~13V, still no start, same voltage drop as before
- it sounds better than before, where it now tries to turn over, more than just clicking, but still no go (has been on the tender for 3 straight days)
 
monkeyfarm said:
Sorry to hear, ditto on the no-start, for me it's likely the battery. Symptoms & more, below:

- drained the gas tank because I forgot to add fuel stabilizer and it was a full tank of 87, filled it up with 1L of fresh 94
- battery was also on a tender for ... most of the winter, initial reading was 13.5v
- same experience as you on attempting to start it (fuel pump sound, clicks, no start), voltage would drop to ~6v and rebound to ~12v very slowly
- ran jumpers from my car and bike started up on the second attempt (forgot to set choke on the first)
- left it idling for 15min charging from the car and then another 15min on its own, still ran ok
- turned it off and left it sitting for 30 min, would not start on its own again
- put the battery back on the tender, let it reach ~13V, still no start, same voltage drop as before
- it sounds better than before, where it now tries to turn over, more than just clicking, but still no go (has been on the tender for 3 straight days)
Click to expand...
Time for a new battery.
 
monkeyfarm said:
Sorry to hear, ditto on the no-start, for me it's likely the battery. Symptoms & more, below:

- drained the gas tank because I forgot to add fuel stabilizer and it was a full tank of 87, filled it up with 1L of fresh 94
- battery was also on a tender for ... most of the winter, initial reading was 13.5v
- same experience as you on attempting to start it (fuel pump sound, clicks, no start), voltage would drop to ~6v and rebound to ~12v very slowly
- ran jumpers from my car and bike started up on the second attempt (forgot to set choke on the first)
- left it idling for 15min charging from the car and then another 15min on its own, still ran ok
- turned it off and left it sitting for 30 min, would not start on its own again
- put the battery back on the tender, let it reach ~13V, still no start, same voltage drop as before
- it sounds better than before, where it now tries to turn over, more than just clicking, but still no go (has been on the tender for 3 straight days)
Click to expand...
13 v should crank it. Did you check the connections? Boosting it with the car would just mask the problem.
 
Fair enough but I stand by the importance of clean connections and that boosting could mask poor connections.
 
timtune said:
13 v should crank it. Did you check the connections? Boosting it with the car would just mask the problem.
Click to expand...
I thought so too, initially, but after reading the service manual and going thought the circuit leak tests and everything else that didn't require a special device, I am still leaning towards the battery being it. Did inspect, clean, and reseat a lot of the contacts since I had the tank and most of the plastic covers off. Just in case...

I'm going to hike it over to Whitby tomorrow afternoon, or Friday since I have that day off. Was planning to visit RD or GP to pick up a spare visor and now possibly a new battery. One of the two should have a battery tester that could help settle this.
 
If you already have a voltmeter, you can do a rudimentary load test by measuring battery voltage while pressing the starter to make sure it's not dropping too low. One of the batteries I traded in to Princess Auto read 13v after a charge and resting, but as soon as I put load on it it dropped to 6 or less.
 
Relax said:
If you already have a voltmeter, you can do a rudimentary load test by measuring battery voltage while pressing the starter to make sure it's not dropping too low. One of the batteries I traded in to Princess Auto read 13v after a charge and resting, but as soon as I put load on it it dropped to 6 or less.
Click to expand...
That's exactly what's happening. I'm wondering if this is the case for @MAD_MAX333 as well.
 
monkeyfarm said:
That's exactly what's happening. I'm wondering if this is the case for @MAD_MAX333 as well.
Click to expand...

Oops, didn't realize you weren't the OP. Going back to what you wrote, the confirmation that the bike is fine and the battery is the problem is being able to jump start it off the car battery and it being able to run on its own. What specific charger did you have the battery connected to all winter? I don't even trust my official Battery Tender anymore (got it in the late 80's), only my Optimate and CTek for long term charging.
 
Relax said:
Oops, didn't realize you weren't the OP. Going back to what you wrote, the confirmation that the bike is fine and the battery is the problem is being able to jump start it off the car battery and it being able to run on its own. What specific charger did you have the battery connected to all winter? I don't even trust my official Battery Tender anymore (got it in the late 80's), only my Optimate and CTek for long term charging.
Click to expand...
I don't usualt leave it connected to the charger for long periods of time. I would just plug the charger in every other weekend for 4-5H to keep the battery topped up.

This is the charger:
20230518_122330.jpg

Took it off the charger and tried again just now.

Voltage pre-start attempt:
20230518_122551.jpg
And the voltage right after a failed start:
20230518_122645.jpg

Very sure the battery is toast.
 
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