[waterboy]

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[gashousegorilla]

  Confused ?...... In the title you say it cranks, but in the description you say it doesn't turn over ?   If it cranks, but doesn't start ?   I do not believe it is the side stand switch.  The side stand switch will not let the bike crank......

  How old is your battery ?

  IF..... your battery is weak from sitting there for a month and not being on a battery tender of trickle charger.  There may not be enough in it, to spin the thing over fast enough.  As you continue to try, the battery gets weaker... AND ... everytime you try , you are spraying cold fuel in to the chamber that is probably fouling your plug.

  You may want to try removing the spark plug, and with the key off..... kicking the bike over a few times to clear the cylinder and let the plug dry out.  And charge the battery....

[waterboy]

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[gashousegorilla]

Thanks.  yes sorry, wrong wording.  it cranks, meaning the starter is working and i smell gas, but it just wont start.  I removed the plug and wiped it down and sanded any gunk.  it didn't look too bad.  but it didn't work.  but yeh maybe i have just flooded it by now. the battery is less than a year old and is on a trickle charge with green light.  sometimes it reads red, but maybe it just cycles red to green red to green? 

re:
"You may want to try removing the spark plug, and with the key off..... kicking the bike over a few times to clear the cylinder and let the plug dry out.  And charge the battery...."

do you mean literaly taking the plug out and leaving the cyclinder exposed while i kick start it a few times?

  Yes, that is what I mean.  With the key off, and the bike in neutral and the spark plug removed and the hole open...... kick it over to blow out the excess fuel you may have built up in there.    The key off BTW, is so the bike wont spark at the plug wire AND you will not be adding any more fuel.   Remember..... whenever you hear the fuel pump wirrrrrrr..... that is fuel being sprayed into the chamber.    And if it continuously doesn't start?


  Not sure what kind off charger you have?  But the red light thing does not sound right to me ?    But it may be ?  If it is a Battery tender..... when you plug it in or connect it, it will be red. Then blink green, then go steady green when it's charged and floats.   Do you have a volt meter to check the battery ?

[High On Octane]

Did your bike fall over anytime recently?  The roll over switch could be acting up.

Scottie

[waterboy]

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[waterboy]

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[gashousegorilla]

ok thanks.  will try that and will source a volt meter to see about the charge.  but i dont undertstand how the battery could be the issue if the lights are workin, and the electric starter is cranking.

  No prob...... Simple stuff first.  You said your bike was fine when you parked it..... and the only thing that changed is that it sat for a month... Correct ?   The battery seems to me to be the most logical for now.... until you eliminate it as a cause.  AND you need a good battery to trouble shoot further, should you need to.   IF.... if the battery is weak, the light's and electrics will work..... but it may not be enough to spin it over fast enough.   I'm not there..... does it sound like it is cranking fast enough ?

   What I'm thinking is..... and I could be wrong, is..... When you went to start your bike initially, the battery was weak after sitting for a month.  It didn't start, so you exasperated things by continuously trying to start it..... weakening the battery further and flooding it.   Give the battery a FULL charge, clear the cylinder and try again.  If that doesn't do it ?   You can move on......

[barenekd]

Have you checked fuses? Does the plug have any spark? Is the shutoff switch on?
Bare

[Craig McClure]

As an aside, It won't hurt to start adding STABIL to you gas. It helps keep fuel fresh & injector clean + aids quick starting. I use the green Marine Formula that counteracts the affects of the Ethanol we are getting, & keeping gas fresh. Effects of spoiled fuel aint fun. STABIL can only help.

[DanKearney]

Well, you just need three things for the bike to run (More or less):  Air, Fuel, and spark.


1.  Did a pack of mice take up residence in your air filter box while the bike was sitting for a month?  Don't laugh, I had it happen to one of my cars.


2.  Do you hear the fuel system cycle when you turn the ignition key on.  If the system doesn't pressurize, the motor won't run.

3.  If you determine that the battery is indeed fully charged, I suggest you check for spark by removing the spark plug, leave the high tension lead connected, ground the plug and crank the bike.  Do you see a spark?


Good Luck,


Cheers,


Dan K.

[Sectorsteve]

If your battery dies can you kick start these things if you have the kick start ...

[Royalista]

As long as there is a trifle in the battery to drive the pump, you can, most certainly. It is indeed the only way.
Voltage around 10.2V; the pump will buzz very slowly. All else good as it should it will go at the kick.

[barenekd]

I'd call that a dead battery! That might work on an old points machine, but it's pretty much the bottom for EFI, etc.
Bare

[Kevin Mahoney]

I kind of agree about the battery. The EFI will not work with low voltage. Could also be the clutch or sidestand switch

[Royalista]

I related what happened a few months ago.

Couldn't ride because petrol tank was at a welder for nearly a month. That didn't work and I had to resort to a devil's trick.
Preoccupied with that problem, and the unexpected long delay, I had neglected proper care of battery.
As I turned the ignition the fuel pump buzzed very low and slow, this battery was near death.
But the bike started at the first kick, and held.
I tested battery, multimeter read 10.5V.
So, starting can be done at such low charge.

I feared for life of battery but it recovered normally and holds as good as before. Got away with it, this time.
By the way, this is also consistent with Workshop Manual (9-9). 

Multimeters may deviate, but this one is in line with my two battery chargers. Therefore I consider it fairly accurate.