[High On Octane]

    Thanks all you guys; High, ERC & AzCat.

     I hardly ever don't do my homework. I usually OVERdo it. But I really screwed up using my regular car battery charger on this little AGM overnight.

       I've searched the right chargers out this time & will settle on one & order it today. It should be here around the same time as the new battery. I'm gonna hardwire the plug into the bike.

The battery adapter wire is a cool feature for these newer chargers.  I've used that wire and almost all of my battery operated bikes.  There's not much you need to do for it either.  It already has ring terminals crimped on, you just hook it up to the battery the same time you are connecting you main battery leads o the battery.  Then you just find a safe place to hide the wire so it's not getting tangled with anything.  It is very handy for people like yourself who don't ride on a regular basis.  Literally takes 30 seconds to hook up the charger.

Scottie J

[tooseevee]

The battery adapter wire is a cool feature for these newer chargers.  I've used that wire and almost all of my battery operated bikes.  There's not much you need to do for it either.  It already has ring terminals crimped on, you just hook it up to the battery the same time you are connecting you main battery leads o the battery.  Then you just find a safe place to hide the wire so it's not getting tangled with anything.  It is very handy for people like yourself who don't ride on a regular basis.  Literally takes 30 seconds to hook up the charger.

Scottie J

         That's the kind I'll get.

          Batteries are sort of a mystery sometimes I went down a while ago & that battery has held 12.89V overnight. Just shows you voltage means nothing. It's the amps that get you there.

[High On Octane]

         That's the kind I'll get.

          Batteries are sort of a mystery sometimes I went down a while ago & that battery has held 12.89V overnight. Just shows you voltage means nothing. It's the amps that get you there.

You are absolutely right about that!  The last Advance battery that failed on me failed so bad that I thought my alternator had failed again and left me stranded out in the country.  Removed the battery to bring it home and charge it.  After a 5 hour charge, the battery said it was about 12.9v, hooked up a single 1157 bulb and the voltage started jumping everywhere from 0v-7.5v.  That was a new one for me.

[tooseevee]

    Thanks all you guys; High, ERC & AzCat.

     I hardly ever don't do my homework. I usually OVERdo it. But I really screwed up using my regular car battery charger on this little AGM overnight.

       I've searched the right chargers out this time & will settle on one & order it today. It should be here around the same time as the new battery. I'm gonna hardwire the plug into the bike.

            Just an update so you won't think I died (I CAN't die. The bike's not running  )

             I ordered the battery (Interstate) & the charger on the 17th. The battery was here in a couple days. No charger yet. I'm hoping today. The battery has a permanent sticker on it telling you exactly how to charge it very slowly, slowly or quickly. The initial charge includes another 24 hours on float after the light turns green. 

             

[1 Thump]

Just to add to the battery discussion: My Motobatt AGM also crapped on me , a couple of weeks ago. It lasted less than 3 years, and not many miles. I charged it but it would not hold charge. I read some user reviews on Amazon regarding the Motobatt. A couple of posters commented that once it died on them it was impossible to recharge. However, if maintained on a trickle charger it worked fine and lasted a good time. YMMV.

I have a Scorpio LiFePO4 battery now. Very Very light, and works well. 

[tooseevee]

I charged it but it would not hold charge. I read some user reviews on Amazon regarding the Motobatt. A couple of posters commented that once it died on them it was impossible to recharge. However, if maintained on a trickle charger it worked fine and lasted a good time. YMMV.

          This is also what the general consensus seems to be from all the reading I've done about AGMs.

           I'm still going to give the old battery a try before a shitcan it. I hooked a light up to it & drained it down to dead zero. After I charge the new one with my new magic charger, I'm gonna hook it up to the old one & see what happens.  All indications from what I've read say it ain't gonna work & it will never hold a charge again for any length of time.

[tooseevee]

    My "Genius" arrived (finally) & the new Interstate is all charged plus an additional 24 hour float as reeko mended.

    Installed the battery a while ago with the charger pigtails & since I've had a little bit of a problem getting the bitchy little mixture screw right for kick starting, here's what I thought I'd try this time (I had previously changed to the #27.5 Pilot from the #30 because with the #30 the mixture screw wanted to be three turns out):

     I'm going to start at 1 1/2 turns out on the mixture screw & go through a normal starting procedure. If I get nothing I'm going to wait an hour each time coming another 1/4 turn out each time.
       
      Does that sound shmart? Any other ideas?

      PS: I have all the time in the world    All I have is time.

       

[ace.cafe]

That's okay for a basic directional adjustment, but sometimes it might need smaller increments of adjustment to zero it in.

And also, the exact amount of screw adjustment may change with the varying temps, so it will always be changing with enough change in temps.

I find that sometimes trying to get too perfect will be frustrating because the weather changes almost daily, especially in spring and fall.

[DanB]

     I'm going to start at 1 1/2 turns out on the mixture screw & go through a normal starting procedure. If I get nothing I'm going to wait an hour each time coming another 1/4 turn out each time.

Same here. It got hot and humid. Funny enough, to kick it I had to turn IN a 1/4 of a turn richening it. I left it and road off. Plug is darker but it feels fine.

[tooseevee]

That's okay for a basic directional adjustment, but sometimes it might need smaller increments of adjustment to zero it in.

And also, the exact amount of screw adjustment may change with the varying temps, so it will always be changing with enough change in temps.

I find that sometimes trying to get too perfect will be frustrating because the weather changes almost daily, especially in spring and fall.

            Yup. I realize all that. What I should have said was I'll turn out 1/4 of a turn each time until it kick starts in two or three kicks which is what it SHould do. No reason it shouldn't. THEN I'll start micro-tuning the mixture after a good run down the road.

              I'm praying it was the dead (or close to dead) battery that kept it from starting previously. If it turns out giving me shit about kick starting again this time (with a brand new 100% battery) I'm gonna get sick of it real quick.

[ace.cafe]

            Yup. I realize all that. What I should have said was I'll turn out 1/4 of a turn each time until it kick starts in two or three kicks which is what it SHould do. No reason it shouldn't. THEN I'll start micro-tuning the mixture after a good run down the road.

              I'm praying it was the dead (or close to dead) battery that kept it from starting previously. If it turns out giving me shit about kick starting again this time (with a brand new 100% battery) I'm gonna get sick of it real quick.

If it was good enough before the dead battery, it will be good now.
Maybe a little adjustment for the small change in weather since that time.
Should be good to go.

[High On Octane]

I don't think weather changes prevented it from not starting before, more than likely the dead battery.  Temperature would have to change a good 20-25*F before the air would start causing it to not start.  Or at least that is what I observed all those years riding in Wisconsin.  If you can't get it to at least start with the new set up you may need to change the needle position again.  Maybe not, but maybe.  But you have to got to be really close.

[Adrian II]

Hope it all comes together for at last. If you still can't get the Mikuni to play ball, I have a spare Dell'Orto PHF32 pumper carb complete with the ally mounting flange (manifold?) for the AVL sitting idle in the garage. About time the thing earned its keep again, let me know if you're interested.

Regards,

A.

[tooseevee]

Hope it all comes together for at last. If you still can't get the Mikuni to play ball, I have a spare Dell'Orto PHF32 pumper carb complete with the ally mounting flange (manifold?) for the AVL sitting idle in the garage. About time the thing earned its keep again, let me know if you're interested.
Regards,
A.

            Thanks, Adrian, but I can't start all over again with something totally different & unfamiliar. I won't live long enough. I'm about at the end of my rope getting to that sweet spot where I can reliably kick start this black son of a bitch. It's become very painful on top of the pain I've become used to my whole life (that has made me the stubborn bastard that I am) & I have gone through EVERY combination of EVERYTHING I've learned from the past 77 years & what I've learned here from you guys here on the forum.

        I just tried the most recent experiment of dozens a few minutes ago; I tried kicking it this time (sitting overnight cold) with the enrichener pulled for every kick & the key on the whole time instead of just for one or two kicks with the key off. 6 nice clean full kicks later NOTHING. Again! Not a HINT of trying to start. And again I'll go down when I recover & pull the plug & see if it's wet & sit & decide what to try next..

         It just reFUSes to kick start.

        I may end up putting all that battery rack crap back on & going back to the big battery & using the ES 'til the sprag blows up & then selling it to one of you guys for $200

         I just don't know what to do next.............................. I just won't have a bike I can't kick start.

         Happy Labor Day everybody (whatever THAT means). 

[High On Octane]

I hate to sound redundant but did you check the ignition fuse?  I've had mine randomly blow before.  I know it's not likely but might be worth taking a peek.