Bike has power, but won't start, clicking noise on key turn | GTAMotorcycle.com

Bike has power, but won't start, clicking noise on key turn

chingo

Well-known member
I ride my bike everyday from job to job (our crews bring the equipment etc..) So the bike sees all types of weather and conditions.
I left a job in South Whitby and it started fine, (varying speeds, stop and start etc..)
got home and noticed that the dash lights where dim when i went to put it into neutral and shut it off.
Opened garage and when i went to start it , it was a no go. Everything comes up like normal, but when i hit start button, all i get is a clicking noise.
Also when i put on my indicators, my dash lights pulse and my rear light pulses. Any input would be appreciated?????
 
Dead battery. You can recharge it but it might be that the current battery is on its last legs depending on how old it is. If so, get a new battery and replace the old one. You can take out the old one and bring it to CTC for load testing.
 
new battery and i ride bike everyday, but i will charge it, and it could be a lemon, thanks i'll give it a try and repost tonight when i try it
 
new battery and i ride bike everyday, but i will charge it, and it could be a lemon, thanks i'll give it a try and repost tonight when i try it
What make of new battery and how old is new ?
If you have access to a multimeter there are a couple of simple checks you can make to insure the charging system is working properly.
And there's always the "are the terminal bolts tight ?" question...
 
Remove battery and give the terminals and all the connecting cables a good cleaning with some fine sandpaper. They can look OK, but have a fine film of corrosion on them that causes the symptoms you describe.
 
Weird that a new battery would do this. You might have a parasitic current draw with the bike off and key removed that is draining the battery. It might be a recent problem since you haven't experienced this before. Read up on the Interwebs to see if others talk about this sort of problem.
 
No mention of the bike model but it sounds like your charging system faded out while enroute. This was a common issue with bikes back in the past (ie'80s vintage due to stator failures)

Easy check is to charge your battery and start the bike. Connect a volt meter and note if the voltage varies with rpm's or stays static.
 
When you replace a battery, you should always check the charging voltage.

A charging problems cause dead batteries and if not corrected, will continue to kill new batteries.
 
2007 kawasaki ninja 650R as in my pic id. battery bought from blackstock motosports in June 2021, bolts were tight first thing i checked, I next did a terminal check then a wiring visible damage check as well as a fuse box check. As stated above I put it on a trickle charge all day today and when i got home from work, it started. If I rode home from work yesterday approx 35km and it died when i got home (should of been charging the whole ride home). then i trickle charged it today and it started no problem. maybe robmack is onto something, i guess its test time with the multimeter, will post my findings, meanwhile any and all helpful input would be appreciated.
 
With multimeter in hand, start the bike and see what voltage you're getting to the battery - should be 14+ volts.
Next, follow the wires out of the stator - it has 3 windings - make sure none are shorted to ground.
If those 2 checks come clean and the battery has passed a load test all that's left is the voltage regulator/rectifier.
 
One more thing - the alternator rotor COULD fail (demagnetize) but it's highly unlikely.
 
started bike got 12.83 volts, shut off bike 13.11v, wires are not shorting to ground, however, it was raining when i came home
 
Test for AC volts across the battery terminals with the engine running. If you get anything more than a few millivolts, the regulator is shot. Also, 12.8 - 13 is battery resting voltage. With charging you should read 14V or so. Don't run the battery in the bike until you diagnose and fix the charging circuit.
 
did a quick check started bike while it was running pulled ground cable from battery off leaving only the positive connected
bike died instantly
 

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