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My bike just died on me - how should I proceed?

R

RayAllen

New member
Joined
Mar 28, 2010
Location
San Francisco
Moto(s)
Currently no bike
So I had a pretty eventful night. After getting my bike back about 2-3 days ago after a major maintenance which included oil change, carb synching, valves, more, my bike started to get harder to start. I own a ninja 250, '03. It used to start no problem with just a little bit of choke in the morning. Now, it seems like it required a bit more oomph in order to get the electrical part of the bike working.

Tonight, I was riding my bike on freeway going about 70mph, with the high beams on. I felt the bike starting to idle on me while in gear, and it suddenly died. I had to pull over on the side of the freeway. I kept trying to start it. Finally after putting the choke on all the way, it started and got me a bit farther until it died again. I kept trying to turn it back on, with and without the choke until it completely died. Like I heard the battery make a weird sound, proclaiming that it was dead.

I didn't bring my phone with me. I'm so glad someone was kind enough to pull over and let me use their phone, and to push my bike onto the sidewalk. I called my father, and we jump-started my bike. I rode it back home, less than a mile away - thank god. But I felt like maybe it was going to die on me during the end of the ride. I parked it, turned it off. Turned it on again and it started with no problem.

Now my questions are:
1. Is it the battery? Should I just replace it? I don't know when this current battery was installed.
2. Do you think it's maybe loose wiring or something that could drain the electricity from the battery?
3. Should I ride my bike tomorrow if it starts right up? I have class in the morning, but I'm concerned that it will die on me again in the middle of a ride. My dad thinks it shouldn't be the battery because I can turn the bike on, off and that I should be able to ride it no problem.
4. How much electricity should be in the battery now? My dad used his truck to jump-start it.
5. Should I just bring it back in to my mechanic and get it looked at?

I'll be checking this in the morning.
Thanks
 
Vacuum leak, and a big one too.
 
Did you get the maintenance done at a shop? If so take it back and let them know what happen to see if its something they did or was caused by the maintenance.
 
I bet it's out of gas or an air leak ??? and your regulator/rectifier is DOA...


Batt should hover above 12vdc at rest and charge around 13-14vdc when running at 4k RPM.
 
I bet it's out of gas
Click to expand...

You sure that theres gas in the tank? What position is the petcock in?

Useing the choke to get it re-started indicates a lean or out-of-gas condition.
 
svclee said:
Did you get the maintenance done at a shop? If so take it back and let them know what happen to see if its something they did or was caused by the maintenance.
Click to expand...

+1
 
Started the bike up today no problem with no choke. Before that I filled it with gas via a container because it did look like there wasn't much gas left. I could only see a bit at the bottom.

I rode the bike for about 10 minutes to class and let it sit for around an hour and a half, got back and tried to start it up but I was having the troubles of starting it up again. The only way it would start was if I turned it on then simultaneously used the throttle. What could be causing this?

I'll be bringing the bike back in to the mechanic that helped me with my major maintenance. I just hope it doesn't die on me until then. I've looked at all of your feedback, however I wouldn't even know where to begin to look for the problems you guys listed. Thanks for the input.

Would you recommend me riding it anymore today and tomorrow? I'll be bringing the bike in 2m after class.
 
After you put gas in it.. it'll probably run just fine. :)

RayAllen said:
Started the bike up today no problem with no choke. Before that I filled it with gas via a container because it did look like there wasn't much gas left. I could only see a bit at the bottom.
Click to expand...
 
If the problem really was just a lack of gas, then why after jump-starting the bike was I able to ride it home - about a 5 min drive with the gas level being below the reserve?
 
ride it more, so you can get to the hard to start point again, then try to start it with the gas cap open and see if it starts easily. if so, pinched vent line
 
I also noticed that the hard to start point was occuring when I had the choke on full. I was in the habit of doing this before the maintenance so it was second nature to me. Now the bike starts normally with no choke. I'll be bringing the bike in right now.
 
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