caution! battery tender? or charger?

[John Biccum]

The dimming of the instrument lights and the neutral light suggest a battery problem not a fuel issue. I d start at the battery and check every electrical connection. You might also want to put a trickle charger on the battery in case it is in fact low.

 

The KLR has a vacuum-operated petcock. This means that when the bike is off, no fuel should flow to the carb. So unless the petcock diaphragm has failed, the on position is not going to hurt anything. If the petcock diaphragm failed you would likely have the entire contents of your gas tank in the crankcase or on the garage floor!

 

[b]From:[/b] DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com [mailto:DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com] [b]On Behalf Of [/b]symme7ry@... [b]Sent:[/b] Saturday, February 22, 2014 2:20 AM [b]To:[/b] DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com [b]Subject:[/b] [DSN_KLR650] VIDEO: 2005 KLR 650 won't start, doesn't seem like battery issue.

 

 

Here's a video of me trying to start my KLR 650: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TawDc6loYQE  

It doesn't seem like the battery is low, because my battery has died on my several times before. What's unique here is the rapid-fire, machine-gun-like sound as the green light goes on and off super quickly.

 

Background: 

 

(1) Six days ago, when I last started the bike, there was a loud pop/bang from the exhaust, but it started OK.

(2) For the last six days the motorcycle had been sitting there with the fuel supply valve in the "open" position (accidentally, of course).

(3) Right before the video above, the first time I tried to start the bike, there was a pop/bang from the exhaust, then it started doing what you see in the video.

 

Is the carburetor just messed up from the fuel supply being open for a week? Is there any way I can fix this without having to do a full carb clean (this happened to me once a long time ago, when I let the fuel supply valve open and didn't touch the bike for 3 months, and the carb clean cost me $400 , so I'd like to avoid that if possible. I don't remember the symptoms being the same during the earlier incident, but it was a while ago so it's hard to be sure).

 

Thanks,

Elliot

 

[Mike Frey]

It s the battery. The video is exactly what the bike will do if there is not enough current to run the starter. It could be as simple as a loose battery cable (at the terminal). My KLR will behave just like yours in the video if the battery is run down. Mike From: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com [mailto:DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of symme7ry@... Sent: Saturday, February 22, 2014 5:20 AM To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com Subject: [DSN_KLR650] VIDEO: 2005 KLR 650 won't start, doesn't seem like battery issue. Here's a video of me trying to start my KLR 650: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TawDc6loYQE It doesn't seem like the battery is low, because my battery has died on my several times before. What's unique here is the rapid-fire, machine-gun-like sound as the green light goes on and off super quickly. Background: (1) Six days ago, when I last started the bike, there was a loud pop/bang from the exhaust, but it started OK. (2) For the last six days the motorcycle had been sitting there with the fuel supply valve in the "open" position (accidentally, of course). (3) Right before the video above, the first time I tried to start the bike, there was a pop/bang from the exhaust, then it started doing what you see in the video. Is the carburetor just messed up from the fuel supply being open for a week? Is there any way I can fix this without having to do a full carb clean (this happened to me once a long time ago, when I let the fuel supply valve open and didn't touch the bike for 3 months, and the carb clean cost me $400 , so I'd like to avoid that if possible. I don't remember the symptoms being the same during the earlier incident, but it was a while ago so it's hard to be sure). Thanks, Elliot

[Ateam]

Your battery is dead.  Charge it, start it, ride it.   [b]From:[/b] symme7ry@... [b]Sent:[/b] Saturday, February 22, 2014 3:20 AM [b]To:[/b] DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com [b]Subject:[/b] [DSN_KLR650] VIDEO: 2005 KLR 650 won't start, doesn't seem like battery issue.    

Here's a video of me trying to start my KLR 650: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TawDc6loYQE   It doesn't seem like the battery is low, because my battery has died on my several times before. What's unique here is the rapid-fire, machine-gun-like sound as the green light goes on and off super quickly.   Background:   (1) Six days ago, when I last started the bike, there was a loud pop/bang from the exhaust, but it started OK. (2) For the last six days the motorcycle had been sitting there with the fuel supply valve in the "open" position (accidentally, of course). (3) Right before the video above, the first time I tried to start the bike, there was a pop/bang from the exhaust, then it started doing what you see in the video.   Is the carburetor just messed up from the fuel supply being open for a week? Is there any way I can fix this without having to do a full carb clean (this happened to me once a long time ago, when I let the fuel supply valve open and didn't touch the bike for 3 months, and the carb clean cost me $400 , so I'd like to avoid that if possible. I don't remember the symptoms being the same during the earlier incident, but it was a while ago so it's hard to be sure).   Thanks, Elliot  

[Norm Keller]

Low battery capacity or poor connection will cause this kind of symptom. What happens is that the voltage is high enough to pull the starter relay closed which makes the "click" sound. When the relay closes, the load pulls the voltage down such that it is insufficient to hold the relay closed so it opens. As soon as the relay opens, the load drops, voltage jumps up, relay closes and repeat. Rapid ratchet noise.   One can actually duplicate the condition with a variable potentiometer but takes some care so no idea how the bike does it so easily.   Charge battery, clean connections + insure that the ground cable is clean and tight at the other end.  Ditto the battery cable onto the relay (solenoid) and the starter cable at starter and relay ends.   You can jump from an automobile battery to confirm the weak battery hypothesis but don't have auto engine running, just in case yours is a load type VRR.   HIH   Norm

[Bogdan Swider]

I used to use a battery tender. ( never bothered tenderizing steaks buy grass fed ) Anyway ..since switching to high end sealed batteries a couple of Westcos and now something from Advance Auto Parts I haven't bothered; charger/tender has been lonely for years. Said batteries sure keep a charge. I try to ride at least once a month in Winter but I regularly do go out of town so the bike sits for 4/5 weeks. I no longer use synthetic oil just Rotella 15/40. Still .the engine has never failed to turn over and start, even in cold weather. Bogdan, who thinks riders of the world should throw off their chargers/tenders. From: mark ward Reply-To: mark ward Date: Friday, February 28, 2014 2:04 PM To: List KLR DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> Subject: [DSN_KLR650] CAUTION! Battery tender? OR charger?   I have seen several "threads" of people talking about short battery life. Some people use Battery CHARGERS as TENDERS. DON'T Even 1-3 amps CAN KILL......your battery. (by OVER charging) Tenders MAINTAIN, and are Automatic. A TENDER/MAITAINER SHUTS OFF, when the battery is charged. (WHEN WORKING PROPERLY.)  CHARGERS, (many) ARE JUST THAT, THEY CHARGE, AND WILL OVER CHARGE, DESTROYING A GOOD BATTERY. Then SOME!!!! are Both in one.