Bike won't start - suggestions?

[Salgar]

Last month I rode my bike (A 2008 street triple) 2800 miles around Europe, and I got back around a month ago, since then I haven't used the bike, I haven't even moved it.

Today I went to go for a ride and the bike wouldn't start. Dash comes on fine, no warning lights, and the fuel pump makes the regular priming noise.
When trying to start it turns over furiously but no ignition.

There is plenty of fuel in the tank, and I can smell it very slightly when turning it over. I'm thinking something to do with the spark, or the fuel delivery? But I'm not sure where I should start looking?

Here is a video of me trying to start it and the noise that makes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nbbGhT94dA

[anonymous-user]

Sounds obvious but.....battery?
My Tiger 1050 sounded exactly the same when the battery started to fail.
Had the guts to power all the low load stuff like lights and fuel pump, but simply not enough to go bang.
If it smells of fuel you've probably also flooded it. Quick crank with the fuel pump relay removed should clear that (with a few flames and a bit of a bang if you're lucky )

Edited by anonymous-user on Saturday 18th October 23:15

[Salgar]

Crossflow Kid said:

Sounds obvious but.....battery?
My Tiger 1050 sounded exactly the same when the battery started to fail.
Had the guts to power all the low load stuff like lights and fuel pump, but simply not enough to go bang.

Interesting, could be, I suppose I didn't think the starter would turn like that if it was the battery. I will try give it a bump start in the morning.

[Mastodon2]

Sounds like the battery has had it's chips. You can hear the rate it turns the engine over at dropping off very quickly, it's flat. Since you've left it a month, maybe it just needs a good session on a charger?

[Taffer]

Odd, doesn't sound like the battery - if I've been at sea for 6 weeks and neglected to remove the battery, my '08 Street Triple doesn't even allow the engine to crank if there's not enough juice (lights and instruments stay on throughout though). A 30-minute charge is usually sufficient to allow it to turn over, and then it fires immediately.

[sjtscott]

Can only agree with what others have said.. battery. Sounds like its struggling.
OP one of your other vids showing the lowboy sound you start the bike on that vid, compare and contrast - that sounds a normal properly charged battery.

[moanthebairns]

Battery, I mean come on, it sounds like a squirrels lasts words as its been ran over and squished to death from the bottom up like a tube of toothpaste.

[Wedg1e]

Charge battery, ignition on, wait till pump primes than put it in second gear and bump start it. If it runs fine the battery's kaput.

[AvonRise]

Have you checked the kill switch?

We've all done it.. churned a bike over and over until the battery is dead. Then noticed we've got the kill switch in the 'off' position.

[Wedg1e]

AvonRise said:

Have you checked the kill switch?

We've all done it.. churned a bike over and over until the battery is dead. Then noticed we've got the kill switch in the 'off' position.

I thought most bikes won't crank with the kill switch off nowadays? There'd be no point on an injected bike as the fuel pump won't run with the kill switch off anyway.

[hornetrider]

You've not flooded it have you?

[Salgar]

Hey All,

Kill switch on my bike doesn't let me do anything, i.e. starter button doesn't work.

I think you're right about the battery, and probably the flooding now. I tried to bump start with the OH yesterday but I think by the time i'd done that the engine was flooded so I didn't get it started.

I've ordered a battery charger (something I should probably have anyway if I'm going to not use the bike for ages at a time). I'll charge it and unflood the engine.

Hopefully it's just flat and not a regulator rectifier problem which street triples seem to break often.

[moanthebairns]

thought you couldn't flood an injected bike

[Salgar]

moanthebairns said:

thought you couldn't flood an injected bike

You could be right, I assumed you could because what would happen if the injectors were injecting with no spark?

I know you can't manage it when everything is operating normally.

[creampuff]

I'm surprised nobody has suggested the obvious man-logic solution: buy a new bike

[Salgar]

That is the first thing I said to the OH - she didn't seem keen.

[moanthebairns]

Has this matter not resolved itself. I thought it was a given that when you purchase a bike at some point soon the battery will die and you will find yourself with a set of jump leads.

Going from fk this is going to cost me to thank fk how can I be so stupid it was just the battery.

[Hooli]

moanthebairns said:

thought you couldn't flood an injected bike

You can, it's just a lot less likely to happen.

[sjtscott]

Hooli said:

moanthebairns said:

thought you couldn't flood an injected bike

You can, it's just a lot less likely to happen.

If you'd ever owned an Aprilia v60 1000cc twin based bike you'd know all too well about how easy this could take place given the crappy charging/battery system they put on the bike.
The solution to get it started (once you had a battery with enough charge) is completely opposite to logic too!! Hold the throttle wide open to the stop and crank the starter, had to use it all to often during winter time.

[Petrus1983]

OP - is this you??...