DonTomaso said:
This happened to me today as well.
Got home from a 5000 km trip 10 days ago. Washed it and had it running 90 degre celsius hot for a while after that.
Parked it in the garage. Changed the light bowl for the registration plate 3 days ago and turned on the key to check
if the new light bowl was ok at 2 times. First when inserted and second when all was mounted. Did not start it until today.
When doing that the starter was beginning to spin fast as normal but after a few turns it went over in a slower spin mode.
Strange I thought not knowing about this thread/issue.
Oh, found out that I hadn´t picked the GPS off it´s holder (it is connected directly to battery poles). Thinking it might had been
draining the battery some. So I charged the battery and when full I turned the key again. Starter was still in that slow spin mode.
Smelled some petrol so I thought I must have flooded it. Began to look for spark plugs to dry them but to much in the way.
Decided to give it a go again now when battery was fully charged. Had 1/4 throttle for 5 seconds 5-6 times and finally it started
but stopped again when not giving it any throttle. 5-6 try´s again I had to do before it started. Now giving it some throttle
for a minute before letting it idle by itself.
Once is nothing but it worries me a bit now when reading about it here to.
Do we really have to have a battery charger with us when out riding?
I can understand your concern. That said, don't stress about it. You did a couple of things that are classic known methods that often, but not always, cause the classic hard start/flooded condition. 1. You washed the bike, then fired it up for a bit, then shut it down and left it for a few days. 2. You cycled the key switch a few times w/o starting the bike when checking the new lights, but didn't fire the bike up and let it fully warm up.
Another aspect that is sometimes forgotten is that when we first try to start the bike, the headlights are
OFF, but unless you turned the key completely off before trying to crank it again, you were cranking with the headlights
ON. That means the voltage was significantly lower, possibly too low to allow the ECU to fire the injectors or just too low for a good spark.
Last week, at the top of Moose Pass, YT, in the rain, when departing from a hotel, I forgot the put the side stand up and dropped it into first gear, to naturally have the engine die. Doh! The bike had been outside all night in the rain, and it was only about 48F, so it had been a slow crank to fire up to begin with, now the battery was low and the bike was still cold, and it hadn't finished the warm up cycle either.... no start. I cranked a few times with no joy, then shut it down, full well knowing what I had caused. After I pushed her to the top of the parking lot, then scouted out which way was a shorter push to roll down the Hwy, I figured I'd try one more time. Well, wouldn't you know it, w/o the headlights on, she grumbled to life with just a bit of open throttle. No more pushing for me!
That was the only time in an 8k mile trip, parked outside every night, that I had a hard/no start. Even with a new battery the bikes don't spin the starter that fast. Unless you killed the battery flat with the GPS drain, I very much doubt you need a new battery.
