500/750/800/900cc

[drumrnj]

First of All, I am having a problem starting a thread about my problem so maybe you can point me in the right direction.
I have a 1994 Kawasaki Vulcan EN500. It has been sitting out for most of the Winter and I attempted to start it last night and it wouldnt turn over. The more I tried to crank it, the weaker the battery seemed to get (lights dimming, etc.). I dont want to kill the battery if I dont already need a new one. Please let me know what you suggest.
Thanks
George

[jeffs99vulcan]

Originally Posted by drumrnj

First of All, I am having a problem starting a thread about my problem so maybe you can point me in the right direction.
I have a 1994 Kawasaki Vulcan EN500. It has been sitting out for most of the Winter and I attempted to start it last night and it wouldnt turn over. The more I tried to crank it, the weaker the battery seemed to get (lights dimming, etc.). I dont want to kill the battery if I dont already need a new one. Please let me know what you suggest.
Thanks
George

Hey George... welcome to the forum! Don't sweat the "new thread" just yet, this one gets a lot of traffic. For future though, just go into the forum you want to start the thread in (for this question, this thread is great, or the cruiser thread would suit), then just click on "forum tools", then "post a new thread"... that's it!

About your problem... sounds to me like a battery. I'm quite confident in that... and I have a good record so far, I'm four for four troubleshooting battery problems this season, don't wreck my streak! If you have a good charger, give it a full charge, then try again.

With a HALF DECENT battery, I've put a battery charger on it for 20 minutes to 1/2 an hour, then cranked it with the charger still attached, and that's done it. DON'T assume that you are getting enough of a charge if you only have a tender... people have tried, and it hasn't worked.

Do you know how old the battery is? A lot of the time, if it's a couple years old, the only solution results in a new battery and in similar cases, it's worked every time...

Good luck, have fun in the forum, and MAKE SURE to let us know how it works out along the way!

Oh, and if you have trouble starting a new thread, wait 'til you start getting hassled for pictures of the bike, 'cause that's MANDATORY!!! (You already lost point because they weren't in your first post! )

[drumrnj]

Thanks, Jeff
Right now I am at work, but I was looking for a good battery charger. Can You please suggest one that I can pick up for a Vulcan EN500. I am very careful with this bike probobly because I really dont know enough to fix it myself and I cant afford to put any more cash into it right now.
Thanks for the help
I really appreciate it
George

[cosmicsclassic]

Hey george, welcome. I have a Harbor Freight charger that is multipurpose, 2 amp (for small-motorcycle-batteries), 10 amp (for car batteries) and a 55 amp boost charger for cranking over the engine with a weak battery. paid about 30 bucks for it. It works well. On a motorcycle battery you want to charge around 2 or 3 amps,no more than 5 for an hour maybe two. Don't want to overheat and boil the acid inside. Good luck.

[drumrnj]

Thank You
How many amps am I running on this bike? Do I have to set the charger to the right ampage? Can I get one at any auto parts store do you think ?
I will keep you posted

[jeffs99vulcan]

Originally Posted by drumrnj

Thanks, Jeff
Right now I am at work, but I was looking for a good battery charger. Can You please suggest one that I can pick up for a Vulcan EN500. I am very careful with this bike probobly because I really dont know enough to fix it myself and I cant afford to put any more cash into it right now.
Thanks for the help
I really appreciate it
George

No problem George!

It's just a 12-volt battery, so any half decent charger will work, but I personally spent the little extra for a charger that comes with the option of charge, boost and trickle, and I use the trickle to keep the battery conditioned all winter. The charge setting will provide enough amperage to start the bike fairly easily, and the boost option will get a car or truck going when necessary.

I'm not sure where you are, but I bought a "Mastercraft", which up here in Canada is the virtual equivalent in nearly every way of a "Craftsman"... but in the States you have access to a lot more Auto parts stores than we do... It's only about $20 more for the flexibility of the full function.

A tender is a nice item to have too, and I got one for Christmas. It came with a harness to leave permanently connected to the battery, with a little pigtail that can be stowed under the edge of the seat and plugged in without removing the seat, but I'll use that more for longer periods of inactivity in the riding months than I will over the winter. In the winter, I like to take it inside, and it's just as easy to put it on the trickle charger then!

You shouldn't have to spend any more than about $50 on a half decent full function charger, I spent that here, on sale, and stuff is generally cheaper in the States!

[Mercury]

Originally Posted by cosmicsclassic

Hey george, welcome. I have a Harbor Freight charger that is multipurpose, 2 amp (for small-motorcycle-batteries), 10 amp (for car batteries) and a 55 amp boost charger for cranking over the engine with a weak battery. paid about 30 bucks for it. It works well. On a motorcycle battery you want to charge around 2 or 3 amps,no more than 5 for an hour maybe two. Don't want to overheat and boil the acid inside. Good luck.

can you post a link to this item on the harbor frieght site, i want one

kenny

[jeffs99vulcan]

Originally Posted by drumrnj

Thank You
How many amps am I running on this bike? Do I have to set the charger to the right ampage? Can I get one at any auto parts store do you think ?
I will keep you posted

You don't have to set the amps when charging George, anything under 2 amps is considered trickle, and a 12 volt charger (if fully auto) will regulate the charge... I forgot to mention the importance of making sure it's FULLY AUTOMATIC! Shuts itself off when it reaches full charge...

[cosmicsclassic]

Yea Mercury how's it going? That charger is at harborfreight.com, item number 03418 for 29.99. I've had mine about 2 years for charging my camper battery and when needed elsewear.

[drumrnj]

Thanks, Jeff...One more Question...
Would the battery die or lose charge if it is sitting cold for two months ? It was running fine before this time.
Thanks again,
George

[cosmicsclassic]

If you buy a car charger make sure it is a automatic type, most car chargers charge around 10 amps, if its not an auto-regulating type it will boil a cycle battery and fry it.

[Mercury]

Originally Posted by drumrnj

Thanks, Jeff...One more Question...
Would the battery die or lose charge if it is sitting cold for two months ? It was running fine before this time.
Thanks again,
George

a battery that is on its way out can die in two months pretty easily in the cold

kenny

[cosmicsclassic]

hey george, an older battery can lose charge sitting and cold, if it goes dead and freezes it probably won't recharge or hold a charge for long.

[cosmicsclassic]

damn merc you replied the same moment i did, brilliant minds think alike?

[jeffs99vulcan]

Originally Posted by cosmicsclassic

damn merc you replied the same moment i did, brilliant minds think alike?

Ya, but fools seldom differ!

They covered your question George, so I'll just add that it's a very common thing that comes up around here, that starting and idling a bike charges the battery... wrong! The bike has to run at about 2000-2500 RPM for minimum 15 minutes or more to start producing a charge...

So starting it, between the juice required to start the bike and run the lights, actually kills the battery while it's idling, if it's already weak... just food for thought!

[cosmicsclassic]

[quote=jeffs99vulcan;1436081]Ya, but fools seldom differ!

This from a guy with a jacka$$, looking for a tick and maybe a TOCK. But also, charging a weak or bad battery with the bike motor can fry the charging system, they are not designed to charge at a full rate for an extended period of time, it can overheat the stator.

[jeffs99vulcan]

[quote=cosmicsclassic;1436098]

Originally Posted by jeffs99vulcan

Ya, but fools seldom differ!

This from a guy with a jacka$$, looking for a tick and maybe a TOCK.

Donkey sees door open, Donkey walks through it!!! LOL!

(Don't worry George, this being your first thread and all, I should tell you that I get a lot... a LOT of harassment for poor l'il ol' Donkey, but he can take it!)

[drumrnj]

thank for all your help and Jeff, I wont make fun of the Donkey. You have been very helpful. So, let me just recap. The bike has been sitting for about two months. It should have a full tank of gas. I cranked it a bunch of times and by about the tenth time, the lights started to dim. I stopped because I did not want to completely kill the battery.
So, you still think it is the battery and I should first pick up a charger ? Just making sure.
Thanks Again,
George

[jeffs99vulcan]

Originally Posted by drumrnj

thank for all your help and Jeff, I wont make fun of the Donkey. You have been very helpful. So, let me just recap. The bike has been sitting for about two months. It should have a full tank of gas. I cranked it a bunch of times and by about the tenth time, the lights started to dim. I stopped because I did not want to completely kill the battery.
So, you still think it is the battery and I should first pick up a charger ? Just making sure.
Thanks Again,
George

Yes George, sounds to me like you need to start with a good charge on the battery. Obviously, it's harder to start if it's been sitting, and if the battery was getting weak, as shown in lights dimming and starter slowing, you need the extra juice to keep everything trying like it should... sparks, coil charge, vacuum generated by the pumping pistons that draws fuel through the carbs, etc... Slow that process down with a weak battery and it will just be harder and harder to get it to start.

The charger won't be wasted money... I don't know what your riding season is like, but if it sat for a while, it may sit for a while again, and conditioning the battery with a charger capable of automatic trickle will prolong the life of the battery and eventually pay for itself. And it's cheaper than a battery... which is the next step if that doesn't work.

Eventually, depending on the condition of the battery, you will need one some day, but it sounds like it's not dead enough to go that route just yet. The cheaper and probably reliable route to start with is the charger, and one capable of automatic trickle is just a wiser investment!

But I am pretty sure this is the problem.. weak batteries cause all kinds of problems, not the least of which is poor starting. Of course this is all my opinion, and I'm just a donkey, after all!

[drumrnj]

Thanks Again, I just ordered the Charger from the site that was recommended. I will deffinitely keep you posted. It seems that you know what you are talking about. I am not a good bike fixer. I JUST WANNA RIDE! its too cold now, but I want to be ready for the spring.