[jarnol69]

I have a 96 Vulcan 1500A and tried to start it today but it just kept turning over but not starting. All the lights were on and the nattery seemed strong. After a few more tries the turnover stopped and then I heard a clicking noise coming from around the fuse box area. Any idea what this is??

I have a Yuasa 12 V 20 A battery and took it out and noticed the fluid level was low. I topped it up with distilled water and reconnected it. the engine turned over a few more times then the clicking came back.

Please help??

 

[bikeaholic]

re

how old is the battery? sounds like it might be time for a new one

 

[jarnol69]

I'm not sure as I got the bike a couple of months ago. If the battery was no good would it still turnover and would the lights stay on??

Any idea what the clicking noise could be??

I have the battery off now...maybe it would be a good idea to go to a bike shop and get it tested ...then buy a new one if necessary.

 

[woodchucks800]

Like bikeaholic said , It's the battery,count on it. It could be the original battery , there known to last 6 or 7 yr's possibly longer. You might check the battery cables an see if there loose or corrided. clean an tighten. The clicking you hear is either a relay to the starter, or silonoid or something like that, it will go away when you fix or replace the battery, an get the right amps. to turn the starter. Someone else will confirm this an or have a few other thing's to check. Bikaholic give me a name for my previous (something like that) HA

 

[kyhick1]

jarnol69,

Welcome to the forum......batteries can be downright annoying some times. I had a battery that wasen't very old and wouldn't hold a charge. One of the cells was bad, so it wouldn't hold a charge. Ended up getting a new one. I also invested in a trickle charger to keep the batteries up to full charge. I put all my batteries up on it periodically.

Heather

 

[ispeed77]

battery

jarnol69
welcome to the forum. to answer your question, yes even a weak battery may turn the bike over and give power to the lights. problem is that the battery may not be powerful enough to turn the motor fast enough so that it will fire. this would come in to play this time of year as well with the cold weather coming in. i would say to purchase a new one, they are relatively cheap and that way you do not have to worry for a few years. good luck.
david

 

[QKENUF4U]

everyone's answers are pretty much right on but i would do one thing before you go buying a new battery. take it to a auto/bike shop and have them do a LOAD TEST. that will tell you the condition of the battery. if its bad then you will need to replace it but if it shows good then it just needs a good charging. youll also need to make sure the bikes charging system is in good working condtion to keep the battery charged.

 

[hawgklr]

Uh, dealership?

I disagree...why turn a $99 battery into a $250+ bill by getting the dealer involved? Last time I took my bike to the dealer that little sign said "LABOR CHARGES ARE $78 PER HOUR...NO EXCEPTIONS"

INSTEAD

*Follow the above post cleaning, inspection and connection ideas above.
*Check your "KILL SWITCH"
*Put a full 8 hour charge @1/2 amp before installing a new battery.
*Make connections clean and tight.
*NEVER charge or store batteries on cement surfaces.


Now, get out there and buy a "Battery Tender" charger that mounts directly to the battery posts with a "pigtail"...and forget about your battery troubles!

 

[Scary Harry]

Take it to "Batteries R us" and they will load test it for free.

 

[QKENUF4U]

Re: Uh, dealership?

I disagree...why turn a $99 battery into a $250+ bill by getting the dealer involved? Last time I took my bike to the dealer that little sign said "LABOR CHARGES ARE $78 PER HOUR...NO EXCEPTIONS"

the exact reason i said auto OR bike shop to have it load tested. and if they are gonna charged the hourly rate then go find a different shop. i know the shops here in town wouldnt mind doing a load test since it would take less then 10sec. to do.
and a little FYI...... the "dont put your battery on a cement surface" is a wise tail now. back in the day when batteries where first being developed then it would apply. they used to be made of wood and they would drain off on cement floors , also if the battery is extremely dirty it may still drain off since the dirt will provide a tract to ground causing it to drain off. but the batteries of today are made with better materials etc. and this wont happen anymore. dont feel bad i used to think the same thing till a year ago when i had it explained to me. :wink:

 

[bikeaholic]

re

i look at like if the battery if 5 years old and giving you trouble
just replace it - they don't cost that much for how important they are

clicking is a relay so you know that works :lol:
and they will still hold some charge but not enough to turn the starter
when they get some age

 

[ispeed77]

cheap

cheap insurance that you won't be stuck somewhere, at least for that problem.

 

[bsteff]

I agree. It's the battery. Sometimes the terminals can be corroded and provide enough reistance that the voltage drop will not allow enough current to flow for the bike to start. With the age of your bike, get a new battery. Get the trickle charger and keep the battery charge "topped off". Get some anti-corrosive compound to spray or spread on the terminals and connections, after you connect the leads to the battery, to retared corrosion.

The rationale for getting a new battery: 1. They are cheap. The time lost from riding because you are trying to get a failing battery to last a bit longer is NOT a stress reducer. 2. After a battery has been allowed to discharge almost completely, like yours most likely has (Bikaholic is correct about the solenoid relays only clicking and the implications of this sound for the state of charge of your battery), the battery life is now much shorter (I know this from experience - both ways). This is also the reason that you need the trickle charger/conditioner on you battery if you have long intervals between rides (like in the winter). The usual motorcycle and car batteries are not "deep cycle" batteries and perform better and last longer when they are kept at or near full charge. 3. A battery of 4-5 years of age just does not have that long a life left. 4. Modern motors need a "hot" spark to start them. A weak battery cannot supply such a spark.

All of this lore is provided by my own dead vehicle experience and my reading on the subject of batteries and battery technology. Since I am also a ham radio operator (KE4XJ), I have done a lot of reading on this subject.

 

[bikeaholic]

re

battery powered radios could save the world one day :lol: :wink:

 

[jarnol69]

thanks a lot all, I went to my local dealer and they tested the battery and it was just low. I bought a charger there and after charging the battery up it started just fine.

 

[Sgt Mike]

Hey!! jarnalo69;
If your battery is not maintenance free, get one that is, it can save you alot of heart aches.

 

[QKENUF4U]

Hey!! jarnalo69;
If your battery is not maintenance free, get one that is, it can save you alot of heart aches.

ah ok, how do ya figure that ? :?:
they are the same battery but one has a black cap that is not "supposed" to be removed. they will both go dead,they will both get low on water,they will both leave you stranded etc.
ill stick with my maintainable battery. that way i can fill it with water when needed and charge it to a peak charge. :wink: