Battery

[Bullet]

well was about to go out this morning to meet smiler when bike just wouldnt start! I think its just the battery as the starting motor wouldnt even click! Does anybody know where the battery is on a zx10? 2008 model. sounds like as stupid question but ive no bloody idea and dont want to start taking bits off and find out its somewhere else! For example my zx12 nbattery was located behind the side metal casing and everything had to come off to get to it!

[TLS-Moose]

Obvious question, but have you looked under the seats

Failing that try looking inside any of the holes in the fairing .......

[Bullet]

It was under the seat!! unfortunately i had to remove teh whole of the rear fairings, all 5 pieces to allow me access to the bolts that secured the seat! what a pain in the arse!

BAttery is out, debating to buy new one, a charger to charge the existing one but now ive have decided to get a optimiser type charger which will do both and also tell me if battery is buggered!!

No more flat batteries for me i thinks

[billinom8s]

are you sure it was a dead battery and not just a loose terminal connection or fuse ?

[Bullet]

when i turn key lights come on ok but the fuel pump (smiler informs me cos im thick when it comes to bikes) strains to work and i can hear the electronics (whatever its called under rear pillion seat) starting to do its thing. When i push the starter it dont even click and lights do stay on. I assume if its fuse or looses connection it would all go dead? Ive taken battery out, its £55 for a new one or £39 for charger from Halfords, as thats all that is open, so decided to leave it all be, have ordered an optimiser thingy and will connect battery back up when it arrives. The optimiser, apparantly, will recover a flat battery and also maintain it as well as check it out and report if its buggered. If thats the case a new battery will have to be brought! looks like the original battery so its 3 years old now and bike has been stood for 5 months before i brought it and i aint used it in 3 weeks!

While all fairings are off its a good time to get my carbon fibre stuff ordered and fitted
and im learning as i go.

Maybe your suggestion of a meet where guys like me can learn from guys like you

[TLS-Moose]

That isnt very old for a modern battery - my (1997) bike is still on its original battery and that will often go three or four months (or more) without being touched.

[tickertyboo]

lights stay on and no click from starter solinoid ? if your battery was so bugg***d as to not even click as you put it your light would b dimm as a digi watch !!! sounds more like your starter ( ignition ) fuse .
where in the country are you fella ??
cheers Boo

[badgerKDD]

well i'v had buggered batteries that still light the lamps and ignition lights etc. but just didn't have the testicles toturn the starter, you could bump the bike and when it was running the battery would hold enough charge to keep going but as soon as you stopped all charge would drop out and you would be back to square one.

Also these days modern batteries, if on the cheap side barely last three years, some have been known to die after one year. Battery quality (as has most things) has dropped significantly in recent years, according to my friend Baz who is a quality mechanic and VW specialist ( cheap plug ;) ).I bought Yuasa last time as they are supposed to be good quality at a sensible price. If its not I'll be the first one to tell you all !

[Mervin]

I have had a yuasa on my RD400 for 5 years now, but the guy i got the TDR off had fitted a new cheapo before i bought that lasted 15 months, I got a MF sealed gel battery for the honda vigor when i got it 3 years ago, that was struggling to turn the engine over a couple of weeks ago,

I got a Motobatt Absorbed glass mat battery http://motobatt.com/ for it and that swings it over better than the gel battery ever did it puts out 11ah instead of the gel ones 9ah ,

and I have been told if you discharge a gel battery too much it will never take a full charge again,

and the motobatt has fibreglass mat between the plates that absorbs the acid and keep the plates apart and makes it less susceptible too damage from Knocks , shocks etc

[Daresay]

If it's anything like mine, if there's not enough power in the battery the ecu wont let it attempt to start. Apparently it will knacker the sprag clutch if it does.

Lights & fuel pump will work thou.

[Bullet]

thanks for all the response, to answer some of the comments

It is a yuasa battery on it.

fuel pump does sort of work when ignition turned on but seems to strain to do what i usually hear it do. Ecu does start but dont seem to finish so maybe just a battery problem.

I assume its been drained a few times due to it being stood in a showrom for a few months so probably been charged in a garage at least once.


My bike isnt alarmed and only has the standard immobliser built into the ignition, which im informed is infalabale, so not sure if this drains battery at all?

Am thinking of getting the scorpion alarm for it so maybe more reason to get a better battery and keep it well maintained!!

Mind you, still think a maintenance day is good idea, maybe even a bbq to boot will go down well! just gotta find a memebr who wants to host it? Billi do know of anywhere

[tony-klr]

fit a motobatt and forget about it

they are amazing, I fitted one to my GTR1000, I had been spinning the motor over in the garage when working on it, running an LED light off of it to see what I was doing of an evening

started it up, rode it about all week, only after I had done 300 miles, with an estimated 15 starts, about 50 of the miles I had the lights on, it then failed to start in the petrol station

alternator was knackered and had been since the start.

with that battery you just touch the starter button and bang its up and running, excellent batteries, 2 year no fuss warranty too