VStar will not start after a long ride

[j0ker]

I have a 1100 Yamaha VStar that I took for a long ride last night. When I got back home I shut it off in the driveway, went in for a bit, then came back out to garage it. She would NOT start. At first it just made a weird clicking sound and it would light up some of the lights. Now, I get nothing when I turn the key. No lights or sounds or anything.

I hooked it up to a battery tinder (battery was new a year ago) and the tinder was still green on charge. However, I did get lights and the clicky sound back on the VStar when I turned the key with the tinder still attached. As soon as the tinder was disconnected from the bike, no lights, no clicky sound, nothing, just dead.

When it rains, it pours. The 14 and the VStar need work!

Anyone have any idea what is going on with the VStar?

[birchyboy]

Sounds like the bum battery to me. I bought a new battery and it failed within the first 6 months and was replaced under the battery warranty.

[jcj81]

Sounds like a battery man, not having the luck with the bikes. Make sure the cables are tight on the battery too, mine stalled on me last year would not start loose cable.

[j0ker]

Checked the cables and it all looks good when I was using the tender. I'll see if I can have the battery tested.

Thanks for the input guys.


Also..... QW#$%!@#$!@!#%!^!

[gregr]

I'm sure there's a good reason _not_ to do this, but you could try starting it with jumper cables to your car. If it starts then, it's almost certainly the battery...

[TFOGGuys]

I'm sure there's a good reason _not_ to do this, but you could try starting it with jumper cables to your car. If it starts then, it's almost certainly the battery...

The safer way to do this is without the car running, just using the car battery. That way the transient load from the bike starter won't cause the car alternator to voltage surge.

[j0ker]

Thank you guys. It was my battery. I shopped around and eventually bought a new one from Rocky Mt. TGFOGuys you were closed Friday or I would have hit you up first.

Anyway, thanks for the advice. Put the new battery in and the V started right up.

[Zanatos]

I had the same problem with my old Harley Davidson. Turns out, my battery had a loose plate. When I was riding, the plate would sometimes make contact with another plate inside the battery, creating a short so the bike wouldn't start. But if the plate happened to be in the right spot, the bike would start and run great. It took awhile for me to figure that one out.