I can't start up the bike -- HELP!

[alanmcorcoran]

76,

This is going to sound somewhat esoteric, but... a battery tender is not the same as a battery charger. It's a subtle difference and I struggle to articulate it, but the tender people told me that, when I ran my battery down to nothing, that I needed a charger - their tender would not help me at that point. Your situation is different (I think) in that you had a pretty good baseline charge in the battery and I didn't. The tender's are designed to kind of go on and off as needed and many people (and rental companies) leave the batteries on tenders for months at a crack, so there's hardly any danger for over night.

I think chargers do NOT adjust their output/current/on-offedness to the battery - they are "dumber", but they are the proper tool for first time charging up of a new uncharged battery. Overnight is usually all you need, but most of them come with a voltmeter to monitor the charge level.

My charger makes noise when it is on. I'm going to assume the noise you have is coming from the battery. I haven't experienced that on either bike.

[Water Warrior 2]

Originally Posted by jonathan180iq

This may have been mentioned, but cranking the bike and leaving it running for 30 minutes isn't going to charge it up.
You need to crank it up and ride it around. Good for the bike and good for you.

Probably heat seize before 30 minutes is up unless it is really cold out with a breeze. A tender or a ride is the best solution.

[Water Warrior 2]

Just scrolled back a bit. If the battery really is 9 years old it has likely give it's all. This would primarily apply to a lead acid battery. Time is their enemy more so than how much they are used. AGM batteries may be a bit different but I think time is still the enemy in any case(my opinion).
I have successfully charged a new AGM battery with a tender. Left the tender on for 12 hours in which time it showed a solid green light. Disconnected over night and charged 12 hours again just to be sure. May sound anal but it's an old guy thing.

[7653]

The battery is a Bike Master brand, made in China.

Yesterday I checked the voltage and it was 12.99V. I then attempted to fire up the bike. I tried to turn over+fire it up several times but it only turned over. The turning over felt more robust than when I had not battery charged/tendered the battery but still could not fire up the bike. I finally succeeded firing up the bike after holding onto the starter button for an extended few seconds and using the throttle. It fired up weakly so I tried the throttle to see if I could boost it up -- the bike then stopped firing up when I used the throttle. I stopped trying after that. The voltage read 12.64V after the attempts to fire the bike up.

I think at this point I just need a new battery. I've never bought a vehicle battery before. I'm a total rookie.

What do I do?
Do I just:
1. Go to Suzuki dealer and ask for a Suzuki GZ 250 battery
2. Ask dealer to charge up battery to max
3. Remove old battery and install the new one

Is that all?

What are good brands/model batteries to purchase?

[jonathan180iq]

Just to be sure, did you use choke?
Giving it gas too early with no choke will kill it like that.


And removing a battery and installing a new one is a simple job and one you need to do yourself. They are just plug-n-play.

Disconnect terminals, remove battery, set new battery in place, reconnect terminals. Done.

[alanmcorcoran]

Originally Posted by 7653

I finally succeeded firing up the bike after holding onto the starter button for an extended few seconds and using the throttle. It fired up weakly so I tried the throttle to see if I could boost it up -- the bike then stopped firing up when I used the throttle. I stopped trying after that. I think at this point I just need a new battery.

I'm not going to dissuade you from buying a battery, but I'm willing to bet that your bike behaves exactly the same way as you described above with your new battery. Your battery being weak has no impact whatsoever on the throttle killing the engine. I'm not an expert but I really think you have carb problems and you will still have carb problems when you replace the battery. When you advance the throttle, something is not working right with the fuel/air mix in your carb and the result is the engine is flooding/stalling whatever.

As I said before, try jumping the bike from your car - and ride it continuously for 150 miles - at least one tank of (preferably fresh gas.) Then try starting it up (and use the choke if the engine is not already hot.)

GZ carbs are notoriously picky when left for even a month or so. Yours has been idle for nine years. Just sayin'.

Keep us posted.

[alantf]

Originally Posted by alanmcorcoran

at least one tank of (preferably fresh gas.)

With a generous dose of carb cleaner in it. :2tup:

[alantf]

Originally Posted by 7653

2. Ask dealer to charge up battery to max

Don't like to hold up dealers in a bad light :whistle: but you may be better buying a cheapo battery charger/tender & doing the job yourself. That way you know for certain that it's been done, & you'll certainly be glad you bought a charger, over the years. Suzuki recommend 0.7A for 5-10 hours, but anything up to 2A shouldn't damage the battery. :2tup:

[mrlmd1]

Your battery seems fine and that is not your problem - the voltage drop you measured is normal after trying to start the bike that long, and if everything else was OK, the bike should easily and quickly start on 12.6 volts. If everything else is OK, ie. clean carb, good gas, proper use of the choke, the bike starts within 1 or 2 revolutions of the engine and mine always started within 1 second of hitting the starter if not sooner. You must use the choke to start a cold engine and it will not run right or respond to the throttle properly until it's at least run for a few seconds and a little bit warmed up. After you get it started, you slowly turn the choke down bit by bit as it warms up, depending on the idle speed. The best way to do this is to get it started. let it sit for 10-15 sec, slowly ride away, and as it warms up, gradually and progressively over a few min. or a few miles, turn down and eventually turn off the choke. If you don't have one, download the owner's manual on here and read it, you will learn a lot. You may also have some dirty gummed-up carbs as the bike has been sitting so long, and the gas may also be bad. Empty the gas out of the tank, put in fresh gas with a dose of either Berrymans B12 Chemtool or Seafoam 1 oz/gal, get the bike started and ride it if possible, If you are lucky, the fuel treatment may clean out the carb. If not, it may have to be removed and also mechanically cleaned. In any event, the problem you have is not from your battery now. Put it back on the charger, get the fresh gas, put in the carb cleaner, use the choke properly, and try it again.
As an aside, I assume you know how the fuel petcock works and you haven't run out of gas?

[7653]

I put in a new battery. The voltage for the new battery was over 12.9V. The turning over sounded consistent but the bike could not fire up.

I was using the choke. There was gas in the fuel tank.

The Suzuki dealer representative I spoke to while buying the battery told me I probably had to clean the carb if the battery did not work. He also said I could get a $98 diagnostic. I could have them clean the carb or do it myself (which he suggested because he said it's something I have to learn anyway).

Do I just follow 4-4 to 4-9 of the Service Manual? If I do it myself I'm afraid I might f up something or lose a part. I can't drive it around much since I don't even know how to ride a bike. LOL. I bought the bike to learn on.

Tips? Advice?