[Irishfan0920]

Ok here's the deal not sure what to do. It has been a few weeks since I last rode my 2005 c50. I went out and started it a few days ago, and it started no problem and let it run for a few minutes. A couple days later I went to ride and turned the key lights came on, pulled the clutch, hit the start button, and everything died. Lights and everything, nothing on. Checked battery connections they were good. Tried to jump it and when I hooked up the jumper cables the lights and everything came back on and it started right up. However when I took the cables off it died a few seconds later. It did this a few times and I don't know what to check. The lights will only come on if it has jumper cables hooked up.

 

[Skrapiron]

Your battery is dead. Deader than dead. Get a trickle charger, hook it up and leave it to charge overnight. If it still won't start, buy a new battery.

 

[Irishfan0920]

I hooked up a trickle charger monday night and tried it again yesterday and still nothing. Checked battery with volt meter and it showed around 12 volts.

 

[mdram]

was tht 12v while sitting or while cranking?

sounds like a dead cell

 

[Wazoo]

dead

Bad cell in the battery. Replace it.

 

[Irishfan0920]

The 12 volts was with it sitting. The bike will not turn on for me to crank it unless it it hooked up to jumper cables.

 

[mdram]

just for giggles, measure the battery voltage while hitting the starter button

not using jumper cables

it will most likely drop alot

 

[Skrapiron]

Hook the meter to the battery. It should read 12v sitting static. Hit the starter and see how far the voltage drops. Best guess is you have a bad cell in the battery and it doesn't have any capacity to start the bike.

 

[Irishfan0920]

it won't do anything when i turn the key on, no lights or anything. Will the voltage still drop if the bike does not turn on. Not cranking or anything. When i turn the key on it looks and acts the same as if the key was off.

 

[mdram]

usually yes, it will still drop
the bike is trying to pull, but cannot
do you hear the starter or fuelpump?

 

[rvcycleguy]

it won't do anything when i turn the key on, no lights or anything. Will the voltage still drop if the bike does not turn on. Not cranking or anything. When i turn the key on it looks and acts the same as if the key was off.

Replace the battery. All of the symptoms you are describing strongly suggests the battery is bad and a trickle charger is not going to fix that.

 

[Irishfan0920]

no the fuel pump does not come on when i turn the key. the bike literally does nothing when i turn the key on. It not like the lights come on but doesn't have enough juice to turn over. The lights do not come on. Turn key no lights hit button nothing. When this whole thing started the lights came on and I hit the button and they went out and bike did not start. Now the only way the lights come on is with jumper cables on it. it will start with cables but when you take them off the bike dies a few seconds later.

 

[mdram]

if cables do it, then its the battery

 

[Irishfan0920]

Thanks for all of the advice. Not trying to sound like I don't trust anyone on here because i'm sure you all know more than me just trying to cover all my bases before I go spending money on parts that don't do the trick. I have talked to other people that say that it could be something wrong with the charging system. does that sound like it could be possible or do you all think it still is the battery?

 

[rvcycleguy]

Thanks for all of the advice. Not trying to sound like I don't trust anyone on here because i'm sure you all know more than me just trying to cover all my bases before I go spending money on parts that don't do the trick. I have talked to other people that say that it could be something wrong with the charging system. does that sound like it could be possible or do you all think it still is the battery?

It could be the charging system, but you've got to get it started first. The charging system may have caused the battery to discharge and now it may have a bad cell. In these types of cases with limited access to expensive testing equipment, it's a process of elimination. Replace the battery and then go from there. In order to test the charging system, the bike must be running. So, first things first. Battery may cost anywhere from $30-50 average or possible more. Probably the least expensive item to start with. Anything else that needs to be replaced will be costly. Unless it's a bad cable somewhere. Which may be because you've indicated the side cover has something to do with whether you have lights or powers? We have all had a bad battery, loose cables at some point in our riding experience with this bike. This bike requires tight, tight connections at all points for battery, starter and ignition switch. Once you get it started, you may want to examine the ign switch for a reoccurring issue that is common on these bikes. Report here your progress and we will advise what's next.

RV

 

[mdram]

take the battery to autozone, they can load test it
heck walmart can too
almost any parts store can

 

[Duffy]

take the battery to autozone, they can load test it
heck walmart can too
almost any parts store can

Yep, then you'll have to bury it cause I think it's "dead"..............

 

[olfart]

get you a wire brush unhook the batt clean it real good and clean wire ends also then replace and tighten the bolts down real good sound as if your getting power from jumper cables not batt but batt still showing 12v could be a bad conection still even though it looks good if that don't do it more then likely the batt has a dead or cpl dead cells

 

[cactusjack]

The first thing you need to do is replace the battery. You need to be able to crank the bike on its own before you can do anything else. I'm guessing that's going to fix your problem, but you won't know unless you do it. Could there be other problems? Sure, but you aren't going to be able to tell if your bike won't run.

If you can crank the bike with jumper cables, but not with its own battery, then the battery is toast.

 

[Irishfan0920]

Thank you all for the great advice!! Well I went to wal-mart and $60 later bought a new battery and the bike fired right up, and I'm back on the road!!!