Went out to the garage today to do a bit of tidying up, take some photos and generally drool over my new baby. Couldn't resist firing it up just to hear it. Trouble is, it didn't start...
I did the usual turn it on, fuel tap on, sidestand up, clutch in, check it's in neutral and poke the starte button. Waiting for a bit of a cough, grumble and then BBRRROOOOMMMM!
Instead it went eee-eeee-eee-eee-eee as it sounded like the starter was spinning on it's own. I started it last night no bother at about 10pm in a dead quiet cul-de-sac But today it seems a bit stillborn.
Here's a thing though, yesterday and last night after switching it all off, the HISS light didn't come on once. Today when I turn it off the HISS light flashes just like the immobiliser light in wifey's car does. When trying to start it (after the HISS light goes off with the ignition off, not daft, well... not REALLY daft) I get stuff like the fuel light come on when I squeeze the front brake lever, which is funny cos it's full.
Reckon I might have tried a bit too much cos now the lights are a bit dim and the starter just clicks.
So, did I do something wrong?

Yours, Thick in Aberdeenshire.

Sorry to hear it Ronz, i'm no expert. Have you tried bumping it?? When i got my CBR125 it started first time then the next day it wouldn't, dunno why. Other than that the only thing I can think of is too leave it for half an hour say and try it again.

I'm sure the other guys on here can help more than I can.

Just a thought, have you checked the kill switch? I spent an hour once trying to bump start a Bandit 600 before i noticed the kill switch was in the off position!!!

I checked the killswitch cos I had the same thought, try for ages and then find out you've not flipped a bloody switch! But, nope, that was fine.
I'm gonna get an Oxford Oximiser that M&P have on sale and hook it up cos it definitely sounds like the battery from what I've read in other places.
Ach at least I'm not stuck without the bike, I can't get out on it til at least the middle of November if not later.

That to me sounds like it could be the battery.

They say that to put back into the battery what a start takes out takes about 20 mins run time so chances are that youve run the battery down with your "checking" An optimiser will sort it I am sure. It must be killin having a nice bike and having to wait to be able to ride it Ronz. still what an incentive to pay attention during your DAS.

Turn your headlight on to full beam.Try the starter.If the light goes out or significally dims you have a flat battery.

Carnt he jump start it with his car battery if his bike bat is dead?

Make sure that the fuel tap is turned on?

yeah he sure can, but knowing Ronz luck he'll prob blow it up...
you've either left the bike in gear or the stand switch is stuck or..like the others have said you've flattened the battery. id probably guess its the battery you've flattened cos you've been playing around with the bike
if you havent got a charger, then hook it up witha set of jmp leads...neg to neg and pos to pos. get the mrs to rev the car for a few mo's then hit the button on the bike...job's a good un

Yep, it's the battery. What with all my "checking" and that
Just as well I'm really good at Vroom Vroom noises innit?
So it's off to Hein Gericke tomorrow to get meself a charger. I reckon what's happened is my mate hasn't run it recently before he came up so the battery didn't get a full charge which I then promptly used up fiddling...
I did a bit of investigating to sort out the numberplate light and I can honestly say I have NEVER seen such a hideous bodge in my entire life It involved a bracket made out of what looked like a shelf, some assorted nuts and bolts some of which don't quite fit and about 15ft of gaffer tape. Oh aye and a strip of metal that looks like it used to be a sardine can... Whoever done it, and I don't think it was my mate even he's no that bad, made a total baws of the whole job and went about it completely the wrong way. Now I'll have to take the rack and tail unit off to get at the wonky bolts they shoved through... Utter

Oh bu**er me, what a shame. and theres you so adverse to having a little project to do on your now favourite toy..........Get on with you your not really moaning are you

Ach ye sussed me out no problem! Yep, I'm actually quite pleased there's something for me to do on me new toy. Somehow it doesn't seem mine until I've changed something for the better.
Got a few ideas to do. I'd like to change the Scottoiler as some numpty fitted a touring unit which doesn't suit the Hornet at all and puts the numberplate too far back hence the Frankenstein bodge job. Get rid of the stick on dots on the side of the tank, I know they protect the paint but they're hideous! Some wheel stripes might help the wheels a bit, they're kinda plain. Crash bungs (y'never know wi me) and general tarting up of wee nicks and scratches it's got over the past 3 years (none of which are mine, yet).
First job, get some life back into that battery of hers!
I was gonna call it Alf as in Alf Hornet (Garnet) from In Sickness and in Health...
Yeah it's a work in progress and it doesn't sit entirely right with me either... Suggestions?

If you get them the wrong way round, the jump leads will get very hot indeed, and then melt. And both batteries will be flat. It's not a good thing :-/

Luckily I've never done this, but I know a man who has...

Also, if it's been standing with any electronic devices running (alarm, for example) you might find that the battery is goosed. You'll need the charger either way, so go ahead with that, but if you find it doesn't hold a charge afterwards (you'll maybe get a couple of days' use before you have to charge it again), then change the battery.

If the charge in the battery drops too low, the plates inside corrode, and then they don't hold as much juice. Just something to watch out for, in case.

If you're not going to be using the bike for a while, an Optimate or similar will be better than an ardinary charger.

No need to rev the car engine if using jump leads, big car battery has more than enough power to start the bike - look at the size of the bike battery!

Go the Optimate route, simple plugs or crocodile clips, turn it on and forget about it, it will keep the battery fully charged and test it periodically too

I headed into town yesterday morning and picked up an Oxford Optimiser from Hein Gericke. Budget didn't stretch to an Optimate but it does the same basic job. After discovering the joys of figuring out how to get the battery out I attached the permanent charging leads and ran them up under the seat so I can hook it up without arsing around with side panels and stuff.
Had it running all day yesterday, checked on it today and the battery's fully charged. Did all the usual stuff, prodded the starter and it barked into life instantly!!!
The noise made me and me neighbour jump, much louder inside the garage He was laughing his head off at it and he's about 86!
Been working on the numberplate light trying to rectify the shambles my mate inflicted on it and it's going fine so far. Fabricated an aluminium bracket today and will make an infill panel tomorrow, fill the horrible holes he hacked out of the housing and give the whole thing a shot with some flat black. Should look pretty good, then again anything would look better than the hack job he did
Enough to make an engineer cry...

Nice one Ronz, i also left leads attached to the battery on my Bandit to enable quick attaching if i need to put on the charger.