Battery problem?
 

I purchased a 2015 xc300e racing this past June. The battery that came in it failed in 6 weeks. The dealer gave me a new one, thought nothing more about it. A month ago that battery seemed to get weak, wasn't spinning starter. I was using a battery tender on it to keep it up even though I ride it at least once a week.
I bought a Lithuim ion battery this time around, partly for the weight savings. This morning it wouldn't spin the starter. I kicked it took many kicks to get it started which I thought odd, it was cold though.
I rode about ten miles returned to the truck for a break. When I went to start it it wouldn't. This time the lights didn't work or the horn. No spark either.
When I got home I put the old lead acid battery in, lights and horn work, kicked it over started. I measured the voltage when running 14 volts.
Do I have some underlying problem causing this?
Why wouldn't the bike start with a dead battery? I remember reading that once a lithium battery is discharged to a certain point it has some protection built in that prevents further discharge and damage.
Any thoughts?

I have up in the Lithium batteries, they don't work for a darn in the cold.

Lithium batteries like to be "pre-stressed" a little to work in the cold. Engage the starter button a little, for a short time, to cause some draw on the battery, and then it should be to full power.

Still, considering the design of the starter it may be best to take a cue from the Austrians and consider the e-start to be a "re" starter, using your leg for the first fire in the morning.

While I agree about using it as more of a re-starter, I am still wondering why it would not start and showed no spark at the plug with the dead lithium battery?

Charging voltage at about 14Vdc is good (it will change depending on RPM to some degree-best if not over about 14.3)

I dont know for certain how the ignition is on those bikes, but most I see (similar) are totally separate.

When I first got my 15 it had a start problem one time.
Power indicator on multifunction switch not lite, no power to lights, but would kick start. My gut feeling was a key switch/ key switch wiring problem.
Started with the basics first, good connections at battery, removed the start system fuse and checked, looked ok and resistance was good. Replaced the fuse any how. It hasn't missed a beat since then, but I really think it was in the key switch.

I suspected the key switch as well. When it happened I didn't have a electrical meter. When I got home I tested the key switch it passed. Once it's all sorted I plan to strip off the key switch and as much wiring as I can, including the headlight. I don't use it on the street and where I live even if I did go down the occasional dirt road it's not a issue.
Anybody know where the front number plate that Geoff Aaron uses came from?

Hi John,

I have a '14 GG 300. I removed the front headlight/number plate and bought a kit from GoFasters that contained a replacement number plate - Honda CRF450R (not sure what year), but also contained an aluminum top bracket to hold the plate. It was simple to install. I would guess Matto or Halls would probably have that kit now.

BTW, there are some great articles on here on how to remove that multi-function starter/headlight switch assembly, as well on how to remove the key; I did that a few weeks ago.

Final thing to mention is changing the kickstarter out to a Yamaha model - one of the quickest and best mods you can do. Articles on here as well for that.


Good luck!

If you have no spark when kicking, the key switch is usually the problem. In the OFF position it keeps the ignition circuit grounded. If the switch is bad and fails to open the contacts when turned to ON you have no spark.

The easy fix on the trail is to simply unplug the ignition switch connector.

Total loss system?
 

With my old lead acid battery installed which I know is toast would spin the starter after a full charge), I went for a ride this morning. I also installed my trail tech voyager so I could see the voltage while it was running. What I found was interesting.
While running the charging voltage to the battery was around 14. It jumped around between 11 and 15 at idle but smoothed out a bit at higher rpm.
Had no issues on the ride. Came back and before I put the bike in the truck I tried one more thing. With the bike running I turned on the light, low then high. The voltage dropped,from 14 to 8!
My interpretation of this is as follows.
My charging system (stator) not sure of the correct term must be faulty. Which may explain why 3 batteries failed in 6 months
Since I has running the Lithuim battery on Saturday, I believe once the voltage dropped below a certain point the battery's protection circuit kicked in and broke the circuit through the battery. Leading me to believe that the bike is not putting out enough juice to run the bike without the battery. A total loss system.
I am going to exchange the Lithuim battery. Before I re install it I will try running the bike with the key switch out of the loop.
I will then reinstall the Lithuim battery and monitor it with the voyager.
Is the a ohm reading or some other test I can perform that will prove this out?