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[Richy2spanners]

Hi Guys, can't believe I'm here,cap in hand, 2 days in a row. Tried to start bike today(2009) only got electric start. All the symptoms of a flat battery. Hardly turning the engine over then nothing. I still get lights to work, even main beam. So I took the battery out and checked voltage which reads 12v. So do you think it is battery or something else?

[Adrian]

Is that the original battery still, or at least a few years old? Could be on its way out, though still not completely failed if the lights still work. The E/S needs a healthy battery for the E/S to crank the engine over, this was certainly the case with my Electra-X which used the same starter motor as the EFI models and was also struggling, though at least I could still kick start it. Fitting a Motobat 14AH AGM battery brought the flagging E/S back to life, our hosts may stock an equivalent. A.

[Leon Novello]

The easiest way to find out, is to charge the battery. Or take it to an Auto electrician; they usually test a battery for no charge; I mean free.

[fidgad]

My two_year old original lead acid bike battery was weak and unreliable sometimes needing to kickstart the bike. Replaced it today with a decent gel battery. Such a pleasure thumbing the starter button and bike leaping into life.

[rog]

Certainly sounds like a duff battery. However,if the lights work I suspect you should be able to kick start the the bike. My Efi is 6 years old and I've changed the battery twice. On each occasion I had the same symptoms, ie engine reluctant to turn over. Both times it still kick started easily.

[PeteF]

You need to check the battery voltage under load. If the voltage drops off when you put a load on it it's new battery time.

[zonggong]

You may also want to try checking the interlock switch on the clutch. Mine gives occasional trouble resulting in the symptoms you describe.

[Richy2spanners]

Thanks Gents, new gel battery and I'm away again.