Difficult to start

[Xsv]

2015 ttse with 13,000 miles.

I am 1200 miles away from home and on a long ride.  The bike has performed flawlessly until now.  After riding in 100 degree temps for 3 hours I pulled over and stopped the bike so I could look hotels up on my phone.

When I went to start the bike 10 minutes later it cranked albeit sort of slow, much like a dying battery would do.  It started with some difficulty and gave me the low voltage message which it has forever.  I went and bought a new battery.  It cranks harder but is still cranking for 5-8 seconds before it fires.

If it were an old car I’d check fuel and spark as I would speculate it’s not getting one of them.   Once it fires it runs as well as ever.

I have allowed it to cool completely down and it still starts the same way.

There are no codes other then P0000 which means no code.

Any ideas on this.  Great timing for an issue to occur.

[Xsv]

 So Timo, another forum member and my riding partner (albeit not on this trip) suggested opening the gas cap and see if there was any pressure release via sucking or hissing sound.  I did not notice any, but have since started the bike multiple times over an hour period of time an it seems much better.  I am guessing, maybe hoping, my vent is clogged and the extreme heat maybe caused a little vapor lock that could be overcome once running?

That would be a simple problem with a simple solution and I can feel good about giving to the community  Lake Havasu City $120 for a battery :-)


I will post more follow up later

[Xsv]

Rode 300;miles today with temps 55-85 degrees with about 20 start ups.  Not a single issue.

[earthman]

Was the old battery tested/proved to be faulty?

If not I'm thinking of the possibility of an electrical/bad connection type of fault. Considering the temperature changes you mentioned, could play a part on a not so clean earth for for example??

[Xsv]

Unfortunately the shop I went to could not load test the old battery.  Connections were all clean/ good.  The dragging, slowness of the cranking lead me to believe the Battery had a role.  However, that was only after cranking several times because the engine did not seem to want to fire.

[Xsv]

I’ve put 1600 miles on the bike since this problem first came up 3 days ago.  It has not repeated the starting issue.  It has not been triple digit hot either.

I did notice today when it was 30 degrees outside the digital speedometer showed — and no speed.  Once it warmed up to abou 40 it reappeared.  Other then those 2 issues the rest of of the 2800 mike ride was flawless!

[earthman]

Fingers crossed that it were the battery or those connections  then. It seems that this bike's computer system can be really touchy when it comes to voltage supply maybe.

[Xsv]

Originally Posted by earthman

Fingers crossed that it were the battery or those connections  then. It seems that this bike's computer system can be really touchy when it comes to voltage supply maybe.

I hope so. The ironic thing was I noticed yesterday after riding 4 consecutive hours and then gassing up I got the low voltage message on the dash.  Yep on a new Battery with 1600 miles and 3 days old.