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Battery ??

2K views 10 replies 3 participants last post by  KsVn900 
#1 ·
My wife and I went to go for a ride today, fired up the MS, let it run for a few minutes, forgot something in the house, shut it off. I came back out not more than 5 minutes later and it made about a half of a turn over and the magnetic switch started clicking, wouldn't turn over or anything, instrumentation lights, fuel pump prime, all happen as normal, but when you hit the start button, just clicking. I checked the connections, all clean and secure. I was able to jump start it and get it running, but even warmed up it wouldn't idle, the tach jumped all over the place, and the odometer was flipping out just flashing, the trip meter, odo, and clock wouldn't come up, it just sat there and flashed. Granted I've only had the MS since last July, it's an '07, I bought it new at the dealership, and I'm betting it sat there in the showroom from sometime in '07 till I bought it. I'm thinking the battery is toast. I've been noticing that it seems like it's been harder to turn over for the last couple weeks. Any thoughts?
 
#2 ·
Rob
Sure sounds like a battery problem. Could be corrosion or just a poor terminal connection too. If you have a multimeter, measure the battery voltage with the engine "off". You should see around 12.2 to 12.6 volts. With the engine running, raise the rpms and see if the output increases. It should read around 13.8 to 14.2 volts. If not check your voltage regulator connector for corrosion.
 
#4 ·
No multimeter at home, but I do have one at work, guess I'll be bringing that home tomorrow. I'm also calling the dealer 1st thing in the morning, the MS is still under warranty so hopefully that'll count for something. Stupid question time- Where's the voltage regulator? I checked all the connections I could see under the seat and everything was clean and tight.
 
#5 ·
Not sure about the Meanie location for the regulator, but I think that on my 1600 Classic, it was on the right side below the floorboard, mounted on the underside of the frame. That's where it is on my V2K also.:D
 
#6 ·
Since it's still under warranty, I took it to the dealer yesterday. I talked to them this morning and they say the regulator is bad, they've ordered one and I should have my MS back for the weekend.
 
#7 ·
crap! I just got off the phone with the dealer, they installed a new regulator and the charging system still tested wrong:mad: they traced it to a bad stator, it's been ordered and it'll be next week before I get my MS back. At least it's all covered under warranty.
 
#8 ·
Man, that's tough :( AND expensive :eek: It's probably best to change out the regulator at the same time; I've read a few posts about only changing the stator and a few months latter, the battery and regulator died. Does the Meanie had 2 stators like the Classic 1600s ?
 
#9 ·
The battery tested out fine, they installed a new regulator and it get a new stator next Tuesday. I'm not sure if i has 2 stators or not. The service manager could tell I was a little po'ed and reassured me this whole ordeal is on Kawi's dime and everything would test to spec when I got it back. This whole thing has got me seriously considering buying an extended warranty.
 
#10 ·
I would definitely buy the extended warranty. I purchased my '06 V2K brand new last May. I really love the bike, but read several posts about certain problems that gave my some concerns. That's when I decided it's probably worth the peace of mind and bought the extended warranty. So far, no major issues (except a less than stellar dealer mechanical shop). It's also good to know that if I take any long distance tours, a Kawi dealer must honor the warranty repairs. That's good to know that Kawi picked-up the tab. Isn't your standare warranty just one year? If that's the case, you owe your dealer a big "thank you" for "going to bat" for you. Too many dealers out there that only care about the sale and forget the client, after the sale.
 
#11 ·
So far our service manager has done an outstanding job and I make sure to let him know that what he does is appreciated. He rides so he understands, he's got a beautiful VN900 Custom that he rides all the time.

Yup, my standard warranty is just a year, but I bought the bike new this past July(new leftover)so I've got a couple months left on the warranty. I just got a letter from Kawi a few days ago giving me options for an extended warranty, might just have to take them up on that.

So far, the only bad thing about our dealer is the sales dept. From May to July of '08 our family bought 4 bikes from them. Now we walk in the sales folks hardly say hi to us, they know we're not buying any bikes anytime soon so I guess they think we're wasting their time. The service dept. has been the exact opposite so far, but this is the 1st time we get to see how capable their lead tech is.
 
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