Cold starting

[Izzo]

I keep my bike in an unheated space, went to start it to go to work this morning, no luck. It was about 39 degrees, and the battery (Yuasa) is only a couple months old. What do you guys recommend- I can start taking the battery out, which I usually do in winter, but I doubt if that will be enough. It's way too soon for riding season to be over.

 

[pjsmithres]

battery tender or any trickle maintainer.

 

[Willtill]

I keep my bike in an unheated space, went to start it to go to work this morning, no luck. It was about 39 degrees, and the battery (Yuasa) is only a couple months old. What do you guys recommend- I can start taking the battery out, which I usually do in winter, but I doubt if that will be enough. It's way too soon for riding season to be over.

Many of us leave the bikes in a cold area (sheds and such) during winter and many of us keep a battery tender on the battery. That'll keep it charged. You can always disconnect it and bring it in as well; but just more preparatory work if you get a good day to ride; and have to reinstall it.

Just run an extension cord out to the bike and use a Battery Tender.

 

[Izzo]

Thanks, I'll look into that- was just wondering if that would be enough, or if turning over the huge engine cold, thickened oil would still be too much for the battery. Does anyone use heaters under the crankcase?

 

[Willtill]

Thanks, I'll look into that- was just wondering if that would be enough, or if turning over the huge engine cold, thickened oil would still be too much for the battery. Does anyone use heaters under the crankcase?

We talked about using heaters a couple of years ago actually. I don't think anyone is though; at least not mentioned in a awhile on this forum. What you will benefit from is increasing the gauge of your negative battery cable; many of us have done that and it provides less resistance of the current getting back to the battery.

Those of us whom have done this mod see better spinning of the crank; during cold weather. You can also go hog wild and upgrade your starter and install a second battery in parallel (I use a Ballistic 16 cell lithium in mine) to increase the overall amperage. I have about 840 cranking amps cold now, more than enough to awake the beast from it's slumber.

 

[Izzo]

Thanks, good info. I went home at lunch and tried it, still no go and almost 50 degrees now. Took the battery out. One last question- can a Rocket be jump-started off a car?

 

[DCRocket]

Yes, but DO NOT start the car. Just battery to battery, no engine running and bike should fire up. You might still have a bad battery even if it's only a couple months old - good luck,

 

[zenbiker]

I can't tell you the difference a fatter ground cable makes! I went whole Hog and installed #1 welders cables throughout.
Carpenter routinely changes the ground cable, I believe. I assume you tightened up the battery terminals?
50 degrees and a no start is not to be expected. A battery tender is a must as far as I'm concerned.
Have you checked the output from the battery with a meter?

 

[JRock]

I keep her on a tender.
(I will eventually add the 1.4Kw starter, starter relay and Thick ground cable)
Below 45 degrees or so, it will not kick over.
Use a home made heater:
A rectangle of thin aluminum roughly the shape of the flat engine sump, angle bars on the sides for stiffness.
Two stick on Silicon heater pads 100 watts each.
Strap it to the sump bottom with 4 thin bungees at the corners hooked to wherever, pulling it up against the sump.
~2 hours to heat up the oil before it starts right up.

 

[Izzo]

Thanks, lots of great ideas. I'm definitely going to change out the ground cable.