The Italian in my life is not talking to me

[lukevo]

I not sure what I have done to her but I went to go for a ride yesterday and she will not start.

I suspected a flat battery so hooked her up to the charger over night...

today (after 13 hours on charge) the dash lights etc. came on but the starter motor is not turning over....The 100evo has a inbuilt voltage meter and this reads 12.7 volts before attempting to start....Not knowing much about batteries I would have thought that was sufficient power for a starter motor considering its a 12 Volt System however I do note that when the motor is running the voltage read out is approx 14.5....

Anyway managed to get her going with a roll start and rode around for about an hour. Half an hour after turning of the engine she will not start again..... This bike only has 2.5 k on the clock and is less than 8 months old so I'm thinking I may have a faulty battery. Has anyone else had similar issues with the new gen monsters???

[dan_t]

This bike only has 2.5 k on the clock and is less than 8 months old

Sounds like it's under warranty, so take it back to the dealers & don't stuff around with it!

[FIFO]

12.7 volts is a good battery .is it cranking over or just a clicking sound or just dead all together? 

[lukevo]

Sounds like it's under warranty, so take it back to the dealers & don't stuff around with it!

Yeah I hope it is covered under warranty if I indeed a new battery is required

12.7 volts is a good battery .is it cranking over or just a clicking sound or just dead all together? 

Dash lights work, The exhaust valve is making its sound... and it makes a click click click sound when I turn it over. Also the bike ran normally when I roll started it...

[FIFO]

As Dan  said should be a warranty issue .but if it is cranking over slowly could be a week battery.the old twins need a strong battery.

[Betty]

Luke I obviously don't have any experience to share on the new-gen Monsters, but our experiences with the 4v bikes sounds similar. I keep hearing that batteries don't last long nowadays ... but 8 months!? I am sure one (or more) of our elctrickery experts will have a proper answer for you soon enough.

Anyway our experience:

The girls' bikes (620 & 800) have never really had a problem. But the big bikes always struggle ... even if left on a tender. Left off the tender for a couple of days they wouldn't start. So we chucked 'em in and bought a couple of Shorai batteries for the big bikes ... no more problems.

The 999 has a meter as well and typically is in the mid-twelves at start up ... as soon as it turns over it reads mid to high thirteens. Nowadays with the Shorai it can sit for weeks untendered and starts first go (it just doesn't sound very keen when you push that button).

EDIT: Got distracted while typing so I haven't read the above replies yet.

[lukevo]

Thanks for the info guys...yeah I was thinking that if the battery is shot that I might go for something after market like the Shorai...Ducati gave me a battery tender to use when I took delivery, I usually use it when the bike sits for more than a few days. It seemed strange to me at the time that a battery tender is sold with a new sportsbike which kinda suggests to me that the stock batteries have a hard life and are not exactly up to the task, but I am a total novice when it come to all things electrical...

It was also just two minutes ago that I opened a letter from Ducati...looks like a recall for a new rear wheel due the slight possibility the current one will crack under the pressure.....

[Buckethead]

If you've got good voltage at the battery (which it sounds like you do) but it still won't start, check your main battery connections. A poor ground or a corroded starter lead will cause issues and they were relatively common problems on the previous gen Monsters.

Easiest culprit to check on the old bikes was the frame ground, which would either corrode or just kinda shake a bit loose. Follow the lead from your negative terminal to wherever it bolts to the frame. A lot of times a quick wire brushing on both sides of that connection will cure this kind of issue.

[mattyvas]

That doesn't sound good. Something that I haven't seen suggested. could it be the immobilizer?
I know that the classics have a circular antenna that sits under the key guard and if it drops away it won't pick up the key and you get nothing
as a response when the key is in the ignition.

Does the new gen Monster have a similar system? It does sound like there is enough charge in the battery and even though new batteries might not have long life in them less than 8 months is poor. For me even between long breaks I still don't use my battery tender. 

[J5]

sounds like a stuffed battery

me personally always use a battery tender

from experience from 916 days unless the battery is at 100% then you can have trouble starting , esp with hard wired headlights that are pulling 5+ amps
when you are trying to start the bike

along with the fact that motorcycle chargin circuits are marginal at best , they are just not designed to dump large currents into half flat batteries

a battery kept on the charger or topped up before riding will alst far longer as well as the charging circuit having a longer life , esp on hondas ,  my recent ebay purchase was a new in the box ducati shimdeng reg/rect , not for a if i need it but for a when i need it day bargain $65

[lukevo]

Thanks for the input...Yeah Matty I thought it might be the immobilizer also but then concluded that I would not have been able to roll start.....I'm thinking I'll do a little bit of investigative work and check the connections  as per Bucket heads suggestion and if nothing is obvious I'll take it back to the dealers.....

[Mr.S2R]

just to chime in I don't think my 2006 Monster has had it's battery replaced yet....(hope I havent jinxed it)

You can have good surface charge on a battery which will show good voltage - the cold cranking amps or core charge is what really defines a battery.  As per comments I would say the battery has dropped it's core charge.

[suzyj]

Battery, but there could have been something that stuffed your battery.  Batteries occasionally go phoot early in their lives, but only occasionally.

[monstermick58]

Battery, but there could have been something that stuffed your battery.  Batteries occasionally go phoot early in their lives, but only occasionally.

I'm thinking the same as Suzyj, pull the battery out and take it down to your local auto electrician and have him load test the battery that will give you a good idea of the condition of the battery.

  If that comes back ok as previously said check your connections including the one to the starter from the relay, anything loose or corroded will give you problems.





                                   Mmick

[loony888]

12.7 volts is a good battery .is it cranking over or just a clicking sound or just dead all together? 

not necessarilly,
what matters is the voltage drop as you start it, you can still maintain good volts but have bugger all cranking amps.
put a meter across the battery and hit the starter, if it falls below say 10v it's stuffed, if it holds it's voltage it's not the battery but more likely, as others have said a poor connection.