What do you mean won't start more details have you tried bump starting it

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Try cracking the throttle open a little, it should help the engine spin faster/easier. It probably doesn't have enough battery power to crank the engine AND fire the plugs. You can jump start it with a car, or try push starting it. Don't crack the throttle when bump starting.

 

If you have to use another car to start it, leave the car off and take the cables off as soon at it starts.

I've had to do this a couple times when it was really cold out. I do not recommend it though. And push starting wasn't an option by myself.

Ballistic battery is at the very top of my list.

^^ What both of them said. Even though the lights go on and it turns over fine if the battery is slightly weak because of the cold it won't fine the plugs. I learned this the hard way at Barber in Nov 2012. We had our bikes out overnight in the paddock and the temps went into 30's with frost overnight. Next morning I went to start bike for tech and it wouldn't start. It turned over plenty fast or so I thought but it wouldn't start. Finally I took it down to Chuck Giachetto at Performance Cycleworks and he said to jump it off the car while the car was off only. It turned over very quickly then but Chuck said it was probably too late at that point and the plugs were already fouled. He said I could try to clean them or grt new plugs but recommended new plugs. he didnt have any in stock in his trailer. I spent all morning trying to get new plugs and changing them. A forum member had to drive 30 miles to a Yamaha dealer to get them so now I always carry a spare set of new plugs. Once changed it started right up. I have a Shorai Li battery in mine. Chuck said they work great until the temps drop below 40* then the starting amps drop dramatically. He wires a jumper pigtail to his race bikes so they can jump them with a fresh, warm battery if they ever needed to in a pinch. I have a quick disconnect on my battery now and just bring it in from the cold. By the time I got it running I missed all but the last two sessions of the day. It worked no problem on Sunday so at least I got most of my second day in. It was a hard lesson to learn after a 17 hr drive and one that won't happen again.

 

I'm sure the battery is a little weak. I get this issue all the time. There is a technique to cranking when cold.

Let's exchange info. I'm stationed at fort bragg.

 

Do you still have the OEM battery in there?

 

The '09+ models are notorious for killing batteries, get a lithium one.

 

If you have to use another car to start it, leave the car off and take the cables off as soon at it starts.

I've had to do this a couple times when it was really cold out. I do not recommend it though. And push starting wasn't an option by myself.

Ballistic battery is at the very top of my list.

 

I just 'stole' the Ballistic 12 cell from my '06, and put it in my '12. Need to get another for the '06 now. The '12 really needs it.

 

I recently started my '06 after it being in the cold (<30) for days. I turned key to on, and a turn signal, then let it sit for roughly 10 minutes that way. Bike started immediately, like it was summer. The Ballistic lithium batteries need to warm-up internally, before they put out good starting power. Shorai batteries could possibly need the same 'warming procedure' as the Ballistic :dunno Check You Tube for the 'Ballistic Battery Cold Start' video. The only time the Ballistic failed to start my '06, was when the starter finally fully crapped out. A fully charged 'regular' lead/acid battery wouldn't start my '06 at all when the starter was on its way out, whereas the 12 cell started it easily then. I'll never use another 'regular' battery again in my bikes.

 

i worked night shift 4pm to 4am...if i went out around 11 or 12 and started her up and let her idle a min it wold be OK but if i didn't i was push starting her.

 

Which bike ?

 

It's the battery for sure. It may have enough juice to turn the lights on but not enough to crank the bike. If you have to use it now, bump start it. If not, go buy a battery tender and hook it up and always leave it hooked up if you leave the bike out at night. I've ran into this on more than one occasion before I bought my tender. Also, it's expensive, but get the YUASA battery, it's a beast of a battery.

Side note: cranking the bike without the battery tender in cold weather, as you're pushing the start button, twist the throttle to help it turn over.

 

My '07 is super hard to start if the temperature is anywhere below about 10c (50f) but since I switched the OEM lead acid battery for a lithium polymer (Ballistic EVO 8 cell, as much as people on the forum here seem to hate it, it's a beast) and now I just crank it for 10 seconds, wait for the tach to sweep and the exup to cycle, repeat... Eventually the tach won't sweep after cranking and usually it starts right up after that.

 

If your battery is starting to go weak (which it sounds like, as already mentioned), change it ASAP!

Jump starting the bike repeatedly and letting the charging system charge up the battery will kill your stator and/or rectifier fast... And they are a lot more expensive than a new battery...

 

How do you know if your stator or rectifier is bad?


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Ya it's your battery these 09-12 R1s do not like the cold weather. I even had my battery checked by a few shops they both told me the battery was good. So I had no clue what to do because I troubleshot the stator and the rectifier and they were both good and I always keep my battery on the tender. So I took my bike in just so that they can tell me it was my battery. The battery just did not have enough voltage output when they were cranking it over. It was at 10.5v and they said it should be around 12v so I have a ballistic 12c battery on the way. It still sucks because the lithium batteries have to warm up in the cold but at least I will know once it is warm it won't leave me stranded.

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