Battery not holding charge/ Starter Problem

[BayArea FZ6 Rider]

Hello again fellow FZ6 riders,

A few weeks ago I have been having battery problems with my bike. I think I finally isolated the problem. My battery has been losing charge or not holding charge for some time. I bought a tender and it works for a few days after fully charge. After reading some tips online, (PAGE NAME - MotorcyleAnchor.COM), I disconnected removed the negative lead on the battery and measured to see if there was current between the negative lead and negative terminal and there was, about 5.4 amps. So according to those tips, it was a wiring problem and therefore I disconnected lights and so on to see were the hot wire was located. When I disconnected the starter relay the reading went straight to ZERO. So, I assume that is where the "hot circuit" is at that is draining my battery. I look to see if I could fine any part of the wire that were bare or stripped and I found nothing. HAS THIS HAPPENED TO ANYONE HERE? I am not a mechanic and I really don't want to mess with my bike if I don't know what I am doing. I just want to know if this has happened to anyone and if it is an easy fix or do I have to take it to a mechanic? Any suggestions would really help. And thank you in advance for comments and suggestions.

[DefyInertia]

Do you have any aftermarket alarms, lighting, or accessories that draw current?

[BayArea FZ6 Rider]

I do not have any aftermarket parts that use up power.

[wolfc70]

The starter relay maybe bad. I have had this happen on other bikes, sometimes you just get bad parts. The contacts in the relay bay be corroded and sticking. I would see of you can swap out another relay. You might be able to test it with a multi meter. If the bike is under warranty, let the dealer figuire it out.

[mb1]

Bought a 07 with 0 miles on it a few months ago, made it 17 miles away from dealership when it would hold charge. turned out the coil was bad from factory...

[bd43]

Based on your description of the test to get the 5.4 amps, confirm that you did this test with the ignition key off and removed from the bike....

Is this correct?

[BayArea FZ6 Rider]

Yes, the ignition switch was OFF and the Key was in my pocket the whole time during this test.

[bd43]

The starter relay would only draw that kind of current if the relay coil was shot, but not likely so I would expect that the starter relay contact is passing current to the starter motor. If the relay is suspect, remeasure the current from the negative of the battery as you did before except pull the main fuse to see if the current is still there. If so, replace the starter relay. If not, then pull the relay and confirm whether there is voltage across the L/W and R/W colored wires in the relay socket. There should be no voltage present here while the key is in the "off" position.

[BayArea FZ6 Rider]

Thanks biker_dude43. I will try that tonight. When you write "pull the main fuse" do you mean the fuse next to the starter relay or the main fuse located in the fuse box towards the rear of the bike. Thanks for you help again and I will let you know how it went.

[Wh0M3]

How old is your battery? I know that gel batteries can last a few years before they need to be replaced, but that isn't always the case. I had to replace mine this past summer. I have a 2006 FZ6, and I assume that the battery was still the same one, and not been replaced. At first I thought my battery was dead, so I talked with a local dealer, and they said to bring it in. I brought it in and they said it was dead, and charged it up for me. I took it home and found it was dead again. I wasn't sure if it was the battery because it took a couple days before I installed it again. There was snow still on the ground in places so I wasn't so big on trying to get out and ride just yet. I didn't know if it was the battery or not. They said it was ok, but it wasn't working. I thought maybe it was my alt. not charging it up. (through jump starting, popping the clutch) I finnally took it in and had the mechanic look at it, checking the battery when the bike was running, off, and at start. He said the battery was dead, so I got another and have been up and running sense.

I have learned that I did a noob thing and not set up my battery with a trickle charger over the winter, and that might have been the difference between needing a new battery and saving the old one.

-pd