1. Healthy battery, fully / mostly charged and the bike starts. 2. Start the bike and leave idling with no reving for a few minutes then turn the bike off. 3. Bike won’t start because battery almost flat. If the bike was used instead of just warmed up as in step 2 then the battery would be OK.
Could be one dodgy cell in the battery? Sad but true, happened to me as well... TBH, you want it to be this because it is an easy fix...
Battery is new and it’s the second one so I’m ruling out a battery problem. I can fully charge the battery before I start the steps and the result is the same.
Sounds like battery on the way out. Initial start takes a lot out of battery, then if you don't ride it to charge battery up again it's not got enough to restart. Check voltage of battery is healthy and drop test it if available.
If its a multistrada the dash has a voltage check facility. Mine was similar when starting on especially cold mornings voltage 1st thing was 12.4v. A new battery solved it. TB
If the battery is new you need to check the voltage across the battery terminals whilst the engine is running, it should read (as indicated already) around 14v. If it does not then your issue is mostly likely a regulator/rectifier issue and the bike is not charging.
I suggest the earth lead on the regulator/rectifier - at tickover with no chassis/frame movement the earth is poor /non existant - when you are riding it the road vibration /suspension movement ensures that an earth is formed and the charging circuit works (after a fashion).
Definitely be checking batt leads to starter solenoid and then to starter motor, and earth lead from battery to chassis/ground. Plus all fuses and any connectors you can. Then reassess and check charging system. If any of this sounds tricky, take it to an auto electrician
If it's charging at 14.4 then it does sound like the battery is at fault - can you get the battery drop tested?
Take out off bike, let if falll from waist height, if it bounces it’s buggered. Lol Was going to ask if new bikes have smart alternators, so they don’t charge at tickover. But looks like you are happy wen ticking over it’s charging. I’d swap battery out and see if same issue. If so, something is draining at standstill quicker than it can be replenished
it could be a faulty starter or high resistance in a battery/earth cable. you need to check the voltage at the battery lead on the starter during cranking. and use a jump lead to substitute the earth lead.
Time to come clean... This isn't a Ducati question but a Kawasaki one although the advice everybody has offered applies to both I think. After a bit of research I've found that a few years ago (when my bike was in production) Kawasaki issued a recall on the reg/rec because they would get too hot and develop a fault where they over-voltaged the battery and killed it, leaving riders stranded. I've more than likely got one of the original suspect units that wasn't recalled or was secondhand and already faulty when it was fitted to the bike so I've ordered a new one and a new battery. The last time I had the issue was when the bike was sitting in the sun at the Slovakiaring on Wednesday in 33C heat, ready to go out for the last quali session. We had to bump start it eventually. Thanks all for the advice.
