Totally rookie rider - some tech help wanted, any extra advice welcome as well

[BurningBeard]

Hello everyone!
I very recently happened upon a low cost purchase opportunity. A friend of mine is moving to another European country for a new job and he was looking to sell his FMX 650.

I've been on the bike as a passenger quite a few times, he's someone i trust (so i knew he wasn't lying when telling me what's good and what's wrong about the bike), so i started considering his offer and by doing a bit of research on the internet i stumbled upon this forum.

Long story short, we're in the process of finalizing the paperwork to transfer ownership of the bike and i went shopping for protective gear. All in all, for about 2200 Euros i got the bike, a carbon fiber - aramide composite full-face helmet, a motorcycle jacket, a pair of new handlebar grips, couple of locks and a pair of Acerbis leather gloves with knuckle protectors. A trip to a trusted mechanic for an oil change and check-up confirmed my buddy's claims about the state of the bike: engine is running smooth, tires are almost brand new, chain and brakes in very good condition and the mechanic telling me "he sure spared no expense in keeping it serviced properly".

Part 1 - Tech Help:

I had to do an oil change (there were 1.3 liters of oil left) and replace the speedometer "wire" (don't know how to call it in English, sorry ) because it was broken, just minor servicing. The bike has 15000 kms on the clock plus about 5000-7000kms since the speedometer stopped working (20000-22000 kms total that is) and the valves and tires were changed about a year or 18 months ago after he took it riding on summer holidays. After that point the guy pretty much stopped riding any meaningful distances (think neighborhood rides to the coffee house only), so the valves also have a low mileage.

The only real problem (which i knew of before purchase) is that due to a long period of inactivity there's a battery problem that makes starting a bit of a gamble. I was about to install a new battery today but the mechanic advised me to check with an electrician first in case there's some kind of an electrical "leak" somewhere, because if there's something else draining the battery it would be a waste of money to replace it and have the same problems.

First of all, what he told me is that the battery seems pretty low capacity for the engine displacement on this bike and it's actually similar to the category of batteries used on 250cc scooters and such. He also told me that he hooked up a car battery of suitable voltage/amperage to the bike's connectors when testing it on the shop and it still seemed to struggle when starting, choke and all, which was why he started suspecting a possible electrical malfunction of another kind.

My question to you helpful lot here is, what kind of reasons would there be for this bike to be hard to start? Maybe it's not even electrical at all, maybe it's something else and simply trying to start a few times drains the small capacity battery? Maybe it's both?

For purposes of comparison with your experiences, let me say that i've found out that after 4-5 start attempts the battery can't turn the starter over at full speed and it's all downhill from that point on.


Part 2 - General Advice:

I'm pretty much as rookie as it gets to this. I've wanted to ride since i was 15 and hitched my first ride on my cousin's 50cc town mate, i've had a license for 4 years but didn't ride much since and this is the first bike i own. I've heard good things about its reliability, handling, traction and braking capabilities. The fact that it's not a top performer in terms of speed and HP is actually a good thing to me. I feel it's a bike i can comfortably and gradually grow into as a newbie rider, instead of getting something like a high performance supermoto and being scared out of my mind when it pops an unintentional wheelie the first time i try to ride it, or getting a heavier cruiser bike and being unable to manage the weight

"What do you want to do with it" you'll ask me. Well, for the following year i'm going to mostly use the FMX for commuting within the city and if i get comfortable enough with it by summer, i might take it on a weekend getaway or two to the beaches 150km from my home town.

I've had my first almost-drop today when i was driving it home from the repair shop and (lucky me, i know) it had been raining. It's a small distance of 500 meters or so and i kept to 1st and 2nd gear and no more than 25 km/h, exiting the main roads and entering the alleys close to home as early as i could, to get away from traffic and be able to move at bicycle speeds for safety reasons without holding up everyone else behind.

Well lo and behold, 3 cars are somewhat jammed because someone double parked with alarm signals on, so i approach slowly (walking speed slowly) and move to the other side of the alley, not with the intention of overtaking the last car but mostly to be able to see what's going on up ahead. It's at that precise moment that i'm about to stop and put my foot down, when the middle car driver is fed up waiting and starts reversing somewhat angrily to exit via the intersection i'm approaching. I'm not sure if he saw me, i'm not used to the bike yet and just like you have already guessed, i lock the front wheel and the bike drops to the right. I turn it off, the hurried driver comes to my aid, apologizes and helps me pick it up again. All this is happening at 5km/h and 50 meters from the entrance of my home

I didn't think much into it because there was no damage to me, anyone else, the bike or another vehicle and i had been really careful to offset my lack of experience by keeping my distance and going slowly because of the rain. I just took it as a confirmation of my previous thoughts that i need practice and to get used to the bike, which is what i intend to do as soon as the weather clears up.

That being said, i took my license lessons and exam on a honda CBF500 which is quite a bit heavier. I had trouble controlling that too initially, but i managed to pass the first time i took the test, despite gusting cross-winds battering me while i was trying to do the slow handling portion of it (the "keep on the painted line at walking speed and do it in no less than 15 seconds" part). That was a real challenge and i was leaning the bike into the wind while leaning my body the other way to counterbalance it, working the clutch, rear brake and throttle and readjusting everything whenever the wind gusts would come and go.

So, i have a feeling that if i practice in a controlled environment without traffic and redo whatever i used to do for my driving lessons, i will get the hang of how the FMX handles. I'm thinking of taking it to a department store parking lot each Sunday when they'll be closed and the lot will be empty, so that i can drive around and learn at my own pace without having to worry about traffic. That way i'll also be able to gradually push it and learn its limits, a bit at a time. I intend to start with basic handling (clutch control, shifting, slow speed maneuvers and figure-8s), move on to braking (accelerate to 40-60km/h and then stop, panic stops, stopping with the clutch held in vs down-shifting to use engine braking), then start practicing obstacle avoidance (swerve techniques, push steering, swerve and stop) and doing a cone slalom. I will probably take some plastic cups with me, fill them with a bit of water so the wind doesn't scatter them and use them as cones for my improvised course.
And if i fall, i'll be away from traffic and dressed properly, because i spent 3 hours picking a helmet, gloves and jacket before i even had the bike in my garage.

The reason i'm getting you bored with this? I would really like some of the experienced riders here to judge if my overall mindset and attitude towards riding is one that will help make me a safety-oriented rider. I'm 31 and i want a fun (and less fuel-guzzling) way to do my everyday commuting and maybe a bit of short-range traveling around my parts of the map. I do like the feeling of speed as much as anybody, but i don't see myself on a sport bike approaching corners at 200km/h and braking to 60km/h before leaning it all the way in anytime soon. I just want to ride safely at speeds comparable to the ones i do when i drive a car, at least until i rack up a year or two of experience.

I know the FMX is weak compared to the competition, but it's just fine for what i need it to do and definitely more than i can currently handle
The bike is pretty much stock, with the exception of Remus cans by the way.

Finally, is there any extras you could suggest for purchase down the road? I'm not interested in performance gains just yet, i'm thinking more in terms of accessories that will maximize functionality and the safety factor for now. For example, should i look into getting a stronger headlight at some point, as the stock one seems kind of weak? Should i look into getting an oil cooler if i start driving longer distances? Maybe a different battery model to make sure i have enough juice to start it easily? Or something that increases mileage/fuel capacity? (that is my only gripe with this bike, the fuel tank is a bit too small). Things like that.

Thank you all in advance for any information i might be able to glean, safe rides and if you've read this far, well...congratulations

[Rubberchicken]

I had to do an oil change (there were 1.3 liters of oil left)

First of all, there should be a bit more than 2 liters in there so that's about 800cc short, which is a lot!

Keep an eye on the oil consumption as these bikes can use a bit of oil, and keep in mind that it should be changed every 3000 km.
(Just to avoid the painful consequences of "oh yeah, there was something about oil" after riding 5000 km, which happens all too easily with a new-to-you bike. You wouldn't be the first.)

Yes it's a bit underpowered but as you say for a newbie that's a feature.

I'd say at first just ride it and enjoy yourself, get to know the bike, then soon enough you'll know what you want to change, if anything. You might not even want to, small bikes rule for having fun on and not much power just means you can use more of it more of the time.

[BurningBeard]

Thanks for the input, regarding riding that's pretty much my take on it: practice on a vacant parking lot and do small rides around the neighborhood for now, sort of to the coffee house and back. Yup, oil was low because the bike practically sat on its tail end for months before i got it, my buddy told me it was the first thing i should look into. I'm also a flight simulator player and i've gotten to know a few things about air cooled engines without cost to myself or my wallet, it should come in handy

In any case i got the FMX at such a low price and with full disclosure of the few servicing issues it had, so i'm not really complaining. If the guy had done these small repairs himself, he'd have probably sold it for a couple hundred more anyway, so it all evens out.

Any ideas about the battery/starter issue would be more than welcome, since it's the only thing that's currently keeping me from getting out and riding tomorrow (weather got better today as well )

[Rubberchicken]

About that starting problem, does it have trouble turning the engine over or does it just not want to fire up?

My old NX had an 8Ah battery, which was fine (when new and/or well maintained). (That same 8Ah even managed to get my GS started somewhat reliably in a february winter.)

If it doesn't want to fire you might try fitting a new spark plug, I've found the Iridium ones make starting somewhat easier.

And the best trick if the bike has been sitting for a while (even a week!) is to drain the carb float bowl before starting so you have fresh petrol in there. It makes a BIG difference in how easy it catches.

[BurningBeard]

Thanks a lot, i will look into that as well.

The reason i initially suspected the battery is that it starts "dying" after 4-5 start attempts. To be honest though, i don't know how many start attempts such a battery should be able to supply before draining. If i knew what is considered an average figure for such a battery (eg, "you got X start attempts before it starts draining") i would be able to judge its condition more accurately.

As for draining the carb, both times i was left unable to start, the bike had been running just before the failed start attempt: one was in a gas station (drive, switch off, buy gas, try to start) and the other was my mini fall two days ago.

In all cases however it is true that the starter does turn the motor over, i give it 1-2 seconds per attempt. I think that putting two and two together (how it acts up and what you say), maybe i have a spark plug issue.

Sadly, i will now have to wait until Monday, the temptation to jump-start it and go around the block a few times is too great though

Is it possible for me to manually remove and clean the spark plugs in the meantime?

P.S Thanks for all the valuable help, great information

[jarl]

Try holding down the button for longer. Mine takes a second or so to start, and after I've dropped it it'll take a lot longer to start- the engine will turn over for 10-15 seconds after a drop before she fires, and then she'll run rough for a further 20 seconds if it was a really bad drop!

IMO there's not much point in cleaning the spark plug, especially in a bike where you only have 1! Chuck a new one in and see what happens

[BurningBeard]

Roger that, i'll get it sorted first thing on Monday.

As for the turn over time: when the battery is charged and the bike is cooperative, it takes no more than 2 seconds to fire it up.
I really doubt this battery can turn the engine over for 15 seconds though, is it normal to be able to hold the starter down that long?

Because if it is, it seems like i'm looking at both a new battery and a spark plug, along with a complete electrical check-up.

Well, that's the last couple of things i need to take care of, hopefully, then i can start going on familiarization rides.

[jarl]

if your battery can't do 15 seconds you have (serious) battery problems.

IntruderAlert Cafe

Check out test #8. 25+ starts from a good quality battery from fully charged- approximately 50 seconds on time total. Turning over a 6.8L V10 engine.

[Rubberchicken]

Agreed on the battery, it should be able to last longer than a few seconds, and a cranky big single can take a while to catch.

Just checking a very simple thing, you're not putting the choke back on while trying to start it after it's just run, are you?

[BurningBeard]

To my understanding, the way to do it is use choke when it's cold, don't use when it's warm. Since choke restricts air it means it affects the mixture in the engine and making it run rich, which can dirty up the spark plug if left on when not needed and at low RPM, is that correct? Is there anything else that can happen if you use choke on a warmed up engine? (i can never get enough of the technical details ) I'm still not familiar enough with it to judge when to use choke or how much of it, eg, my buddy i got it from could just eyeball it depending on conditions and he would give it half-choke, full or no choke and always get it to start within the first three attempts. I'm not there yet, but when it wouldn't catch i also tried variations on choke use and it wouldn't work. The thing is, if the battery is good for 50 seconds of turning over the starter and motor, i should have been able to start it after 5-10 attempts. I'll take it to a repair shop and probably replace both the battery and spark plug on Monday.