Cant go wrong with a better battery but, you missed an important part of FI starting procedure. Dab the starter button to prime the fuel pump. Then attempt cranking. Needs fuel pressure at the injector to start
Leaving the ignition on with lights running is enough to warm up a Li battery. Although now everything is LED, it doesn't work as well. Good move with the bigger CCA capacity. Shouldn't need to do it, but hey !! It's a competition bike. Not a commuter.
my 2015 fe501/vortex started up just fine, no choke, 400hrs.. and my 2021 exc500/GET needs choke every time..BUT its easily fires up, 1st try..stock battery, 110hrs now...usa california.
Those instructions from manual are over the top and you end up sitting around. When it's below 8degC I tap the button as I unload the bike, tap it again once pants/Boots on then it's usually good to go once iam too. I mean tap too lucky to roll the motor over once or twice. No waiting around then.
So finally, in all honesty, it was not the battery, was it? Mine starts effortless in cold conditions although the engine does not turn quicker while pushing on the start button. BTW: 5 seconds cranking is 5 seconds, not 2, if you really want to apply procedures. When I do not use the bike for some time, I first hit the start button a short time to prime gasoline in the pump, and then only I crank it.
That's def not normal. If an injected bike hasn't been started for a while I will hit the starter for about 1 sec to activate fuel pump. Wait for the fuel pump to stop, then start it.
Thank you for the video. Explained a lot well for me. Just out of interest, how has the SSB battery gone over the long term? Still start well now in cold conditions?
KTM moved Husky/KTM production to China. Its increasingly hard to import China batteries to other countries due to regulatory issues. Thus, they put a crappy battery in the bike to comply. LiPo batteries do not charge below 35f degrees. They need a heater in the battery to function below 25f degrees. Yes, you can be riding in the cold and your battery is not using the alternator to recharge... All depends on the air temp. Expensive LiPo batteries have built in heaters. The heater actually consumes power, from the battery itself...Causing other starting issues. Getting a better battery is the way to go. My peers just dont ride in the cold... KTM/Husky riders miss more ride days....
Hey DOL I have a 2015 KTM 350 which has an agm battery tiny like the size you have. It has a fast idle button on the carb which you pull out. I have found the best way to start when cold is to blip the throttle once then hit the start button just enough to engage the electrics then press the starter and 9 out of 10 times it fires straight up. Never give it any throttle. Anyhow looks like you have fixed your problem. Like your work on your channel keep it up. Cheers Martin
your supposed to use the choke underneath the tank when starting cold. I usually blip the starter button a couple times within 20 seconds and then go to fire it up and it does every time. I also noticed upgrading my stator and adding a antigravity battery made it much easier to cold start.
Wow..you shouldn't need that high and amperage to start such a small engine.. I would start looking at fueling to the injector. It's sounds like there is not power to the fuel system due to voltage draw being so high... The 70 deg HUSABERG has some strange issues like that. It need correct fuel pressure to fire it up. A couple of jabs on the starter they start up no problem it also was inky in the morning...
Lithium batteries are much lighter but have this issue when cold. KTM have just given you the right technique in the manual minus a step mentioned below. Hit the starter button for a second to get the fuel pump to prime . Wait for the fuel pump to finish then go at it. I had a Husaberg FE350 that was hard to start. We checked the valves, injector and battery. In the end it was the starter motor had run its course and wasn't spinning faster enough. SSB are the better Lithium battery in my opinion but when KTM's are maintained exactly as per the manual it will run at its optimum. If your bike has a few kms (more than about 6-7000) I'd be keeping an eye on that starter motor depending on how its ridden of course. Mine got about 12000kms before it got as lazy as your bike.
in UK i imagine it is cooler here than there , we just had -10c through winter - click in my yellow button, tap the start button to arm the injectors and you hear it, wait about 2 secs: hit start and inside 3 secs bam ! My 500 exc is a 2019 with 4k on it, same battery since new..... eh oh: a better battery is always good
I have the same problem with lithium batteries - but my bike has a kick start - so once I’ve kicked it over (usually no more than twice) it starts no worries. 10 seconds at most.
Had the lithium alternative on my Aprilia which was shite in winter (Toowoomba). OK in warm weather. I have now stuck with a lead acid GM battery, cheaper and more reliable in cold climates. CCA needed was above 240 for the 750 V twin.
You clearly have other issues than the battery. My 2019 501 is now at 700hours and 40000km. Never refused to start at temperature way colder than 20 degrees and I never use the cold start. Stock battery still in it. I work on these bikes every day and I would start with a fuel pressure test and injector cleaning. A tight valve can also cause hard start. How old is the plug. Also, motocell is not the stock battery.
Turn up your idle wait 5-10 not 30. You said you wait 30 for the battery to get into service temp. Well that would only take 30 seconds not one minute or minute and a half or 2 minutes etc. Smarten up run that battery to the ground then get a new one that’s better Don’t have a problem in the Rockies of bc canada
Putting it in the manual even, may require multiple starts, fuck right off with that, make a bike that starts every time. It’s such a blatant cheapskate move it reminds me of some of Apple’s frustrating decisions
Its not rocket science. In cold conditions tip the bike to the left to get the clutch basket out of cold thick oil. Also match your oil viscocity to the temp conditions. And fit the correct CCA battery...seems your dealer replaced your old failing battery with a substandard replacement.