[VSG12777]

Hi everyone,

All the fittings on my Avenger 200 were finally completed yesterday evening, with the windshield (lesser in height than the one offered by Bajaj, but similar design and quality) being the last item. The pictures of the bike are done, and are now just waiting to be transferred to the PC before posting here.

After using the bike yesterday early morning for a super ride with my friend at 6.45am on the Tidel Park Road in Chennai and back, I went in the evening to the GP Road shop for the windshield etc. and everything was fine.

Today afternoon around 2.45pm I went down to the parking lot to take pictures of the bike and wanted to start the bike and let it idle for 4-5 mins since I had not started it since morning. It kept turning off every couple of seconds, since the guy at the GP Road accessories shop said the idling speed was high and immediately reduced it. Problem was, he reduced it when the engine was already warm. Bugger. This didn't strike me till I reached home. This reduction in idling speed (this was when I realized the usefulness of a tachometer) resulted in the engine turning off very quickly. The 4th or 5th time I started the bike, I kept revving it a bit and then I one round in my colony and came back and parked the bike. I finished off the photo session a bit with the rest for the evening after 5pm.

I still haven't got shots with the HID light on yet.

When I went down to get more pictures, I tried starting the bike and the cranking itself was weak. I was worried. 2nd time, the bike started and I revved it a bit and slightly increased the idling speed by adjusting the screw near the choke lever. With this, the engine idled for the next 2 mins or so and turned off. That was it. I have not been able to start the bike after this. The cranking itself was so weak, just like what happens to a car battery. I was still doubtful as to whether this was due to a weak battery (was the battery fluid level etc not checked before delivery ?) or due to a problem with the starter motor. Whatever it is, I seriously never expected this to happen just 3 days after delivery of the bike !!

I've called up one of the sales guys at the Probiking showroom (he had given me his mobile # and we interacted quite a bit and he even gave me tips on maintaining the bike, was with me throughout the delivery etc) and told him about this. He asked me whether I left the ignition switch in the ON position for more than 3-4 mins, to which I replied in the negative. I told him that some accessories were fitted, like a better Roots horn (with relay) and a HID lighting kit (with required cut-out etc) but I did not use the HID at all, while I used the horn judiciously, only honking where absolutely necessary.

As for the headlight, the HID kit comes with 2 bulbs - one white and one normal yellow bulb, which are positioned next to each other horizontally.
The HID is connected to the Pass Beam Switch and the high beam switch, while the yellow light is connected to the low beam switch. Since the yellow light bulb is on the right side of the HID bulb, the yellow light looks straight from the front but actually throws the light to the right. I checked this out with the electrician but he says the design of the kit itself is like this. He asked me whether I would like to have the HID on the right, to which I said no. I ride only with the yellow light mainly, but even this, I turn off on many roads and just ride with the parking lights since lighting on the road would be sufficient.

So I am sure that I've not been responsible for draining the battery by honking a lot and always having the HID light on. This is either a starter motor problem or just that the battery charge has got drained (probably since it was already weak when the bike was delivered). But the thing is, this weak cranking happened only today afternoon and evening. Till yesterday evening, there was no problem absolutely.

I am so upset about this. The Probiking sales guy asked me not to worry and said I should push start the bike in 2nd or 3rd gear and bring it to the showroom so that he could have the service guys check it out. I plan to leave early to office, maybe by 7.15am and get out of office by around 4.30pm so that I can come home and take the bike there to have it checked out. I am glad my CBZ is still with me, and I will be using it to get to work and back tomorrow. I wonder why they got rid of the kick start. It's just so silly.

When I had my Kinetic Honda ZX from 1996 to 2001 before I got the CBZ, I never had starting problems with the bike. I used to kick start the bike 1st time in the day and then use the button start throughout the day. No problems whatsoever, till one fine day when 2 cells in the battery were dead. This was when the bike failed to start. I got the battery checked and replaced with a new one, and it was almost like new again.

On a 200cc advanced bike just 3 days old, I never expected such a problem and I am really upset.

Your views / thoughts / opinions are welcome guys. All I can say is that I really take care of my bikes and am very careful while riding etc. Why should this happen to me on the 3rd day of ownership of a Bajaj Avenger 200 ?



Anyway will look forward to hearing from you guys on this, and will update this post once the bike has been checked by the Bajaj guys.


Warm regards,
Venkat

[brianbandra]

thats really bad.. 3 days old bike not starting is either poor quality control or the bike was lying in inventory for very long time before delivery

[Sankar]

Since you say the cranking was weak the reason the bike not starting is pretty obvious - drained battery.

Did it crank the second time you tried?
Does the indicator/at least neutral light light up (a glow atleast)?

If No: Check the main fuse first. Usually it'll be on the positive lead coming out of the battery.

If Yes: The accessory installation was not done correctly creating a leak somewhere or the current draw is too much for your battery to sustain. Or the battery is not getting charged due to a faulty RR unit.

[Technocrat]

Sankar has already suggested what I would have.
Also I believe you added accessories too soon on a fresh bike. Anyways should not be an issue if its done properly. Also HIDs consume less power so they wont drain the battery.

[prabhuav]

I think you cranked the bike too many times in a day. For every crank, the bike needs to run at least 7-8 mins to charge it . Additionally, the accessory guys could have tested the HID and the horn without the engine runnig, adding to your woes.

BTW the avenger has no kick start? strange.

[Technocrat]

Yes it share the same engine as P200 which also doesnt have a kick but yes you can always push start the bike.

[ramie2400]

Push staring a new bike won't be causing harm to it???

OT: how much did you get the HID for?

[Sankar]

Originally Posted by ramie2400

Push staring a new bike won't be causing harm to it???

No serious harm if done once in a while during emergencies.

[Technocrat]

The only harm done is to the cat-con & like Sankar said, no problem if not done regularly

[bblost]

No harm in push starting a bike.
Use second gear instead of the first so the bike does not buck up like a horse (wheelie).

Preferable get the bike on a slope and slot into gear two with clutch on.
As she rolls and picks speed, let go of the clutch.

Don't try running and jumping on a bike.
It does not work on bikes and girls.

but sometimes it does and then its magic.

[VSG12777]

Sankar:

Yes. The cranking was weak and even I thought the battery was drained. I still think it has got drained. However all other warning lights, main light, parking light, indicators, horn etc are working fine. It's only the starter motor cranking that is weak.

My shop guy says I shouldn't bother taking it back to Bajaj since they would anyway object to all the extra stuff fitted and create a fuss. He says I can just remove the battery and take it to a proper battery shop and have it checked, fluids refilled if required and get the battery charged. Then once I go back to the shop, he says he will take me back to the electrician (the experienced fellow) to check whether the battery is getting charged or not, and to check if there is any leakage anywhere etc.

So it looks like I will have to remove the battery from the Avenger and take it with me on my good old CBZ to office and to the battery shop. Maybe I can give it in the morning and pick it up in the evening or something. This is what I plan to do.

The thing is, I used the horn and yellow light so little and almost didn't turn on the HID at all. I wonder how the battery got drained.

Thanks for all the tips, and I shall have it checked and update this thread once it is done. Today I had to go to office in my CBZ and it felt so different - hard clutch, hard gears, high seating position etc. I really missed the Avy 200. I seem to have got attached to the Avy 200 just in 3 days of using the bike !!

:-)

[vivekiny2k]

Originally Posted by VSG12777

Today afternoon around 2.45pm I went down to the parking lot to take pictures of the bike and wanted to start the bike and let it idle for 4-5 mins since I had not started it since morning.

, guys never let go a chance to touch their bike.

[Sankar]

VSG12777, once you put the charged battery back in the bike go directly to an auto electrician/the place you got battery charged from and make sure that the battery is getting charged when the engine is running.

[VSG12777]

Yes Sankar, I shall definitely do that. If not tomorrow then probably the day after. Was just too tired to do anything with the bike today. Hence no work done today. Shall maybe come home early tomorrow and remove the battery and give it on Wed morning .... or maybe if I have the time in the morning, I shall remove the battery in the morning and take it along with me when I leave for office. I can give it to the battery shop later in the morning or in the afternoon.

I shall have the charging thing checked out for sure. I don't want this kind of thing happening again.

[gendarmee]

Originally Posted by VSG12777

My shop guy says I shouldn't bother taking it back to Bajaj since they would anyway object to all the extra stuff fitted and create a fuss. He says I can just remove the battery and take it to a proper battery shop and have it checked, fluids refilled if required and get the battery charged. Then once I go back to the shop, he says he will take me back to the electrician (the experienced fellow) to check whether the battery is getting charged or not, and to check if there is any leakage anywhere etc.

Your shop guy's word could be genuine or may be he's trying to cover up some not so well done fitting job.
I suggest ya take it to some reputed electrician to check the wiring & to check whether the terminals have been tightly fixed after the extra fitting were done.
For checking charging all the guy has to do is check voltage across the battery while the engine is revved.

Just curious: what's ur battery's make? My activa came with Amco-Yuvasa it gave problems right from the 2nd month. changed it to an Exide battery, haven't faced that problem with it since.