Battery or not?

I just picked up a 2003 wr250f for 700 bucks at a swap meet. Really good shape, except the motor was blown. After repacing the crank, cylinder and tranny. I was able to get it running, but only while it was on the charger. That includes starting it with the kick.
My question is. Does the battery need to be in the "loop" for it to run? Or do I have another issue?

Thx

Ralph

This is NOT a wr250f forum.

It's for X's and R's.

You might get your answers faster at some place like Thumpertalk, although a few here have f's.


My experience in the past is a battery has to be hooked up for a bike with a battery to run.
However, dead battery bikes can often be bump started and will run that way.

I have no idea if a kick started bike with a battery can run with no battery at all.
I would think you'd need the battery in the loop.

motokid wrote:

I have no idea if a kick started bike with a battery can run with no battery at all.
I would think you'd need the battery in the loop.

My 2-stroke NS400R streetbike currently runs without a battery. Instead it has a couple of capacitors. The mod was done by the previous owner, a friend who has a masters in electrical engineering and is very, very good at bike wrenching.

And of course the bike is, and always was, kick start only.

deerHater wrote:

motokid wrote:

I have no idea if a kick started bike with a battery can run with no battery at all.
I would think you'd need the battery in the loop.

My 2-stroke NS400R streetbike currently runs without a battery. Instead it has a couple of capacitors. The mod was done by the previous owner, a friend who has a masters in electrical engineering and is very, very good at bike wrenching.

And of course the bike is, and always was, kick start only.

But would it run with no battery and no "modifications" made by an electrical engineer?

Only kick-start bike I every owned was a YSR50.

If I remember correctly I could bump start the bike with a dead battery, but if the battery was removed completely I could not get it to run. As in, the cables for the battery were left just hanging in mid-air.

That was about 25 years ago so my memory might be clouded on that.

Well, the new battery comes in today. The WR is both kick and electric. the battery in it only hit 11.5v. So thats not helpful. Ive had bikes in the past (old school Honda XL's back in the day) that definately needed a battery in them to run. But currently have a CRF250 and RMZ450 which obviously dont need one. So hopefully the new battery works, and the bike doesnt have a charging problem. Electric start on a 4stroke dirtbike. What'll they think of next!!!

motokid wrote:

deerHater wrote:

motokid wrote:

I have no idea if a kick started bike with a battery can run with no battery at all.
I would think you'd need the battery in the loop.

My 2-stroke NS400R streetbike currently runs without a battery. Instead it has a couple of capacitors. The mod was done by the previous owner, a friend who has a masters in electrical engineering and is very, very good at bike wrenching.

And of course the bike is, and always was, kick start only.

But would it run with no battery and no "modifications" made by an electrical engineer?

I suspect the mod is required, but the electrical engineer is optional.

motodad12000 wrote:

Well, the new battery comes in today. The WR is both kick and electric. the battery in it only hit 11.5v. So thats not helpful. Ive had bikes in the past (old school Honda XL's back in the day) that definately needed a battery in them to run. But currently have a CRF250 and RMZ450 which obviously dont need one. So hopefully the new battery works, and the bike doesnt have a charging problem. Electric start on a 4stroke dirtbike. What'll they think of next!!!

If you've got a battery in the F pulling 11.5v, and you can't get it started using the kick starter, I'm going to go out on a limb and say a new battery won't solve your problems.

Just a guess.

I thought you were asking about trying to start bike with no battery in it at all.