bike not strarting -- electrical problem

[milo]

So I took Gus out of storage and started to get it ready for the new season. Put the battery (which has spent a few months attached to a Battery Tender Jr.) back in, turned the key, checked that all the signals were working -- they were. Hit the starter switch, heard a loud click from under my ass and all power cut out.

At first the lights wouldn't come back on, but after a few seconds they did, full strength. Blinkers, signals, everything was on. I took off the seat to see where the problem was. After a few repeated tries I found a connector that seems to be the problem. It's a longish yellowish plastic connector with a single wire on each side. It is located to the right and slightly to the rear of the battery. When I disconnected it everything worked except the starter switch, which had no result. When I connected it, hitting that starter switch again caused a clicking noise followed by the loss of all power.

The sixth or seventh time I did this, the lights actually came on again after everything cut out. When I hit the blinker everything went dim for a second or two and the dashboard indicators flashed very quickly. Then things went back to full strength and the blinker worked normally. This behavior was repeated after that.

It's not acting like a low battery, which would turn the starter a few times and dim the headlights. The power loss is sudden, like a short or a blown fuse. I've reached the limit of my troubleshooting -- I'd appreciate any thoughts as to what else I might do...

[John Bates]

I would try jump starting from a car or another bike.  Sounds like a bad battery to me.

[AUTO307]

HEY THERE
I KNOW IT'S APPLES TO ORANGES, BUT I'VE ENCOUNTERED THIS PROBLEM BEFORE ON AUTOMOBILES (I'M A MECHANIC).  IT USUALLY ENDS UP BEING 1 OF 3 THINGS.  FIRST, YES IT IS POSSIBLE THAT IT'S THE BATTERY (BUT I HIGHLY DOUBT IT BY YOUR DESCRIPTION).  MORE THAN LIKELY THE STARTER SOLENOID IS FRIED OR THE STARTER IS JAMMED UP INTERNALLY.  ALSO, IT'S POSSIBLE THAT YOUR CONNECTION AT THE BATTERY OR SOLENOID IS LOOSE.  TRY CHECKING ALL YOUR ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE BATTERY AND STARTER/SOLENOID.  IF YOU FIND ALL YOUR CONNECTIONS ARE GOOD AND NOT BURNED OUT...U CAN TRY SMACKING THE STARTER WITH A RUBBER MALLET A COUPLE OF TIMES AND THEN TRY STARTING  IT...GOOD LUCK EITHER WAY

[DerekNC]

I second the "loose battery connection". The exact same problem happened to me- the lights would come on but as soon as I hit the starter switch everything would go out. It turned out to be a loose adapter thing on the battery that the cable connects to. Good luck.

Derek

[milo]

The only problem is, I don't see how the solenoid could've gotten fried. I put some stabil in the tank and removed the battery, and since then it's been sitting in a heated garage all winter. I haven't touched the bike until yesterday.

On the other hand, the battery seems to have plenty of juice, so the problem is probably with the starter motor or the lines running to it.

It's worth checking out. Where is the solenoid located? I couldn't follow the line from that connector last night and don't have my clymers manual on me.

[starwalt]

Where is the solenoid located? I couldn't follow the line from that connector last night and don't have my clymers manual on me.

The starer relay (aka "solenoid") is usually under the body plastic on the right side of the bike. It is typically mounted on the battery box inside a rubber boot mount and is just under the frame. The 20A fuse may or may not be integrated into the same assembly depending on the year of your bike and the market it was built for.

The large wire connected to the positvie side of your battery runs directly to the starter relay. The wire is held onto the starter relay with a nut. This connection should be under a red plastic/rubber cap. When the starter relay is energized (turned on), the postive side of the battery is connected to the starter motor via another large wire. The negative side of the starter motor is the engine case/bike chassis.


What year is "Gus"?

[groff22]

I had the exact same problem this Friday when I had attempted to get my bike started. I put stabilizer in before winter hit, and placed the battery in my house.

THe lights, blinkers, etc, all worked -- but would only "click" every time I tried to turn her over.

I used a 12v battery charger to boost her up and she worked fine until i stalled At that point I just gave up ... WIll try again today but by your description as well as mine it sounds like a weak battery.

Best,
J

[milo]

Well, after failing to start Gus (it's an '01) I put the battery back on the charger (the same one it had been on all winter) and went to do some other things. Then yesterday I put it back in, did my best to make sure all the connections were tight (though it didn't feel like I actually improved anything) and this time the solenoid turned over. With a little choke I got the engine running.

I didn't fully warm it up -- I'm leaving it in the garage for now, I just wanted to make sure it will start when I pick it up for real. Thanks for the tips.

[starwalt]

Glad to hear that Gus woke up for you.  

I also suspected the battery, but tried to answer your question regarding the starter circuit. We see ALOT of queries like yours and I am surprised that we don't have a FAQ on it (yet).

What you called a solenoid was almost certainly the starter motor. It is an electric motor that puts a tremendous load on the battery. The starter motor load current is very substantial compared to lights, etc. That is why the lights can work, but when you hit the Start Engine button all you heard was the "click" of the starter relay.

The relay connected the battery to the stater motor. With insufficient capacity to make the starter motor move, that was the end of the show.  

If your battery charger has long enough leads, you can recharge while on the bike. DO NOT attempt to start the bike like this unless your charger has a Jump Start option.

It was a super day here in South Carolina. I took my wife to the movies and saw many riders enjoying this weather. Get Gus all charged up and enjoy the Spring!