Triumphrat

jellero · 08-22-2006

after running errands, three stops in 8 miles, bike wouldn't start. starter turned over slowly, then clicked like battery was dead. luckily a guy came along on a bike and offered a push. it started right up and i rode the mile home, checked battery and it was at 12.76 volts, full charge. tried the starter and it was fast and fired things right up, then again in 2 hours. this is the second time for the no start. battery has been holding a charge. dealer said in march when i took it in that charging system was working. that only leaves the starter. anyone else have this happen? ideas? j

iceman · 08-22-2006

... or some dud connection somewhere.I had a similar thing on a car a few years ago.
It was intermittent - finally fixed it by giving the battery terminals and connections at starter motor a good clean up.

Grant

edit: also you realise that to test a battery you need to test it under load? - usually you need an auto electrician to do this.The test is to check whether it still maintains it's voltage with a high current draw.

[ This message was edited by: iceman on 2006-08-22 18:12 ]

boredinocala · 08-22-2006

Maybe the starter relay has a burnt spot on the disc? Happens to cars all the time. Why not a bike......When it does it, does the headlight dim out? If it does, you know it's a main power problem, if not it's probably somewhere from the relay to the starter.

2 penny's.

Stlakid · 08-23-2006

IMHO, your battery is ****e.

Haddi-Man · 08-23-2006

I agree with Stlakid, replace the battery. 90% of all sudden electrical problems can be cured by just doing that. It's amazing how those things can fool you into thinking they're in good shape when they're not. On my wife's car I would have sworn up and down that it had a burnt out alternator when she was having problems starting just like you're having now (I had replaced the battery less than a year prior, and it was checking out fine in terms of voltage), but just for kicks I swapped out the battery. Sure enough, that cleared the problems right up.

chefjpd · 08-23-2006

Sounds like the battery.
look in the classifieds, there is a gel battery for sale there (shameless plug)

Gel Battery Clicky

:-D

jellero · 08-23-2006

i had problems with my truck, battery showed 11.75 volts. bike is holding 12.75 and i have checked daily, shop checked it but under warranty... said it was fine. usually i have found that bad battery cable connections are the problem, not the batteries. just put a new battery in my harley and that wasn't the problem. this is why i have a bmw as well. anyway, thanks for input. j

Ron_F_D · 08-24-2006

Quote:

On 2006-08-23 00:15, Haddi-Man wrote:
I agree with Stlakid, replace the battery. 90% of all sudden electrical problems can be cured by just doing that.

I concur. Just try jump starting the bike (keep the car off) and that will tell that it is either a battery or alternator problem and not a starter problem. Also just because the battery shows 12 volts, it does not mean that it has the amps you need to turn over the starter. For an analogy think of it as pressure and volume of water acting on a large water wheel. Volts is only pressure. You can also take the battery out and have it tested at a Sears Automotive or similar place for free. They will use special equipment to test the battery under load etc. They should also have a replacement available there as well. Call ahead and ask. Good luck.

[ This message was edited by: Ron_F_D on 2006-08-24 06:14 ]

jellero · 08-24-2006

actually, if the battery has a bad cell, jumping will not work. again my wonderful chevy van taught me that but that is if the starter just clicks. i started the bike several times today and no problem, battery still at 12.65. these bikes are very tempermental about batteries, i know. i cleaned the already clean battery terminals although the positive was tarnished... then petroleum jelly coated. meanwhile, got the harley running like new by re-jetting this week. j

boredinocala · 08-24-2006

like I said, when a battery goes bad, it's junk, and 99% of the time it won't come back. when these starters go bad, same deal, it's bad. That starter relay on the other hand can get burned spots on the disc (the part on the inside of the relay that makes contact and with the poles and arcs out). LISTEN............been there done that.............