Ladies and Gents,
hopefully somone can help me out a little.
I have recently had a problem (within the past week) that has happened every single day without fail. I unlock my bike, get sorted out ready to go and when i am about to fire her up she stutters, blutters and in some cases flutters before she comes to life. It is as if it is taking a while to spin, slowly at first and then it speeds up. i have not had this problem before and changed my sparks, oil etc… within the last 2 months. sometimes it will spin but not start for a couple of attempts. i do have to leave it out in the rain whilst at work so the only thing i can think of is if water got in somewhere?
Any ideas anyone?
i should mention that once it runs it is fine. until i want to start it up again that is. It doesn’t matter if it is running for 10 seconds, minutes or for 2 hours. i still get the same problem!
Quite likely to be the battery…
if you have changed the plugs etc check them now see if they are tight and the caps are pushed on properly, while yer at it spray insides of caps with some wd40 and maybe your coils, always good to do esecially now the wet shite weather is coming, oh we have always had that, lol.
+1 for battery.
Its starting to get colder in the mornings now which takes its toll on failing batteries.
Get a volt meter and check the voltage when running to make sure the alternator is ok (as mentioned above).
If its ok i’d say your battery’s on its way out - halfrauds usually do a free check these days (measure the amps for you rather than the volts - a dead battery can still read 12 volts).
ok here’s the giggle!!
on my way home monday my bike totally cut out whilst i was riding along… one light stayed on the other one went. (dual headlights for streetfighter look) but power totally went. i was stuck at a busy roundabout with no power to srtart or move the bike. I thought that would mean it was the battery. However, luckily my mate managed to give me a hand and we bump started it. by time i got it home, switched off the power and went to switch it back on again i got nothing.
We tried to jack the bike and still got nothing. the Van’s battery was good but the bike just was having none of it. Mechanics seemed to think it was the starter motor so i got a new one, took off the old one last night and replaced it with a used starter motor (new one was £593… balls to that!). now all i am getting is a spinning sound but it is not engaging. what do you guys reckon? starter solonoid?
`sparkies seem ok and battery is obviosuly not the problem now. bit bewildering and i’m getting annoyed at spending a tenner a day on the friggin tubes…!!!
if solenoid was not working then starter motor would not even spin, normally they just click if not working.
are you sure the starter motor is properly in?
Sounds like you’ve got conflicting problems. The starter motor wouldn’t cause the bike to cut out (maybe not start in the first place).
Is it always in the rain? Could be an earth fault or something is knackering your electrics.
+1 for checking the starter is engaged properly.
starter bolts on correctly so assume that is ok but i will take it apart tomorrow morning to double check for sure. Also the solonoid is literally just clicking so not sure about that being the problem or not.
if the re-fit doesn’t work in the morning i will have to take it to a garage!
if solenoid is clicking then that does point to duff battery or duff solenoid, you said b4 starter motor was spinning.to check solenoid put a screw driver acoss the 2 terminals and see if bike turns over, if does then yer solenoids fooked if still nothing then go to battery.
where you based? do you know some1 with same bike/battery or similar?
also i re-read your first post, when you said was spluttering etc that sounded to me as if your bike was running but your saying the engine is having trouble to turn?
go back to beginning, battery, get volt meter on it check voltage should read 13/14v but if does and still does not work it can be still fooked as its amps needed to turn bike over.
I would say the problem started as a duff battery, and has now been added to by a worn or damaged starter clutch.How old is the battery you have in there? Might be worth investing in a new one so at least you have that base covered, definitely if the old one is more than 3 years old.Also I would doublecheck that the replacement starter motor is engaging properly with the starter clutch.I used to experience both these problems regularly with my Virago 750 - but only these problems.
Right to ho… the latest…
the battery is about a year old so doesn’t have a problem in terms of length it has been in there. The previous owner is my father in law so i know what his saying is right. I also got a used starter motor from some motorcycle parts finder but have just ben informed that it runs backwards… yes backwards… so it could be fecking up my engine. i was on the phone to a garage for about an hour exposing the gears on the bike and the mechanic thought it was the starter cluth.
he is now going to make good one starter motor out of the two and then go from there… i can see my pocket getting lighter within the next week!
bike sorted…
couldn’t make good of the two as they were slightly different but the original one i had was good and proper screwed. the second one had reverse polarity which then went on and fixed itself.
baffled me but worth the £150 now it’s back on the road!!!
