Hi all I have searched but been unable to discover any thread with the same issue. My 848 had been starting fine. I took it out on sunday and it struggled to start. Then i stopped for a drink and it wouldnt start. Now all i have is one click from starter solenoid but no turning over at all? Battery seems ok at 12.8v and it always on optimate. Any ideas?? Solenoid? Battery? Leads?
use a multimeter on the battery as you start and see what the voltage drops to. Battery might still be fried. Have you tried boosting it while starting to see if it goes? When you key on do you hear the fuel pump going?
Check cable connections, if the batteries good check the solenoid, I had one recently "stick", it was making all the right noises fuel pump priming I could hear the solenoid click but it wasn't actually switching, stick your multimeter on the starter motor side and check for voltage when you press the starter, gave mine a tap and that cured it. If your getting voltage move onto the starter and check the brushes
Have put new solenoid on. Checked and cleaned all connections. Current running through starter solenoid. Should i just put a new battery on? It bump starts!!
Take the battery to your local battery wholesaler. They will test it and hopefully supply you with a new AGM Yuasa at a reasonable price if it turns out to be a dud
Have symptoms changed? if you feel any of the battery h/duty starter leads are they hot after attempt to start is made - particularly the lead to the starter and it's connection to the starter as this alone can be the problem. As said, it's worth checking all ignition circuit related leads and connections first then solenoid (done) and battery condition. Faulty starter itself can't be ruled out yet.
So after following all advice and connecting a borrowed battery all is still the same. I gave the starter motor a bit of a tap and it tried to turnover. But then went back to my one click scenario. Im guessing this is the starter motor bushes failing???
could well be, so you hear a solitary click still? Are leads and/or starter motor getting hot during/straight after start attempt made? obviously be careful not to overdo this test!
Final test to confirm starter problem :- Act directly with jump leads onto the starter motor with slave battery being careful with connection to starter terminal, ideally need a second person connecting the earth lead and you need to choose which area you don't mind damaging slight (most choose earth terminal of battery*) as there will be sparks/arc welding. If this test fails to turn starter/engine over then you have confirmed a starter problem. * possibly dangerous if battery venting due to hot weather or recent charging and in an unvented, enclosed area.
Interesting reading this. A couple of months ago I got my Scrambler out to go for a ride, got togged up then went to start the bike up. It turned over for a millisecond and then stopped. Thereafter on pressing the starter button it just gave a click from the solenoid then nothing. At first I thought it must be the battery so I put a meter on it and it said it was 12.5V but when I pressed the starter it dropped to 8.5V. So it had to be either a duff battery or the starter was seized. I fitted the lithium battery from my 907 and got the same result. It had to be the starter. I took out the plugs and found the engine would turn forwards but not backwards indicating that the starter was stuck, the sprag clutch allows the engine to turn forwards. Since the bike was only just over a year old it went to the dealer for a warranty repair. It turned out that a piece had broken off the gear lever return spring and got jammed between the starter intermediate gear and the flywheel ring gear. What a fluke. So, even if the starter won't turn the cause can lie further down the drive line.
Thats interesting! I have recently changed my return spring. Will investigate further, but cant understand how a tap with the hammer would help it turn over. Im sure it has to be the bushes. Will strip down this weekend and sort hopefully. Also it might be worth mentioning that the bike will bump and ride fine
Off-topic but very interesting that someone as strong on electrickery as you are is using a lithium battery, @Derek...
Absolutely true re: 'further down the line' hence I never mention motor having owned many old minis equipped with inertia type starters. The fact that bike bump starts helps rule a few more 'starter system' related problems. Also partly why I kept asking about wether things were getting hot as this can tell you more about what's happening. E.g. If it's 'starter motor' brushes alone then there won't be much heat produced.
Townsend, when you state your battery voltage, is that just after charging it, just after running it or after leaving it for a few hours? Unless the voltage is checked some time after the bike has stopped running without plugging in the optimate you will never get an accurate indication of its health. Ideally you measure the battery voltage across the terminals with nothing switched on. Simplest thing is to check it in the morning after leaving it over night. Also if you always use an optimate you will mask the degradation of the battery, I would strongly recommend only using an optimate every couple of weeks perhaps weekly through the winter that way it conditions the battery properly and you get an idea of its condition as it ages. Leaving a bike plugged in all the time is not really the best thing to do and is entirely unnecessary. Have to say this sounds like a duff battery to me
