It may not be a battery if there's excessive current draw through the starter. If there is then you go for there.

One thing you can do that's quick and easy - take the battery into any auto store. Most will test it for free.

 

I ran through all of the coconnections, cleaned them up with a wire brush and made sure they were all tight. Hoping it's not starter. Bike only has 8k, but stranger things have happened.

 

So do you wait until you are stranded along the side of the road to check this, while you are switching out the relay?

 

If the battery is marginal, it can depend on whether the crank happens to stop at the right place (like on the compression stroke of one cylinder with both valves closed) where it taxes the starter more to get things started spinning. If so, the compression will bleed down over time and the battery/starter will then have an easier time. Or if you try to start it when the engine is in a hot soak (happens after a short stop to get gas or air up tires), notorious for causing starters to bang and struggle. Once the engine cools, it will usually start right up. It is frustrating to have to wiait around at a gas station for the engine to cool/bleed off compression. This is why it is so important to buy the best battery possible and keep the entire starting system in optimal condition.

I cannot say with absolute certainty that you need a new battery based on this thread, but it sure seems likely. If the bike sat a lot, that is not good for batteries. Don't jump to conclusions about your starter, doubt that is an issue with a stock motor. A starter going bad will usually show other symptoms too, like banging frequently. Continuing to crank a starter with a weak battery over time will kill a starter prematurely.

I learned this the hard way: it is all about getting maximum current to the starter. Many years ago when my starter issues commenced (right after installing high-compression heads and big cams), I first replaced the original HD starter with the HD "heavy duty" starter. Didn't take long to kill that one too. Next, thinking that I needed a bigger "monster" starter, I bought a $600 Terry 2kw starter. Killed that one in short order. Now $1000+ dollars down and right back where I started, I called Spyke's tech line where an angel of mercy explained to me that the battery compartment in Dynas and softail is too small for a battery with sufficient reserve capacity. Adding a monster starter was exactly the wrong thing to do. The battery cannot provide nearly enough current to drive such a starter and it will fail quickly. Exactly what was happening to me. He recommended the Spyke 1.4kw gear-reduction starter and a Yuasa 320 CCA battery, That starter is still in my bike today, many years later. I always replace the battery at the first sign of a slow crank (after assuring that the old battery is completely charged up), normally every two years or so, and always with Yuasa's best battery (GYZ20HL, cheapest from Amazon) & go through the connections as stated in my original post while I am at it. Starters are just too darn expensive (and a hassle to change out) to procrastinate about replacing a $100 battery.

 

Interesting thread and good advice all around; however, the first thing I would have done would be pulling the battery and having it load tested. If the battery is weak, all the other connection issues can be addressed and if a weak battery is the issue, the problem still exists but with better connections may appear to be solved only to leave the OP stranded again somewhere down the road.

The work the OP has done addressing the connection issues is not wasted and really should be considered as "required maintenance" considering the bike is 13 years old with only 8K miles. Load test the battery (bet it needs replaced), get a battery tender and keep the battery on the tender when parked.

 

Thanks all for the advice. Especially dynawg 1. Will get it load tested today.

 

Totally agree. I have never had any confidence in the guys or the testing equipment at AutoZone etc when I have had batteries checked. They used the words "might be" and "probably" a lot.

 

OK just got back from auto zone. Had it tested and was told that it's good. "just needs charging" is what I was told. don't know what to think of that as I've had it on a tender and don't really think much of these auto places opinions As I've heard they can be pretty incompetent. Thoughts?

Just a recap. Cleaned all connections thoroughly with wire brush
New starter relay
anything else before I decide to buy a new battery.

 

Re: AutoZone. Like I said...




Edit: ad says 310CCA, but the one you will get is the 320CCA version. Has the highest amp-hour rating on the market (think reserve capacity). Top it off with a 2amp charge before installing and your starting problems will just be a bad memory.

 

Before you make stupid statements read ALL the posts.
Then read them again.