Bad hard starting...
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 3,113
Likes: 1,145
From: Directly above the center of the Earth
Well, strange just keeps on keeping on around here...
I'd had my bike out of the carport to get it in the sunlight so I could see to put in a new front brake switch (not an easy job, by the way!! And especially so when all you have to work over is gravel and you drop a brass ferrule! Anyway...). I'd already been doing this as I wrote about the hard starting problem.
I finally get the switch in and figure I'll check the plugs and put in the summer plugs (NGK's that run a little cooler).
As I was putting the plug wires back on, I noticed the front wire was rubbing in a couple places but hadn't rubbed through to the core, but noticeable where it had rubbed. So I routed it a little differently and was done.
Got on the bike and you could hear me cussing a mile away...the bike fired up like it used to do when it was new, no dragging or acting as if the battery was low or the starter was dying, just cranked nice and quick and within three or four rev's it fired.
I don't know if it was because of the plug wire, or who knows what, but I'm happy to know I don't have to spend a buttload of money on a new starter, lol.
Thanks for all the suggestions and help with this. Hopefully this thread will be here for someone who runs into the same r similar problem as I had and will help them.
I'd had my bike out of the carport to get it in the sunlight so I could see to put in a new front brake switch (not an easy job, by the way!! And especially so when all you have to work over is gravel and you drop a brass ferrule! Anyway...). I'd already been doing this as I wrote about the hard starting problem.
I finally get the switch in and figure I'll check the plugs and put in the summer plugs (NGK's that run a little cooler).
As I was putting the plug wires back on, I noticed the front wire was rubbing in a couple places but hadn't rubbed through to the core, but noticeable where it had rubbed. So I routed it a little differently and was done.
Got on the bike and you could hear me cussing a mile away...the bike fired up like it used to do when it was new, no dragging or acting as if the battery was low or the starter was dying, just cranked nice and quick and within three or four rev's it fired.
I don't know if it was because of the plug wire, or who knows what, but I'm happy to know I don't have to spend a buttload of money on a new starter, lol.
Thanks for all the suggestions and help with this. Hopefully this thread will be here for someone who runs into the same r similar problem as I had and will help them.
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 3,113
Likes: 1,145
From: Directly above the center of the Earth
Yeah, kinda a given, just figured I'd mention it to remind others to keep an eye on them as I apparently hadn't been. No telling how much longer those rub spots were going to last before opening up the core to let spark out and fry things.
Thread Starter
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 3,113
Likes: 1,145
From: Directly above the center of the Earth
Well, today earlier, I went to go to the doctors office for an appointment. Rolled the bike out of the shed and tried to start it. Damn thing was acting just like when I made my original post - like the battery didn't have enough juice (even though it did/does).
Tried to start it a few times and got pissed off and didn't want to be late for the doctor, so rolled it back into the shed and parked it. As I was getting my helmet and stuff to take inside, I looked over and saw a small wisp of smoke coming from under the seat on the battery side.
I threw everything down and got the seat off and saw still a little smoke coming from inside the battery box. Got the cover off of that *real fast* and what do I see but the negative terminal had *melted*. The positive terminal melted a tiny bit, but nothing like the negative terminal. Brand new battery shot to hell.
Got back from the doctor and proceeded to take things apart around the battery. All connections were and are good. Ground to the two places on the fender were good and clean, and the ground to the engine block was clean also. The positive cable was also cleanly connected and not loose anywhere.
So, it being spring now and not needing the heated gloves anymore, I took the plug-in thing off the battery (I luckily had a spare battery!), cleaned up any pieces of melted lead I missed the first time, and for ***** and giggles I tried to start it up...fired up easily, but still with a little hesitation. Three times this way and each time fired relatively easily (as compared to the day it was a new bike).
Anyone have any ideas?
Tried to start it a few times and got pissed off and didn't want to be late for the doctor, so rolled it back into the shed and parked it. As I was getting my helmet and stuff to take inside, I looked over and saw a small wisp of smoke coming from under the seat on the battery side.
I threw everything down and got the seat off and saw still a little smoke coming from inside the battery box. Got the cover off of that *real fast* and what do I see but the negative terminal had *melted*. The positive terminal melted a tiny bit, but nothing like the negative terminal. Brand new battery shot to hell.
Got back from the doctor and proceeded to take things apart around the battery. All connections were and are good. Ground to the two places on the fender were good and clean, and the ground to the engine block was clean also. The positive cable was also cleanly connected and not loose anywhere.
So, it being spring now and not needing the heated gloves anymore, I took the plug-in thing off the battery (I luckily had a spare battery!), cleaned up any pieces of melted lead I missed the first time, and for ***** and giggles I tried to start it up...fired up easily, but still with a little hesitation. Three times this way and each time fired relatively easily (as compared to the day it was a new bike).
Anyone have any ideas?
Thread Starter
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2010
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Likes: 1,145
From: Directly above the center of the Earth
@baloot-boy - Yeah, it was an eye-opener alright. Never seen that happen before on *anything*.
@Dan89FLSTC - Seems not enough surface of the main battery cables was getting to the terminals. Must have been the way I had the different other connections all on top of things at each terminal. Dunno, but I hope that taking the one electrical thing off fixes things until I can look closer at how to attach it/them again.
@Dan89FLSTC - Seems not enough surface of the main battery cables was getting to the terminals. Must have been the way I had the different other connections all on top of things at each terminal. Dunno, but I hope that taking the one electrical thing off fixes things until I can look closer at how to attach it/them again.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 6,532
Likes: 132
From: SoCal
Could also be caused by something bridging the +&- terminals when you sat on the seat in a certain way. Not sayin thats what it was tho.
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2010
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From: Directly above the center of the Earth
Also just for the record for anyone reading or keeping up on this thread, both my cables, pos and neg, are aftermarket kinda pricey twice as thick as stock cables.