Starter Hesitation
Thread Starter
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,598
Likes: 52
From: South Jersey
Starter Hesitation
2010 EG Classic. When I hit the starter there is a hesitation or pause then it starts right up.
This has also happened in the past to this bike. May of 2016 it was doing the same thing so I bought a new Deka battery ETX30L, 400cca and 26 AH. Problem solved until last week. I have had this battery on a tender this week voltage measures 12.82v with the bike off and 14.1 when running. But it does take a few second to get there. I also did a start test and it dropped down to 10.5v.
My Harley battery only lasted two years this Deka is 1 1/2 years old but has been through two seasons. So the question is does my bike just go through batteries or do I have a starter problem. When I replaced the HD battery my dealer said the battery tested good but as soon as I put the fresh Deka in it started quick up until now.
Any thoughts?
This has also happened in the past to this bike. May of 2016 it was doing the same thing so I bought a new Deka battery ETX30L, 400cca and 26 AH. Problem solved until last week. I have had this battery on a tender this week voltage measures 12.82v with the bike off and 14.1 when running. But it does take a few second to get there. I also did a start test and it dropped down to 10.5v.
My Harley battery only lasted two years this Deka is 1 1/2 years old but has been through two seasons. So the question is does my bike just go through batteries or do I have a starter problem. When I replaced the HD battery my dealer said the battery tested good but as soon as I put the fresh Deka in it started quick up until now.
Any thoughts?
I usually get a 3 - 4 years from a battery .. Start checking connections on starter and battery..
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 6,508
Likes: 168
From: WPB, FL
+1 on this! Check the connections at both ends of both cables! What do you mean by "it does take a few second to get there"? I'd be interested to know what the battery reads, without the tender, AFTER you crank the bike without starting it. Sort of a home grown load test! 12.82 is a good reading UNLESS your just reading a surface charge because the tender had been on it. I wouldn't eliminate the possibility of needing a new battery. Check for a date code on the battery to see how old it really is.
Thread Starter
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,598
Likes: 52
From: South Jersey
+1 on this! Check the connections at both ends of both cables! What do you mean by "it does take a few second to get there"? I'd be interested to know what the battery reads, without the tender, AFTER you crank the bike without starting it. Sort of a home grown load test! 12.82 is a good reading UNLESS your just reading a surface charge because the tender had been on it. I wouldn't eliminate the possibility of needing a new battery. Check for a date code on the battery to see how old it really is.
Road Warrior
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 1,962
Likes: 140
From: NY
2010 EG Classic. When I hit the starter there is a hesitation or pause then it starts right up.
This has also happened in the past to this bike. May of 2016 it was doing the same thing so I bought a new Deka battery ETX30L, 400cca and 26 AH. Problem solved until last week. I have had this battery on a tender this week voltage measures 12.82v with the bike off and 14.1 when running. But it does take a few second to get there. I also did a start test and it dropped down to 10.5v.
My Harley battery only lasted two years this Deka is 1 1/2 years old but has been through two seasons. So the question is does my bike just go through batteries or do I have a starter problem. When I replaced the HD battery my dealer said the battery tested good but as soon as I put the fresh Deka in it started quick up until now.
Any thoughts?
This has also happened in the past to this bike. May of 2016 it was doing the same thing so I bought a new Deka battery ETX30L, 400cca and 26 AH. Problem solved until last week. I have had this battery on a tender this week voltage measures 12.82v with the bike off and 14.1 when running. But it does take a few second to get there. I also did a start test and it dropped down to 10.5v.
My Harley battery only lasted two years this Deka is 1 1/2 years old but has been through two seasons. So the question is does my bike just go through batteries or do I have a starter problem. When I replaced the HD battery my dealer said the battery tested good but as soon as I put the fresh Deka in it started quick up until now.
Any thoughts?
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Cruiser
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 215
Likes: 55
From: Virginia
I've had three bikes. On two of them there was an initial WHIR (pause) WHIR-start.
On one that pause wasn't there.
I've had this one on a tender pretty much every night since I bought a new battery thinking the same thing, the battery was thinking about starting to decline.
Nope, that pause is every time I start.
I'm doing the ignore it until it causes a fault somewhere thing.
On one that pause wasn't there.
I've had this one on a tender pretty much every night since I bought a new battery thinking the same thing, the battery was thinking about starting to decline.
Nope, that pause is every time I start.
I'm doing the ignore it until it causes a fault somewhere thing.
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Grand HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 4,445
Likes: 2,811
From: Oklahoma
It seems that just like the old style compensators, the 96 ci engines are also too much for the starters. A year of "peppy" starts is about all i get. This is probably why the 103s have ACRs. One of these days I will disassemble the starter solenoid and check for carbon tracking that may also be adding resistance to the start circuit. (2008 Road King, 87,000 miles)