we get a billion threads on starting, it is 98% the same few things.

weak battery, bad battery cable connections, or bad wiring connections in the starter circuit.

so,

understand that once a battery is discharged all the way( from sitting* or bad charging system)- it's capacity is reduced by about 50%- not volts , but amps.

so a 200 CCA battery, even if almost new- if run down to 0, will only have about 100 CCA available once recharged.


2.) trickle charger is a nifty tool- but it can only maintain a charge, not re-charge a duff battery.
a real battery charger can, and a good charge can be a 5 to 10 amp charger for # of amps X hours to reach the battery rating.

so a 200 CCA battery would need about 40 hours at a 5 amp charge rate.


don't jump start the bike and hope the charging system will charge the battery- it may burn up the charging system


cables and heat:

cables which can't carry full current ( amps) due to break down/oxidization, will create heat and resistance- and may burn up.

bad connections ( dirty) cause resistance, which creates heat. that heat creates even more resistance...and so on.


clean and check battery cables at both ends, if you see "powder" coming out from the insulation, replace it.

so we know that heat creates resistance in the electrical system- that is partly why a hot start can be more difficult.( and when hot the motor parts are all expended to a tighter fit- but the hot oil flows better and has less drag on the parts)



die electric grease can help to keep a connection clean, but can also trap moisture so mixed results- I use it on sparkplug boots and turn signal bulbs


low power.
the solenoid which is piggyback on the starter is a big switch- if the power is low, this switch can "chatter" which is bad and will only cause wear of the solenoid, which may need rebuild.

( a handy add is the solenoid end cover with a manual lunger to start the bike- this take the handlebar switch and start relay out of the system--- but makes theft easier).

starter relays rarely go bad, they are rated for 100,000 cycles- riders change them because they can't see inside.
MANY times the connections are bad and just swapping an electrical part renews the connections-- and the old part was good. so pull it off, clean the terminals, put it on.


IF your starter whines when you push the button and the motor is not turning- STOP !
the whining is the windings inside the motor burning up- this can require a new starter $$$.



when starting your bike; understand that when you last turned it off, you turned off the spark ( and EFI).
The motor kept turning until the compression in the cylinder was more that the flywheel could over come.
- this means that a motor ALWAYS stops on a compression stroke.
which is the hardest place to try starting it ( and why some models have compression releases).

a good practice is to "flick" the starter button- this will either push the piston over top-dead-center or cause it to "rebound" back down the bore ( reverse).

in either case when the start is next applied, the motor can build a little rotational speed before the next compression stroke.

I do this everytime I start my bike(s)- it is good for the health of the starter etc.


i know that is not complete but maybe helpful to some.

Mike


*( batteries will discharge through dirt and grime on the battery, current making it's way from post to post. on touring bikes we also have the radio memory and alarm sipping at power)

 

Good info Mike! : ) I learned something about the electrical system off this

 

Great thanks for that Mike!

 

That is a lot of need to know information.
Will print out for my files. Thanks

 

Thanks for the lesson.

 

One pretty major correction. CCA is a RAPID discharge rating (how freely the battery can drain, or lack of "internal "friction".) Typically our batteries are 27 to 30 amphour batteries (One amp discharge rate for 30 hours) and max charging rate should be no more than about 1/10 that rating, so about 10 hours at 3 amps should come close to fully charging the battery. 5 amps or more charging rate will very likely cause excessive gassing and make the battery bulge and/or overheat while charging and destroy it.

Many replacement batteries are now rated at or near 400 CCA. Due to good design they can deliver quite a wallop for a short time but are still 30 amphour batteries and should be charged at a rate with that in mind to avoid damage.

Everything else is good stuff.

 

Good stuff Mike. Thanks.

 

Thanks for the informative post!

 

Well done Mike. Now if people would only use that magic SEARCH feature too hey. Thanks for taking the time to do this.
Kris

 

Turn on petcock. Full choke. Kick 2 times. Ignition on. Retard spark. Kick once. She's usually running. Advance spark and push in choke slowly..........................


OH Crap..... just had a flashback