more help needed
Thread Starter
Member
Squid
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 50
more help needed
ok guys, i changed my battery, it was no where close to the output that it should have been. charge up the new one, turn the key, same damn thing. very fast clicking from the little box on the outside of the subframe on the LEFT side of the bike. any new suggestions? would you still assume that it is the rectifier? what is the clicking noise? please help guys, i have not been on the bike all year, and i deploy again on labor day. thanks
Thread Starter
Member
Squid
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 50
one more thing, i read the article about replacing the unit with the r1 piece, looked at the pics, and there is no way this can be the rectifier acting up. only 8200 miles on the bike, and the connections all look very good. getting desperate here guys. any suggestions?
Senior Member
MotoGP
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,844
From: Gainesville FLA.
If it's not that,(mine got fried at obout 9 or 10000 miles by the way), then something is drawing power from the system or the starter is bad. Was the new battery fully charged when you bought it, what happens to the battery when you try to start it, what about the lights in the cluster?
Senior Member
SuperBike
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,572
From: Buffalo, NY
You could try to bypass the starter solenoid with some heavy gauge wire or something metal - If the starter is good it should spark a lot when you jump the solenoid and should turn over if the connection is good enough - I haven't tried this on the SH but its probably buried and hard to get to but will eliminate that as the problem if it does nothing when jumped - would suspect the starter then. You could also try to use a jumper cable from the + side of the battery direct to the stud on the starter under the rubber boot to verify the starter is working. Make sure its in neutral when doing this as it will be bypassing the safety switches that prevent starting in gear!
Thread Starter
Member
Squid
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 50
i dont have any materials like that available, plus i dont think that i would feel safe doing that. where is the starter relay at on the bike? is that the direct lead from the positive battery on the left side of the subframe?
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World Champion
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 105,287
From: Fulton, MO
Edited because I ddin't read.... 
I had the exact same problem last week and I posted about it in your other thread. I went about troubleshooting a different way, since my battery was only months old and was the last thing I expected to fail. First, check the battery cables to the battery, ground, and to the soleniod. Then remove the rubber cap on the starter and inspect the connection there. Mine was corroded all to hell. I even went so far as to remove the starter and disassemble and clean it. If you have a voltmeter you can check the resistance of the starter connection to ground. It should be 0.5Ω. Anything less is probably okay, but more means a short to ground. The fact that the solenoid is clicking means that there is not enough juice from the battery. When you got the new battery did you follow the charging directions EXPLICITLY? You're supposed to put the acid in, wait at least 1/2 hour, rock or tap the battery to remove air bubbles, then charge at ~1-2amp for ~5 hours. Then, and only then, do you put the caps on the battery.
The solenoid can be bypassed easily to check its functionality. Just remove the rear tail plastic and find the two heavy guage wires that go to the solenoid. Remove them (allen head - 4mm I think) and touch the two spades together. Yes it will spark. Not a big deal.
I had the exact same problem last week and I posted about it in your other thread. I went about troubleshooting a different way, since my battery was only months old and was the last thing I expected to fail. First, check the battery cables to the battery, ground, and to the soleniod. Then remove the rubber cap on the starter and inspect the connection there. Mine was corroded all to hell. I even went so far as to remove the starter and disassemble and clean it. If you have a voltmeter you can check the resistance of the starter connection to ground. It should be 0.5Ω. Anything less is probably okay, but more means a short to ground. The fact that the solenoid is clicking means that there is not enough juice from the battery. When you got the new battery did you follow the charging directions EXPLICITLY? You're supposed to put the acid in, wait at least 1/2 hour, rock or tap the battery to remove air bubbles, then charge at ~1-2amp for ~5 hours. Then, and only then, do you put the caps on the battery.
The solenoid can be bypassed easily to check its functionality. Just remove the rear tail plastic and find the two heavy guage wires that go to the solenoid. Remove them (allen head - 4mm I think) and touch the two spades together. Yes it will spark. Not a big deal.
Senior Member
Superstock
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 428
Sorry if I repeat any recommendations but no time to read.
Steps: (this assumes you have a fully charged good battery)
1. bypass starter solenoid. I usually use a plastic handled screw driver.
2. If the starter turns you have a bad solenoid. If not you have a bad cable or connection between the solenoid and battery or a bad battery to engine ground cable or connection.
Steps: (this assumes you have a fully charged good battery)
1. bypass starter solenoid. I usually use a plastic handled screw driver.
2. If the starter turns you have a bad solenoid. If not you have a bad cable or connection between the solenoid and battery or a bad battery to engine ground cable or connection.
Thread Starter
Member
Squid
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 50
ok, just to clear things up. the battery that i bought at a auto store, was junk, or i messed up on putting in the acid. either way, i took it to a good motorcycle shop, (which i had no clue at first that i lived so close to) new on this side of town. anyways, they said take it back, it was junk. they said that they have had a lot of the same thing with people buying the aftermarket kinds from car stores. i took it back, and bought a battery from the bike shop. good news is the bike fired right up. but now here is the bad news. i took them my starter to make sure it was still good, it was, but in putting it back in the bike, it leaks oil now. pretty good amount. i put both of the rubber seals on the starter, one on each side. i have no reason why it is leaking. any suggestions?
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