Electrical Conundrum

[Witt]

My bike's been having a strange electrical problem since I stored it last fall and still acting the same. It originally started after using the electric starter multiple times in a row, and probably holding it on for too long. The bike will still kick start though...

The problem is when I click the electric starter the entire electrical system goes dead (no lights, etc.) After this the voltage reads 0 across the battery while the circuit is closed. (ignition key is in the on position) But... while the ignition is in the off position the battery returns to 12v.

Not sure (at all) where to begin looking for problems, and Im not very experienced with electronics. Anyone have any ideas of where to begin or how to test the electrical components? Thanks!

[bonanzadave]

Mr. Witt,

Please tell us the history on your Battery. Has it ever been out of the Bike for service ? Age, charging, water level checked ?

Any chance of having a volt meter ? You can get a cheap one and they are easy to use. The readings you get are a must for proper electrical troubleshooting.

[Witt]

Sure. Its the same battery I had before the problem occurred (worked fine before), its less than a year old, was taken out for winter (charged a couple times) and again recently charged. Levels are good too.

I do own a multimeter. Just checked it at ~12v. And then goes to 0v when ignition key is turned to "on".

[Steve]

If it goes below about 10 volts when you activate the starter, the battery is toast, and needs to be replaced.

EDIT: Oh, and don't use "it's only a year old" as your excuse to think the battery is good. I started a thread a few weeks ago where I mentioned that a new AGM battery was not starting my bike that my son is using, so he got another new AGM battery. A week later, it wasn't starting the bike, either. We took both of them back to Batteries Plus, where we were told that they were part of a bad lot of batteries and were being exchanged at no cost. One of those batteries was only a couple of months old, the other was only a couple of weeks. Yes, it happens to batteries that are "only a year old".

.

[Witt]

I was afraid it may be gone... but is this still true even if dies when I dont use the starter. I only turn the key to the "on" position, (not pressing the starter) and its dead. Just want to be sure Im chasing the correct issue before I head to the store

[Steve]

Well there is this remote possibility that there is something in your bike that is drawing it down so far, but usually that will blow fuses in the process.

Test it if you want, by removing the cables from the battery and connecting just a headlight bulb across the battery terminals.
If it dies then, just face it, THE BATTERY IS DEAD.

.

[Kcwiro]

sounds like a flat battery from what you have described...if you have to crank the bike a lot to start it 'refering to when battery was still good' swap it and check your grounds, do the coil mod on your bike...still hard to start...check your plugs...clean...wires on the right cylinder?...yes... airbox sealed?....valves/timing?...when you last clean and sync your carbs?.....oh and make sure is gas in it =)

good luck

[max parsons]

battery

Buy a Yuasa battery.They cost a lot,last for years and eliminate the biggest cause of problems on motorbikes.

[DanTheMan]

Check your ground wires too. A loose /dirty ground wire will present all of those symptoms too. I won't use batteries from Batteries Plus anymore. I bought and returned too many hand tool batteries to them and they wouldn't honor their warranties on them. Not worth my time or money anymore.

[Russ' GS1000E]

Some danced around it....

Confirm your battery connections by removing, cleaning, and re-attaching your cables.

I've had ohmic battery connections, more than once, that act as you describe.

[Witt]

Test it if you want, by removing the cables from the battery and connecting just a headlight bulb across the battery terminals.
If it dies then, just face it, THE BATTERY IS DEAD.
.

Removed battery from cables and connected it to a spare headlight. Headlight worked fine so the battery seems to be alright.

I'll check into the wiring and be sure its clean, well connected, grounded, and etc.

[Steve]

Headlight worked fine so the battery seems to be alright. ...

OK, so it lights the headlight, but what are the voltage readings at the battery terminals while the light is connected?

It should hold no less than 12 volts for over 30 seconds if the battery is good. If the voltage drops below that, please consider getting a new battery.

If the battery tests out OK, give it a good trickle charge to bring it up to its maximum. While you are waiting for that, clean all the other connections as previously suggested, then make sure the connections to the battery are clean and tight, too.

.

[bonanzadave]

battery seems to be alright.

Try it jumped to yer car (not running please).

[Witt]

Ok, put the battery on the light for about a minute and it tested 12.15v on the multimeter.

Cleaned all the connections and found a few corroded wires but the lights work again! So now now that is fixed there is another problem... nothing at all happens when the starter button is pressed. Havent had a chance take apart the ignition or starter switches but its on my list of things to do.