GS 850 turns over but won't start

[boltact270]

Hey guys, went out to fire up the 1980 850 yesterday. Started right off from cold, rode it only about three miles. Stopped, killed it, tried to restart it, and it would not start. It's turning over, but slower than usual. Can a slightly low battery cause the bike not to start? It sat for about 10 days without being started before all this. Thanks!!!

[Dogma]

You need to get to know your 30 year old wiring intimately. Make sure your battery is charged, clean (DeoxIT) your connections and grounds, then start the Stator Papers to begin diagnosing. You may have something as simple as a broken wire. It's impossible to guess without testing.

Yes, a battery can die enough in a 3 mile ride.

The most important thing to know about GS charging systems is that dirty connections kill expensive components. They are not designed fail-safe for dirty connections.

[boltact270]

Thanks for the reply. Now that I think of it, the last time I rode it, the bike did the same thing. It turned over and over without catching until the battery drained. But when I hooked up jumper cables from my lawn mover, it fired up immediately. The battery is only about a year old, but I don't think I've maintained it properly. I will run those connections and clean them. What's the best way to deoxify? Scraping, or some sort of chemical? Thanks again!

[azr]

Best contact cleaner I've used is Deoxit. Then use dielectric grease when putting back together. For the grounds just use sandpaper to clean them up.

[boltact270]

Great! Thanks for the advice!

[BassCliff]

Hi,

Have a look at the "Electrical Odds and Ends" section of my little website. The link is in my signature file.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff