Bike dies when starter button pushed....

[Guest]

Ok, this has happened to me a few times and I can't even figure out what to check for. Here is what happens:

Leaving work at 7am, I'll put the key in the ignition and turn to "on". As soon as I push the starter button, all the lights go out (headlight, oil pressure, neutral, etc). After pulling the seat off, I'll check fuses / connections at the battery, flip the key back and forth with no results, and then for no apparent reason power comes back. Bike starts up just fine like nothing ever happened. It isn't a common problem by any means.... probably 4 times in the past 2 months or so?

For a quick rundown of electrical modifications:
1980 GS450 S. The R/R, stator, ignition coils, and hand controls are from a 1999 (about) GS500. Stock type battery, and the starter motor was cleaned up and reinstalled about 2 years ago.

Any ideas from the collective? I want to say it might be the starter relay, but can't figure out why a faulty relay would black out the system for a few minutes. And I can't remember if the starter relay is stock or not....

Thanks in advance for any help.

[posplayr]

I would replace the main 15 amps fuse, but that is assuming you left the R/R(+) wiring stock. For some reason it is intermittent and probably failing.


Nothing wrong with going through all of your fuses and replacing them and clean teh fuse box while you are at it. Got DeOxit?

[Big Rich]

I dont, but can get some electrical contact cleaner. Oh yeah - the GS500 stator and R/R wiring is stock, and I did skip the headlight leg of the stator wiring.

Luckily, the GS450 only has one fuse stock. Other fuses I've added are for an auxiliary light relay and a Battery Tender wiring.

Thank you sir!

[posplayr]

I dont, but can get some electrical contact cleaner. Oh yeah - the GS500 stator and R/R wiring is stock, and I did skip the headlight leg of the stator wiring.

Luckily, the GS450 only has one fuse stock. Other fuses I've added are for an auxiliary light relay and a Battery Tender wiring.

Thank you sir!

If it is just the single fuse, then the other thing is the ignition switch. Nothing else between the battery and the lights. maybe crap in teh slider that needs cleaning out and re greased.

[Big Rich]

I think I got it! It has always happened in the morning when I didn't have a multimeter, but it happened today while I was at home. Pop the seat off to start probing around, and when I put the ground lead of the meter on the negative terminal, the lights turned on. Pull the lead, lights turn off..... the bolt on the battery terminal was working loose! Must have been providing enough voltage with a loose connection while riding, but not enough for the starter motor.

Time will tell for certain. Thanks again Pos!

[posplayr]

If it is just the single fuse, then the other thing is the ignition switch. Nothing else between the battery and the lights. maybe crap in teh slider that needs cleaning out and re greased.

Silly, me did not even think about "loosining" a ground.

[gsgeezer]

"maybes crap in teh slider that needs cleaning out and re greased." Had that happen on another bike.