Electrical Starting Problem

[Anonymous]

This may be the same type of problem Alwyn678 had in his topic, but I kinda don't think so. Here's my problem:

I have an '82 650GT (one side says "G" and the other side says "GT" so I dunno.), and this bike is new to me. I turned the bike on, and the headlight would come on, and it would start. If I rode for awhile, turned it off, then it would not start again obviously with dying battery symptoms. If I waited until the next day, it would start again, or if I hooked it up to a 10amp charger (not boosting it), it would start.

I got frustrated and bought a new battery (the old battery was supposedly very new too). I installed the new battery, and it started like a dream. I rode it around, turned it off, and it started again with little problem. I thought I'd confirm my problem and try starting it for fun about an hour later, and the headlight turned on, and CLICK. The headlight turned off with the click, and now the bike is as dead as a doornail. But now, not even hooking it up to the charger makes any difference in starting. No power for anything. If it were the alternator, would not riding for half an hour on battery alone kill the battery?

Please help!

[argonsagas]

You need to do a full electrical check.

To start with, your connections are bad. That's safe, because they always are, but, in your case, they are probably worse.....sounds like you have a short (can't tell if it is the left or right leg). The click you heard was probably the starter solenoid, telling you it ain't getting 'nuff juice to go.

Even if you have a faulty regulator/rectifier, the battery should not go dead by itself. The R/R serves to direct power into the battery, and you have to be using up the power somewhere for the battery to fail completely..

Apparently you are not getting a charge at all, or you are losing it even when stopped. Not likely two batteries would be no good....possible, but not likely.

Before doing anything else check every connection....yes you have to pull off the tank...but the short or bad connection is likely to be in wires to the fuse box or battery. Next most likely is between the stator and the battery....thats why you are pulling off the tank. After you have cleaned up everything, check the bike again. If the problem is still there, go to the Stator Papers on this site.

For "Stator Papers " read Bible. Get a decent quality volt-ohmmeter and follow all instructions.

[Anonymous]

Another idea is a bad solenoid or starter. I work in an auto repair garage, and everyonce in a while we get a no start after driving. A lot of the times it's the starter/solenoid (we don't test them seperately, they're one assembly.) After heating up, the solenoid separates, or shorts out. Another, less likely thing is the charging system, because new batteries will "recharge" themselves to some extent if left alone for a little while, but you should notice the lights dimming, and if you ride enough, it should stall.

[Hap Call]

Re: Electrical Starting Problem

This may be the same type of problem Alwyn678 had in his topic, but I kinda don't think so. Here's my problem:


...try starting it for fun about an hour later, and the headlight turned on, and CLICK. The headlight turned off with the click, and now the bike is as dead as a doornail. But now, not even hooking it up to the charger makes any difference in starting. No power for anything. If it were the alternator, would not riding for half an hour on battery alone kill the battery?

Please help!

This sounds like a classic case of a very poor connection, either a ground or on the positive side. Check ALL of your electrical connections and grounds. You may also have a bad regulator and/or stator but go for the cheep fix first and check the connections.

Hap