It Wont Start!!

Started the bike up yesterday - fired up straight away, as per usual :lol: Then it cut out and now it wont even turn over Both the oil and neutral light are nice and bright and the battery has 12.7 volts! The yellow relay under the seat was clicking nicely, but I changed it anyway - still nothing!! I got the motor spinning over by giving the starter relay a direct feed from the battery, so that's OK. But when I dismantled the kill/run switch, although it had 12 volts going in with the switch set to 'kill', when I flicked it to 'run', the voltage drops to 3 volts - consequently the power to the start button is also reading 3 volts (not enuff to throw the starter relay I suppose) Anybody have any idea what could be causing the 9 volt drop? Could it be the kill/run switch itself? Or is there a hidden in line fuse lurking in there somewhere? Oh, and the head gasket blew on my Saab 900 on Friday Don't wanna play no more :burnout:

[Pedro]

Sounds like the contact faces are dirty and causing a high resistance. Wip them apart again and clean with some fine wet & dry.

Ped

Had another bash at the electrics, still nothing. Ran a wire so as to bypass the suspect kill switch, still have a fluctuating (2.20 - 3.0 volts) reading on the blue wire leading away from the kill switch to the multi-connector, leading me to think that the switch is fine. Also tested the start button for a good circuit, a perfect reading was the result when the button was pushed! Tested the 2 pin connector on the starter relay and found that with the kill switch in the run position, there is the same fluctuating voltage there as well It doesn't help that my Haynes manual only goes up to 1996 and my bike is a 2002, surely the wiring didn't change that much - did it? I'm all out of ideas but don't wanna go down the Daytona £40.00 per hour route Anyone know of a bike electrician in the Hillingdon/Uxbridge area?

i had starter button problems once
it was streatched wires around the headstock had to fix 4 seperate wires
tested by sticking sewing needles through the plastic outer of the wires
had to cut the sleve back to do it though

you will no doubt be an expert at hotwiring monsters after this

Thanks for the idea Scotty :lol: I'll try your method of fault finding and if I find the dodgy wire/connection, I'll substitute it with a nice new shiny S4R - sorry - I meant a new piece of cable One thing I did notice was the rev counter needle flicker occasionally up to about 400 RPM, then settle down again - very strange

Finally getting somewhere Had the bike running this afternoon after giving the coils an alternative 12 volt feed ( I've never enjoyed the sound of my bike so much ) The kill switch and start switch are not causing the 9 volt drain :lol: I've traced the drop to the other side of a 3 pin connector that feeds the wires to the CDI boxes and coils!! With the connector unplugged, I get a 12 volt reading at the handlebar switch. So the problem lies in those wires/connection(s) Hopefully a session with the tester - again - should pinpoint the short Watch this space :burnout:

Bloody Bloody Bloody! Still wont go Gallon of petrol and a match methinks!!!!!!!!!!

Gary, I've PM'd you. Check the sidestand switch as mine failed once!
MikeG

[gary tompkins]

Originally Posted by Scotty

i had starter button problems once
it was streatched wires around the headstock had to fix 4 seperate wires
tested by sticking sewing needles through the plastic outer of the wires
had to cut the sleve back to do it though

you will no doubt be an expert at hotwiring monsters after this

I had a similar fault on mine last year. Was getting 12v at the starter button, but buggerall at the 2 pin connection to the starter solenoid. That turned out to be a couple of broken wires in the loom near the headstock.

Sounds like yours may be elsewhere though. Have you tried tracing the other end of the loom from that 3 pin block to see where it ends up. As mikeG said if it goes to the sidestand switch that could be your culprit?

It lives Ended up running a new wire to the kill switch and a new wire to the starter solenoid and yes - the sweet smell of exhaust fumes :bunny. It seems that (maybe) the problem lay in the wire that fed the kill switch - red and white - coz whenever I connected it to feed the coil pack and solenoid, the voltage went crazy But now it's all OK again and starts and runs as it should :lol: BUT - and there had to be a but, the neutral light is now stuck on - ho hum Maybe it's coz it's been in neutral for two and a half months - DOH!!! Many thanks to all who helped with their ideas and suggestions - Garry :burnout:

i had a duff neutral light once
bought a new switch
and then discovered i only needed to repare the wire that went to it doh
its an easy one that

Thanks for that Scotty - I'll have a go later today, muchos grassyass

OK - I'm bored now I fixed the dodgy neutral light switch - left it in gear overnight, that'll sort ya!! NOW the bloody petrol tank is leaking It's coming out from under the welded bracket/hinge at the base of the tank Anybody had this problem? I've ordered some jollop (Petseal) that you pour into the tank, slosh it around and it seals the pin holes I dont wanna play no more

[gary tompkins]

Common problem on older tanks. The hinge area is a weak point, and a combination of rust & stress from lifting/lowering tank (especially when full) can split the joint. Petseal would be a temporary solution at best, welding is better if you can find someone willing to do it, but a lot of welders won't touch used tanks with a barge pole!

Other than that it's a replacement 2nd hand tank off a newer bike

Thanks Gary, I'll give the Petseal a go - and if it doesn't work, I'll start looking for another tank E-bay - here I come again :lol: