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My bike is having trouble starting up, it only turns the starter once or twice and if it dosen't catch fire, it gives up like the battery is flat so i have to jump start the bugger. It jump starts no bother atall and im starting to think the battery is goosed - i.e. its not holding a charge.
I thought the stator coil / charging circuit might be at fault but i can ride the bike all day with the lights on for example so its getting power from somewhere whereas if it was running solely on the battery the bike would surely die at some point ?
Even when i come back from a good ride out and turn the bike off and immediately try start it again, it seems flat so is a new battery required?

would be my first port of call.

Bike still won't start! Have put in a brand new battery but when i went to start it, it just clicked so i took the bike apart and fitted another starter motor as i thought the old one was knackered but when i went to start the bike again it still just clicks. :smt013
So i know its not the battery or the starter motor and that the battery was charging as i used a volt meter to check it so the only other thing i can see is the starter relay? When i try to start the bike and it just clicks, you can hear a straining noise coming from the starter relay? Could this be the problem and if so, does anyone know where i can get a new one?

did you charge the battery before it was fitted?

It powering the main beam ok?

They often lose some charge on the shelf and need floating up again.

try the live feed direct from the battery to the starter motor see if it turns, if it does then the relay must be kaput!

Northern ANdy wrote:did you charge the battery before it was fitted?

It powering the main beam ok?

They often lose some charge on the shelf and need floating up again.

Aye i did and it was fully charged. The main beam is strong running just off the battery and all other lights/ horn / indicators work fine on battery.

masterofinsanity wrote:try the live feed direct from the battery to the starter motor see if it turns, if it does then the relay must be kaput!

Good idea, would never have thought on that! Il give it a try and report back.

Yep tried the direct feed and the bike fired up no bother so i took the relay out and gave it a quick clean, checked and the fuse and put it back in. Went to try the starter and the bloody thing works now - strange, although it is sort of weak but it does the job for now.

Anyway took my bike for a blast and the damn chain snapped on me, i just about toad myself, and it took the chain gaurd off the bike and smashed my hugger! One chain gaurd mount on the swinger has sheared off and the gaurd itself looks like a bananna so at least its done its job at stopping the chain taking my leg off. The chain snapped at the connecting link which i always thought was a bit suspect as its one of the ones you just click together.

Does anyone know if you can get replacement links but proper ones as the chain is still new as i went back in the car and picked it off the side of the road along with my chain gaurd? Oh and what material is the swinger? Alloy? as i was going to see if i could weld back on the sheared mounting point for the chain gaurd?

ummmm, should there have been one of those links on in the fist place? toad thats dodgy! Now harm done to you thats the main thing!

Jamz will know about getting replacement links, he needed one a few years back. Swinger is alloy yes, so need some cold weld or get it properly done

you can get rivet links from most places, the clip on links shouldn't really be used on bikes over 125cc imo.

Mine had a similar problem, thought the same as you battery and regulator, starter etc . Found the problem to be the wiring where it passes under the frame beneath the tank to be shorted out (93 bike), striped back sheathing and replaced a few wire lenghts and all works fine.

What a sod to find took ages and thought it was everything but this.

Sotred now and first track day completed with no breakdowns.

Hope this helps.

I'm using a split link on mine, how has yours snapped, like which area? can you get a pic of whats left?

Northern ANdy wrote:I'm using a split link on mine, how has yours snapped, like which area? can you get a pic of whats left?

I would change that for a rivet link as soon as. their about 2 quid from any decent shop. The snap link has disapeared completely, think it basically couldn't cope and opened itself up and let the chain whip lash round my bike and just about destroy everything - had a closer look today and its torn through the undertray, snapped another mounting lug when it smashed the hugger and obviously gave the chain gaurd a good battering. I also couldn't re use my chain as the small collers that the roller pins go through have been sort of sheared where the link gave up so had to buy a whole new chain for the sake of one link. I think as masters said, the snap links shouldn't be used on anything more powerful than a 125 cc. i know i won't ever use them again. Its scary to think that the chain was probably doin 10000rpm when it came off.

trouble with the rivet links is you cant take the chain off to clean it, and I'd have to pay again for someone to fit the link. I think whats probably happened to you is the spring comes away then the plate drops off and then the other can open up.

This is not aimed at you now, but I just don't buy it that a split link can be weaker than a rivet when the pins and plates are all the same thickness. All the load on any link is parallel to the plates, and perpendicular to the pins, the non fixed plate is keeping the pins in check at the free end, so why should it snap I ask.

split links are weaker and you wont see one on a 500+ bike unless some one has fitted them there self

i've snaped 2 on a bmx (with my mighty one person power) and wont use them. Riviters are only £30 odd nowadays anyway! alot cheaper than the chain snaping and punching a hole thought your engine caseing, or getting court in your back wheel OR rapping around your foot and ripping it off

what characterises the weakness though?