starter problem

[BubbaLa]

2004 R1150 RTP is the bike.

thought the battery was bad so i had AAA jump it.started right up.

take the battery to an interstate retailer and it checks out good.

install in bike... no start.

clicking like battery is dead or... bad starter?

the relay should be good or no sound at all,right?

also does the lower silver plate have to be removed to get at the starter?

by the way it has a valeo starter in it so california is trying to save. T.I.A.

[AndyS]

There is a fair chance the starter motor is part of the problem.

It is worth taking it off, cleaning the bendix, check the brushes, pop off the end cover and make sure that the usual culprit - the stator magnets - have not come adrift, causing the armature to lock.

Why did it start when the AAA jumped it? who knows, but probably because with so much current thrown at it,l it was able to overcome the resistive force of the magnets.

Does the silver plate have to be removed -NO, the starter motor can normally be manipulated through the narow gap. If you can't get it through, then you could remove the front lower plate bolt and maybe loosen the other ones. I have always managed to get the motor out without doing much with that plate.

 

Make sure the battery is disconnected before doing work on the starter motor.

 

Andy

[Dave Faria]

It probably is the starter motor and since its a 2004 RTP it should probably be checked. Battery connections should also be checked for corrosion. If they need to be cleaned when reinstalling the cables they should be snug and not overly tight. The posts on the battery are easy to break off.

[BubbaLa]

well got the new starter in and it won't turn over

doesn't seem to crank the engine either.

pulled a plug and there's no spark.

maybe needs a motronic reset? or i fried it trying to jump start it.

[dirtrider]

Hi Bubba

 

Something doesn’t make sense on the crank over. If it won’t turn over how do you know it doesn’t have spark?

 

Are you saying the new starter won’t even crank the engine over or the starter will crank the engine but the engine has no spark and won’t start? Basically will it go grr err err err when you press the starter button or does it do nothing?

 

Please be a little more precise on what the starter will and won’t do and why you are replacing the starter.

 

[ragtoplvr]

The kickstand switch, clutch switch and neutral switch prevent cranking. So will anti-theft if you have it. Kickstand switch is commonly bad, unplug it and short the connection pins together. If you have a N light on a 2004 it should also crank.

 

If you make DOUBLE sure the thing is in neutral, then you can unplug the spade connector and using a screwdriver short directly to the top terminal where the battery lead attaches. If you are in gear the bike will fall off the stand probably on you, so make double or triple sure it is in neutral. Do not say I did not warn you. If the cranks look elsewhere. Motronic reset has nothing to do with this.

 

By 2004 most of the magnet problems are gone, it was early starters.

 

However, kick stand, neutral switch and clutch switch problems remain. There is also a cube relay that can go bad. If the Rid is not lit up, that is a sign that one of the switches is is not closed.

 

Rod

[BubbaLa]

Hi Bubba

 

Something doesn’t make sense on the crank over. If it won’t turn over how do you know it doesn’t have spark?

 

Are you saying the new starter won’t even crank the engine over or the starter will crank the engine but the engine has no spark and won’t start? Basically will it go grr err err err when you press the starter button or does it do nothing?

 

Please be a little more precise on what the starter will and won’t do and why you are replacing the starter.

[/quote

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the starter will now only click repeatedly seems to not engage the engine to turn over, so stupid me, no spark.

as a side note; the tach was jumping and the RID was flashing the last time i tried to jump start it with the old starter in place.

 

replaced the starter because the battery checked out o.k.

had all the symptoms of a bad starter but the new one is doing the same thing.

[BubbaLa]

ah,,,, never mind.. although the old battery checked out good on the bench, not so on the bike.

put in a new battery and i'm a happy boychik. hey look it up.