Help --- bike won't start.

[bikefreak]

Hi, everyone and thanks for looking at this for me. I have an '03 Chopper that I just bought about a month ago. I was riding down the road the other day doing 30mph when my bike just cut off on me. I haven't been able to get it to crank since. I can hear the compressed air when I try to start it. The starter has seemed to be going out since I got it. Currently, when the battery is at 12.8v, the motor acts like it wants to turn over, but the starter is noisy when trying to start and makes a final loud sound like there is something binding up in the primary maybe? Will something cause a cutoff and then not allow the bike to start or am I troubleshooting different issues?
The bike has the 107 S&S on it. A friend suggested that I check the stator plug...everything seemed okay. Also, I looked for grounded wiring under the seat, but didn't find any. Any other suggestions?:bang:

 

[Raywood]

How did it quit? Did it just shutdown like you hit the kill switch? Do you have lights on?


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[awg]

Well for what its worth...my 04 Chopper would just shut down at random times. I checked all the things that were suggested. The difference with mine verses yours is mine would start back up. No noise ....nothing like that. I ended up installing a wire plus and haven't had a problem since. I'm sure someone with more knowage will help you.

 

[bikefreak]

Hey, Raywood. Thanks. It gave a couple second spit and sputter, almost like it ran out of gas. I think I instinctively grabbed the clutch, and then it died so I coasted in a nearby parking lot.

 

[bikefreak]

okay, guys. here is an update. decided to inspect the gears in the primary drive. removed the entire primary cover, not just the windows. but, didn't find anything odd except there were a couple of broken screws. and i couldn't tell where they came from. so, decided to give the start button a couple of tries with the primary cover off, just to see that the gears/chain were working properly. what i found was that the starter extended like it was supposed to, it turned the gears to a certain point, and then hung up. i shifted her into neutral and tried to turn the crankshaft, but it only moved a little. i heard a little compression from one cylinder. then it locked up. i could spin it back and do it again, but didnt have any luck getting it to go far enough to hear the second cylinder. gave the start button another push and same thing...got to a certain point then froze. so, am i to assume that my motor has seized up and its time for a rebuild?

 

[bombtosser]

Compression stroke? Does it spin with the plugs out?

 

[boomer4444]

if you got a couple broken screws in primary i would investigate where they came from? good chance back side of bearing carrier. if 2 broke chances are others are working loose causing a lock up of the clutch/bearing carrier. any scuffs on inner primary cover? maybe stator screws but you would think magnet would hold them in, just my thoughts good luck:up:

 

[Nukeranger]

Pull your starter solenoid cover and look at the contacts for corrosion/good connection.

You might try a Slam Button (call them since you have an 03 model) from Wild Steed Worx & Services, When the road is your trail or just send them your starter for rebuilding and a slam button install.

Just a thought. I hate to think your motor seized up!

 

[BigDogBro1]

You might need to remove the clutch pack to seperate the engine connection to the trans. Then you can see if the trans shaft is locking up or the engine.

Could be a screw has backed out far enough to catch on the rear of the clutch basket or in the stator area possibly. In that case the clutch assembly needs to be pulled.

Any metal shavings?

 

[bikefreak]

another update. I forgot to mention in my earlier post that before removing the primary cover, a friend and I tried rolling her and popping the clutch to try to jump start her. When in neutral, she rolls fine, but if she's in gear, she's hard to roll even with the clutch pulled in. Anyway, the result of trying to jump her like that was that i left big black marks in my driveway from her going into a skid.
today, as bombtosser suggested, and with the primary cover still off, i tried spinning the crankshaft again with the spark plugs out, but same thing. It spins a couple of inches , then rolls back to the original place when i let off the starter. With the plugs out, it went a little further, but then froze up again. I can't budge thecrankshaft even using a pipe-wrench.
to boomer4444: I don't know what the clutch/bearing carrier is. What does it look like?
to BigDogBro1: Good idea about the clutch pack. Maybe I'll be brave enough to try that tomorrow. Also, no metal shavings.
Also to all: Here is a pic of the screw pieces I found. Does anyone recognize what they go to?

 

[bikefreak]

You can also see the pic under My Gallery tab to your left.

 

[Raywood]

Hi, everyone and thanks for looking at this for me. I have an '03 Chopper that I just bought about a month ago. I was riding down the road the other day doing 30mph when my bike just cut off on me. I haven't been able to get it to crank since. I can hear the compressed air when I try to start it. The starter has seemed to be going out since I got it. Currently, when the battery is at 12.8v, the motor acts like it wants to turn over, but the starter is noisy when trying to start and makes a final loud sound like there is something binding up in the primary maybe? Will something cause a cutoff and then not allow the bike to start or am I troubleshooting different issues?
The bike has the 107 S&S on it. A friend suggested that I check the stator plug...everything seemed okay. Also, I looked for grounded wiring under the seat, but didn't find any. Any other suggestions?:bang:

Call me 3604636564
Off to Florida tomorrow though
Ray