BWG56
Guru
Sounds great, if I haven't done this 3 or 4 times already, I even replaced the contacts.
Bike won't start
- Thread starter Vin Cent
- Start date
BWG56
Guru
I just checked my battery, 12.68 volts, so I put it on a charger, it said it was only 76% charged, so after maybe an hour or so charging at 3amp, it was 100%. Voltage reads 12.84. I did not have it on a tender, so I guess I will hook one back up to it for 2 hrs a day again and see how that works.
I find it hard to believe that .2-.4 volts makes that much of a difference but it does, regarding the solenoid plunger. I think I will look into the spring rates of the spring that's in there and see what I can come up with to possibly lighten it, but still maintaining a positive return.
If I am out running around and stop, its not an issue, fires right up.
And that Harley battery I bought 6-8 months ago has been sitting on the bench since September and its at 12.64 volts just sitting, no tender.
I find it hard to believe that .2-.4 volts makes that much of a difference but it does, regarding the solenoid plunger. I think I will look into the spring rates of the spring that's in there and see what I can come up with to possibly lighten it, but still maintaining a positive return.
If I am out running around and stop, its not an issue, fires right up.
And that Harley battery I bought 6-8 months ago has been sitting on the bench since September and its at 12.64 volts just sitting, no tender.
TapioK
Well-Known Member
I was thinking if the battery has juice to turn 1.8 hp starter over it sure should be able to move something you can move with one finger
BWG56
Guru
heybaylor
Active Member
It isn 't the spring, it is the fact that the starter pulls the voltage down so much that the solenoid drops out,
Mine has been sitting for a week or so, checked the battery 12.68 volts just like yours, hooked up the jump start, it cranks right over, without the jump start click click crank click click crank. If I go for a ride though and let the battery fully charge, cranks right over, every time. If I pull the solenoid cover off and push the plunger in like a slam button, the starter cranks the bike, no click click. Makes me wonder about the solenoids in these starters. Even though we have 12.50+ volts, its not enough to pull the solenoid plunger in to make a good contact, maybe the spring on the solenoid plunger is too strong. When these starters are tested, I wonder if they are using a car battery which would spin the shit out of them when they are tested.
then the voltage comes back up enough to try the starter again.
RESULT click/click/chatter chatter.
put a volt meter on the battery while cranking.
If it drops to 10-9 volts you will get the chatter
BWG56
Guru
The battery's have been load tested and they stay above 10v.
That makes sense, and I agree with your statement, at 12.8v it starts, at 12.6 it will chatter but most times it will start. So its right on the edge, .2v makes the difference, so my thought is if I weaken the spring by lets say 1lb of force, then the .2v drop won't matter. I'm just speaking out loud here, I can keep it on a tender for a couple hours a day and its not an issue, and when I ride and stop its not an issue. Its only after it sits for a week or so without a tender that this happens.
heybaylor
Active Member
BWG56
Guru
This is on a fully charged 100% battery on a charger this morning, then I put it on a timed tender for 2 hrs.
Disconnected the tender, battery reads 13.17, cranked it over for 15 seconds battery reads 9.54-10.3 while cranking.
cranked it over again and no clicking, check battery 12.56v, hit the start and it cranked back over no clicking.
The only difference between this mornings clicking was the battery was at 76% then I hooked it up to the charger. It suprises me that after riding around on the bike and then it sitting for a week, it would drop this much. I did check it running the last time and it was charging at 13.5v. so I assume the battery was fully charged when I turned it off a week ago.
As you can see from the above numbers 12.56v on a 96% charged battery will start the bike, but at 12.68v on a 76% battery it will chatter.
Disconnected the tender, battery reads 13.17, cranked it over for 15 seconds battery reads 9.54-10.3 while cranking.
cranked it over again and no clicking, check battery 12.56v, hit the start and it cranked back over no clicking.
The only difference between this mornings clicking was the battery was at 76% then I hooked it up to the charger. It suprises me that after riding around on the bike and then it sitting for a week, it would drop this much. I did check it running the last time and it was charging at 13.5v. so I assume the battery was fully charged when I turned it off a week ago.
The spring I'm thinking of changing is the solenoid spring and not the starter gear spring, unless I'm misunderstanding you?
As you can see from the above numbers 12.56v on a 96% charged battery will start the bike, but at 12.68v on a 76% battery it will chatter.
Marky-Marc
Well-Known Member
Do yourself a favor and get one of those XP-3 or XP-5 small jump starts
I have never needed one of these....I think It really has to do with which kit you put in. I have the WP 374, I can truly leave my bike sit for weeks with the key off, no tender and it fires right up. With my key off nothing on the bike is 'pulling' voltage...I wouldn't mess with the spring, may cause other issues.
I've had the same battery for almost 4 years now with no issues.....cross my fingers.....
It's a ytx20h(l)-BS
Just my .02
Marky-Marc
Well-Known Member
@Vin Cent , we are all ASSUMING and so are you that it has something to do with the kit and/or battery....because battery cables were loose and you had just installed the kit. Even at 12.68 volts, should start or at least attempt to turn over.....if it turns over, start looking for a coincidental issue that has nothing to do with the kit or the battery...air, fuel, etc....did someone at work play a joke on you and turn off your petcock? Clamp your fuel tube? just saying, could very easily be unrelated.....
Let us know if it was indeed the battery.....
Let us know if it was indeed the battery.....
MossBerg590
Active Member
I can let my bike sit with my braille battery for a month with no tender and it fires right up everytime.
BWG56
Guru
I would say it wasn't charging the battery with the loose cables and it was running down the battery. 12.68v won't start it if the battery is not 90%+ charged.
I had 12.68 v but the battery was only charged to 76%, click click, Charged the battery to 100% cranked it over and had 9.5 - 10.0v while cranking for 15-20 seconds. Checked battery 12.54v and 96%charge, hit the start button and varoom, started right up.
I would charge the battery and not with a tender and see what happens now that the cables are tight.
heybaylor
Active Member
I have a thunderheart in my 01 , no problems, but my friend has a 05 chopper with stock ehc.
We put a hidden switch to the power to his ehc (was drawing current with key off)
Since then , it can sit for a couple of weeks and fire right up.
BTW all batteries do "self-discharge"
Hope this helps
We put a hidden switch to the power to his ehc (was drawing current with key off)
Since then , it can sit for a couple of weeks and fire right up.
BTW all batteries do "self-discharge"
Hope this helps
Marky-Marc
Well-Known Member
Great idea that kill switch. I have the WP 374, when key is off, no draw....
BWG56
Guru
Funny thing is I have a 8 month old Harley battery sitting on my work bench and for the last 6 months I haven't touched it and it checks at 12.64v
Marky-Marc
Well-Known Member
THANK GOD it's not sitting on the ground but on your work bench! On the ground it would ground out and fuck the battery up!!! Bwahahahahaha
