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  • New battery still won't start

    Here's the problem. My 78 had a bad battery. I could get it to start with the battery charger hooked up to the old battery. Bought a new battery. When I turned the key on with the new battery in place nothing happened. No idiot lights no head light no horn no starter....nothing. I thought the ground cable wasn't making good contact so I cleaned both sides of the cable terminals,cleaned the contact point on the frame and tried again. Nothing. Same results as when I put the new battery in.

    Here's what I've tried so far.
    1 Hooked the battery charger to the new battery and charged overnight.
    results...still no power to any electric on the bike.

    2 Hooked battery charger back up turned key on.
    results...I have power to idiot lights, horn,headlights. Bike won't start. Starter solenoid just buzzes when you hit starter button.

    3 Took pos and neg leads off of battery and hooked them straight to battery charger bypassing battery.
    results...same as #2

    4 Cleaned contacts again and hooked battery back up.
    results... same as #1

    5 Metered voltage on battery at rest.
    results...12.58 volts

    6 Turned key on while metering battery voltage
    results... voltage dropped from 12.58 to 0 measuring across the pos neg terminals or measuring across neg terminal and starter solenoid stud from battery.

    The battery that I pulled out of the bike is several years old. It has gone through several charge/discharge cycles. I tried to keep a battery tender on it but wasn't diligent enough about it.
    I can kick start the bike as long as the battery charger is connected. Once it starts I can pull the charger and it runs fine, I just can't shut the bike off.

    What am I missing. I really thought it was a ground issue but I can hook the battery charge to a paint free spot on the frame and the pos cable with or with out the battery in line and at least get some things to work, just not the starter.
    I'm stumped!

  • #2
    Since no response as of yet, I'll jump in and maybe others will chime in. A common issue that this issue kinda' follows tells me for starters, remove the STOP/RUN switch from bars and unplug. Take apart and watch out for that tiny internal spring. Put all pieces including the switch in a cup of Evapo-Rust. Leave overnite then remove, wash pieces and completely dry them. Put switch backtogether and install. This switch COMPLETES the running circuit and least amount of corrosion WILL cause a voltage drop...or in extreme cases, no voltage to complete the circuit. Process of elimination, and an easy place to start.
    81H Venturer1100 "The Bentley" (on steroids) 97 Yamaha YZ250(age reducer) 92 Honda ST1100 "Twisty"(touring rocket) Age is relative to the number of seconds counted 'airing' out an 85ft. table-top.

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    • #3
      bad battery

      Check all battery and solenoid connections. If battery voltage goes to zero on startup you have a bad connection.
      79 1100 SF Carmine Red stock
      85 Honda v65 Magna
      70 Yamaha HS1 90cc twin Californian Orange
      02 Road King (retirement gift)
      First bike-s 2-1967 Yamaha YM2C Big Bear Scramblers

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      • #4
        Originally posted by vedgar View Post
        check all battery and solenoid connections. If battery voltage goes to zero on startup you have a bad connection.
        +1.............
        81H Venturer1100 "The Bentley" (on steroids) 97 Yamaha YZ250(age reducer) 92 Honda ST1100 "Twisty"(touring rocket) Age is relative to the number of seconds counted 'airing' out an 85ft. table-top.

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        • #5
          Another thing to keep in mind a "dead" battery will show 12.8v but still not have the CCA to turn the bike over.
          Might be time to just get a new one and keep in mind these bikes need a ton of CCA (my car doesn't even require what these bikes require)
          1980 SH - 100% custom wired Road warrior with motogadget everything.
          Looks like a scrap heap, runs like a dream.
          Master of the wires.

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          • #6
            Originally posted by spivey View Post
            Here's the problem. My 78 had a bad battery. I could get it to start with the battery charger hooked up to the old battery. Bought a new battery. ....
            I can kick start the bike as long as the battery charger is connected. Once it starts I can pull the charger and it runs fine, I just can't shut the bike off.

            What am I missing. I really thought it was a ground issue but I can hook the battery charge to a paint free spot on the frame and the pos cable with or with out the battery in line and at least get some things to work, just not the starter.
            I'm stumped!
            What did you find if anything at all?
            1977 XS11, lost in garage fire! YES, a real 1977-E... WHOA!!! it was fast.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by TheNeverCat View Post
              Another thing to keep in mind a "dead" battery will show 12.8v but still not have the CCA to turn the bike over.
              Might be time to just get a new one and keep in mind these bikes need a ton of CCA (my car doesn't even require what these bikes require)
              he has a new one and has mentioned it 3 times
              what vehicle do you drive with less than 260 CCA my jeep has an 800 CCA battery and my wifes Accord is 640 my Vulcan nomad 1600 has a 230 CCA battery in it that is 8 years old still works great just asking to broaden my knowledge of such things
              Last edited by hamjam; 12-24-2017, 10:10 AM.
              Seamus Ó hUrmholtaigh
              Niimi Moozhwaagan

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              2008 Nomad "Deja Buick'

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