battery and starting

[chaklid]

here is something new to me; never saw anything like it: recently whenever i start the bike for the first time in the day, it starts right up. i go out for short but spritzy ride and stop somewhere. come back out, and if the engine is still hot, it will not start; that is, it appears like the battey is dead. however, let the engine cool down, and it will start up like nothing was wrong at all. the battery is fully charged, checks out: 12.4 on its own, 14.5 when idling. light do not dim or brighten when throttling up or down. it does not get worse with the starting; everytime the same exact same thing happens.

alright smart ones, you've come through before; let me know the solution. thanks y'all

Chakli

i have had the same problem with my car, but then it was a dead cell and it did get progressively worse.

[psycoreefer]

Have you checked battery voltage when the bike is hot?

When you say it acts as if the battery is dead what exactly do you mean? Does it crank slow and not start? Do the lights come on but it won't crank? Does it just "click" ? Does nothing happen?

Without more info I'd get the bike good and hot and start at the battery, check the voltage, then start checking the starter circuit. Switch, solenoid, +/- leads, etc.

[randy]

I'd go at the ground connection on the middle drive. Clean it. If the problem persists, pull the starter and check the internals.

[Ivan]

Take the starter cover off and bring a block of wood or a plastic faced hammer. When it fails to start, thump the starter while holding the button and see if it comes back to life. Hot no crank issues are indicative of worn or stuck brushes or a shorted armature in the starter.

[chaklid]

Starting hot

thanks for some quick responses and suggestions. let me clarify: engine cold or has cooled down, battery will crank like a champ. ligths work, do not interfere with a strong crank when they are on; (I have my lights on a switch), when the engine is hot or wait a few minutes after shut off, it will crank like the battery is dead. you know, like the commercials for bad batteries; it seems like the engine has developed very high compression when hot. i just had the cam chain changed and valves timed. again, once the engine runs, it is immaculate. when cut off and try to start again, the crank is too weak to turn the engine over quick enough to start. wait until it cools a little, bam it starts with not hesitation. battery charge is at 12++ volts, when running, it is at 14++.I have two batteries and both act the same way.

there it is.

[bikerphil]

i just had the cam chain changed and valves timed

I'd try retarding the timing just a hair and see if that helps.

[cywelchjr]

I would add a +1 on the check the ground strap at the middle drive. Your symptoms sound a lot like mine acted before I found I didn't have a ground strap at the middle drive. Adding one fixed that problem and it cranks like a champ hot or cold.

[XJOK2PLAY]

If after going through the grounds it still acts up... try Ivan's suggestion. I've had personal experience with exactly what he's suggesting... and it works.
When starters go bad, they won't spin very fast or at all when the windings get hot... one time where the old saying that goes...'Son, don't force it... get a bigger hammer' really can work.

I didn't believe it would either, the first time my shop forman told me to go get one of the field trucks started... and instead of handing me wrenches & a new starter, he handed me a 2# hammer! I thought he was nuts!
But... he was right. Driver turned & held the key, starter did nothing... I smacked the side of the case w/ the hammer... fired right up!
drove it back to the shop, jacked it up, and used all those nice air tools... instead of fighting it in a parking lot.

Crazy foreman was a lot smarter than I thought that day... and I learned something.

All else fails... give it a try. Ya might be surprised.