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Bike won’t start

Richard Ducati said:
Do the Lithium batteries have any advantage in terms of static voltage level? I believe they sit at a slightly higher level than lead-acid batteries (at least that's the impression I got via google) and thought it might be a plus when considering voltage drop/voltage level at the ECU on our machines.
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They do. A solid AGM is ~12.7v max. Lithium is ~13.3v. Times and technology are changing fast in the Lithium world. Cold start is mostly a thing of the past, and CCA is through the roof along with a restart button (on the ones I offer) if you leave the key on, as they have a circuit board that shuts off voltage as needed and they'll also shunt over-charging; https://gtmotocycles.com/collections/electronics/category_batteries?sort_by=best-selling
 
Thanks Todd / GuzziMoto for your input. As the Lithium batteries are now doing service in snowmobiles, I figured that most of the cold starting issues had been slayed. I was mostly asking to see if the higher initial voltage would help avoid the 'dead button syndrome'. She starts like a charm as long as the ECU lets things happen...
 
Guys...I am new to this forum and have a '14 V7 Racer. Moved up to Anchorage a few months ago...(I don't know that they know how to say Moto Guzzi, let alone find somewhere to service it). Anywho, bike was in storage for three months, had original battery in it. It literally died at the first fuel station stop once i got it started up for the first time from storage. So...went and ordered a new battery from "a local motorcycle shop here in Anchorage...that battery after days of thinking it was something else... was bad. Today, i searched all over Anchorage for a battery...ended up going to "Battery and Bulbs" shop. They set me up w/ a Duracell, and the bike kicked right off...all of that said, i was racking my brain up here until i started reading these threads. As such, thank you!!!
 
Richard Ducati said:
Okay, so I did the direct starter relay feed (a.k.a. MPH fix...albeit I ended up doing my own feeder rather than using their pigtail) and it seems to have helped a bit. Less frequent failure of the starter circuit. I'm still not happy with the whole arrangement, though, as the ECU interruption will still happen when battery voltage is even a bit less than perfectly ideal. My battery is 4 years old, so I'm fine with having to buy another and am okay with the service life received from the stock battery.
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FYI - I have the MPH pigtail/fix that I bought from Mike at RPM and ended up not needing it. Hit me up if'n any of you need one...1/2 price to your door.

Regards,

-- Rich
 
Hi,

I might have another starting issue.

I went to grab dinner after work and was in there for about 10 minutes. When I came out, the bike would not start at first try: Key was in the ignition, all the dash lights came on as per normal, kickstand all the way up, clutch lever all the way in, kill switch to ON, hit the starter switch and nothing happened - not even trying to crank or anything. Pressed a few more times with no result. So I turned the bike off and on again, and it came to life without hesitation.

At the red light, I restarted the bike with no issue.

10 minutes later, at home, I turned off the bike to open the gate. When I tried to start the bike, I had a really long and weak crank. The engine did not turn on. So I hit the kill switch and tried it again, this time it was fine.

Then I restarted the bike 6 more times within the next hour or so, some with the bike in gear, some with the bike in neutral, and it turned on just fine.

Could it be just a freak accident? Or am I looking at the starter button going bad? Clutch cable too lose or kickstand safety switch? I doubt its the battery - ATX12HD though.

Thanks in advance.
 
dududuckling said:
Hi,

I might have another starting issue.

I went to grab dinner after work and was in there for about 10 minutes. When I came out, the bike would not start at first try: Key was in the ignition, all the dash lights came on as per normal, kickstand all the way up, clutch lever all the way in, kill switch to ON, hit the starter switch and nothing happened - not even trying to crank or anything. Pressed a few more times with no result. So I turned the bike off and on again, and it came to life without hesitation.

At the red light, I restarted the bike with no issue.

10 minutes later, at home, I turned off the bike to open the gate. When I tried to start the bike, I had a really long and weak crank. The engine did not turn on. So I hit the kill switch and tried it again, this time it was fine.

Then I restarted the bike 6 more times within the next hour or so, some with the bike in gear, some with the bike in neutral, and it turned on just fine.

Could it be just a freak accident? Or am I looking at the starter button going bad? Clutch cable too lose or kickstand safety switch? I doubt its the battery - ATX12HD though.

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
My bike has the same issues, occasional dead starter button, battery seems fine.
 
PepperoniBros. said:
My bike has the same issues, occasional dead starter button, battery seems fine.
Click to expand...

Hi, did you end up replacing the starter button and kill switch assembly? Maybe corrosion on the inside?

I checked the voltage and ran the load test on the battery this morning, which showed a good reading of13.5V, and the battery works fine with the bike running or shut off. Terminals are tight and fuse is good.
 
dududuckling said:
Hi, did you end up replacing the starter button and kill switch assembly? Maybe corrosion on the inside?

I checked the voltage and ran the load test on the battery this morning, which showed a good reading of13.5V, and the battery works fine with the bike running or shut off. Terminals are tight and fuse is good.
Click to expand...
Before I replace anything I'm going to spray some De-Oxit into the switch and see if that makes a difference. Bike has been doing this since it was new, very occasionally.
 
PepperoniBros. said:
Before I replace anything I'm going to spray some De-Oxit into the switch and see if that makes a difference. Bike has been doing this since it was new, very occasionally.
Click to expand...

Also I live by the ocean and my bike occassionally gets drenched in the rain (10-20 times a year during California rainy season). Maybe that accelerates the rust if there's any.
 
dududuckling said:
Also I live by the ocean and my bike occassionally gets drenched in the rain (10-20 times a year during California rainy season). Maybe that accelerates the rust if there's any.
Click to expand...

Are you forgetting to roll the bike forward, that's what's wrong.
(Just reading back a year ago).
If that works, I would shake the tipover switch, just to see if problem stops.
 
Update: Suspecting that it is a battery issue, I read on some forums that Lithium batteries are not as great as lead acid in the cold. I run the Antigravity ATX-12HD. I noticed that the weaker starts occurred in colder temperature, around 40-45F (early morning / late evening).

When I start the bike in the morning, I cycle the key on/off 2-3 times, then leave it in the ON position, with the headlight switched on for a minute, to let the current flow and wake the battery up.

I also plug a battery tender every other weekend, since I am doing a lot f short rides, checked the battery terminal/ground/ starter connections, and sprayed CRC cleaner (maybe I should try Deoxit) on the starter button and kill switch. Hopefully that is it.
 
dududuckling said:
I read on some forums that Lithium batteries are not as great as lead acid in the cold. I run the Antigravity ATX-12HD. I noticed that the weaker starts occurred in colder temperature, around 40-45F (early morning / late evening).
Click to expand...
Completely incorrect with the newest versions from the last few years, just FYI. That said, short rides will be hard on any battery. Just stating the facts.
 
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