Tourer lights on but no start "update"

[larue]

Things I did prior to problem
Put a stereo in fairing which killed battery momentarily in the process
Trickle charged it and started up fine

Things I did and noticed after the problem
Not turning over
Motassen gas gauge needle not moving when key is on
All lights on including neural
Battery reads 13.6v
Cleaned the ground cable on the frame
Starter solenoid and it's fuse checked
Fuses including  dog bone fuse are good
Your help is appreciated
Thank you

[..]

Kill switch is off?

[larue]

Yes

[3W-lonerider]

I assume the kickstand is down. It wouldn't happen to be in gear would it.

[The emperor has no clothes]

Larue, I didn't see on your list cleaning the starter switch. Have you tried that ?

[Bone]

My 98 Tourer wouldn't do anything after stopping having rode 50 miles.
I had slipped it into neutral the bike would roll back and forth.
Standing next to the bike it was still dead.
Turned the key on and realized there wasn't a neutral light. Wiggled the shift lever
the green light came on the bike was alive she cranked and fired Whew !

[..]

Yes

 

[Savage]

Recently happened to my brother’s bike.
Turned out that the battery terminal connections needed to be tightened down.

[gordonv]

Your saying the bike won't start. Does it turn over, but won't fire, or is it turn on ignition, press starter, and nothing?

Back to the basics, all the kill switches. Ignition on (lights), neutral light on (bike rolls), clutch lever (wires plugged in, listen for clinching) and cycle kill switch. That and the ignition on with head lights on, press starter button and lights go out.

I'm thinking the battery is not fully charged. Mine just did this, after my trickle charger said it was. I get one click from pressing the starter. Used a 2A charger for 1 hr, and the bike cranked.

[larue]

Your saying the bike won't start. Does it turn over, but won't fire, or is it turn on ignition, press starter, and nothing?

Back to the basics, all the kill switches. Ignition on (lights), neutral light on (bike rolls), clutch lever (wires plugged in, listen for clinching) and cycle kill switch. That and the ignition on with head lights on, press starter button and lights go out.

I'm thinking the battery is not fully charged. Mine just did this, after my trickle charger said it was. I get one click from pressing the starter. Used a 2A charger for 1 hr, and the bike cranked.

Not turning over, ignition  on, press starter Abd dead silence
Neutral lights on,
Kill switch on position and recycled few time to no avail
Press starter button lights go out
Battery Terminals are tight and clean

[larue]

I assume the kickstand is down. It wouldn't happen to be in gear would it.

Not in gear
Kickstand down
Neutral on
Kill switch on

[larue]

Larue, I didn't see on your list cleaning the starter switch. Have you tried that ?

I haven't Rob

[Willow]

Try it with the kickstand up to be sure you don't have a problem with that switch.

[SCain]

Larue, I didn't see on your list cleaning the starter switch. Have you tried that ?

I haven't Rob

Jump across the starter relay under the right side cover, if it turns over and starts, do the starter switch maintenance.

[rug_burn]

    I know on my Valk, long ago now, it wouldn't crank sometimes when I hit the starter button.   I bought a new battery since the one I had was very old, but it still did the same thing..
   So, checking the starter switch, I found that a bit of plastic flashing on the side of the part that slides and holds the spring was keeping the copper bar from making contact.  It was a manufacturing flaw that could have and should have been caught by their quality control.   All I had to do was take an xacto knife and shave off this excess flashing, clean the bar, reassemble, and the problem was solved.      
    And it did force me to get a new battery, which probably saved me some problems somewhere.    At least, that's my story...

[larue]

I just did the starter switch maintenance  cleaned all contacts and put it back together, turn the key on and now everything is on but now no headlight. Checked the battery voltage and now it's 12.8. I tried to jump start it but the Bike still doesn't turn over. What's next

[Bighead]

Go get your .45 and shoot it
Sorry no help here.

[Savage]

Have you disconnected the positive and negative wires from the battery terminal, cleaned all conmections, and reconnected tightly?

[The emperor has no clothes]

I just did the starter switch maintenance  cleaned all contacts and put it back together, turn the key on and now everything is on but now no headlight. Checked the battery voltage and now it's 12.8. I tried to jump start it but the Bike still doesn't turn over. What's next

I would try jumping the starter relay like SCain suggested. Mostly, because it's easy and you don't have to take a bunch of stuff apart to do it. The symptom of your headlight being off now, makes me think it's still an issue with the starter switch.

[rug_burn]

    Well- the fact that the headlights are now not working points to a problem in the starter switch:   The switch momentarily shuts off the headlight at the same time it energizes the starter, as you may have figured out when you took it apart.    So if your headlights don't work now, and they did before, you must have something not going on in that switch when it should be.
    It sounds like maybe the sliding part is getting stuck on something, or maybe the copper bar got bent and is hanging up.
    if it were my bike, I'd take apart that switch, and operate it and work it and look at it real close until I totally understood what it does, and what will cause it to screw up.  Did you find any plastic flashing like mine had?   Also, a couple drops of silicone lube on the sliding parts would probably help.   
   This, however,  still may not be the reason the bike doesn't crank, but let's do one thing at a time....

[gordonv]

Before spending money, try jump starting it with a known good working battery. Like your car, drive it over, turn it off, and hook up the jumper cables.

I suspect it wont work, but just in case.

I would relook at your starter switch. Those springs must move freely to lift the contact up to make contact for it to work.

[larue]

Before spending money, try jump starting it with a known good working battery. Like your car, drive it over, turn it off, and hook up the jumper cables.

I suspect it wont work, but just in case.

I would relook at your starter switch. Those springs must move freely to lift the contact up to make contact for it to work.

Did start jump but nothing happened
Start button moves freely back an forth when pushed

[gordonv]

Yes, the button moves freely in/out, but it is the contact pads I'm referring to. If you cleaned the starter switch, those springs under the copper plates need to move freely up/down, so it pushes the plates onto the contact pins, which allow the power to flow thou to the head light or starter.

This is the most common problem with the starter switch. The grease gets old and dried out, stopping the springs from moving and doing their job. This shows up in the head light function when pressing/releasing the switch.

You need to take the switch apart again.

Hopefully you found the fix in Shoptalk? Note the "took apart 3 times".
http://www.valkyrieriders.com/shoptalk/VSGPages/starterbutton.htm

[Steel cowboy]

Check to see if your bank angle sensor hasn't come loose and fallen over ?

[MarkT]

With a meter or test light, ignition on, check if you have power on the bl/wh wire circuit.  This goes to the coils and ECM, from the kill sw. I think there's access also in the headlight. If your kill sw needs maint or replace, it might not deliver the power.  I had this issue with George, got your behavior.  Cycling the sw would often get it to work.

[Hotrodwing]

Similar thing happen to me this very day.  Was out for a nice ride as weather finally decided to cooperate.  After 130 mile I stop for gas .  Turn the key and nothing.  No lights nothing.  Pushed bike to parking area.  I suspected the kill switch but didn’t have tools to get it all the way off to inspect as I have a throttle lock and didn’t have the right tools. My buddy runs to Napa.  Just as he pulls in I take the battery cover off   Check connection    They were tight put cover on. Turn key I had lights and she fires right up.  Drove another 100 miles non stop to home.  Got here and tried to start 6 times.  Started every time?   Ps the lane for the gas pump was angled really bad to the left , I shut the bike off while on it and it was level. Got off the bike to put gas in.  Four Egyptians of habit. Lifetime bike of side stand and nothing.   Could the bank sensor been the cause?  If so how does it reset it self? Thanks  Mike

[Bighead]

Resets by cycling the key switch.

[gordonv]

Resets by cycling the key switch.

or ignition? power on/off.

I have a problem with my bike. Unable to figure out what it is yet. Get on bike, raise stand, clutch in, power on, press starter. Nothing. 3 seconds later, press starter, and bike turns and burns. Cold, warm or hot. Just wont start with the first push start.

[Hotrodwing]

Thanks big head.  I was cycling key switch on and off will dig into it further next day or two

[Jess from VA]

I think sometimes (rarely), you have the bike in neutral, but the neutral cutoff switch still thinks you are in gear (and won't allow the bike to start).   

[Chrisj CMA]

Resets by cycling the key switch.

or ignition? power on/off.

I have a problem with my bike. Unable to figure out what it is yet. Get on bike, raise stand, clutch in, power on, press starter. Nothing. 3 seconds later, press starter, and bike turns and burns. Cold, warm or hot. Just wont start with the first push start.

When was last time you cleaned and serviced the starter button?

[gordonv]

An IS that is new to me, bought late 16', only 2 riding seasons. That's why doing all those major projects. Things needing doing, items I want to do, and the like.

I was thinking more along the line of the kick stand or the clutch switches. I do have a spare kick stand switch I carry, it was a spare from my VT1100T ACE T, same 3 pin from the IS.

You feel a cleaning is needed? Not hard. I have the contact cleaner, and some nice grease to re-lube. I'll add it to my list, but it will be a "when I have time".

[Bert AKA,Valkaholic]

Alternator !

[Moonshot_1]

Before spending money, try jump starting it with a known good working battery. Like your car, drive it over, turn it off, and hook up the jumper cables.

I suspect it wont work, but just in case.

I would relook at your starter switch. Those springs must move freely to lift the contact up to make contact for it to work.

Did start jump but nothing happened
Start button moves freely back an forth when pushed

Agree with Gordon here. Sometimes when cleaning the starter switch it may take a couple times, or more, to get it right. It will seem right but no joy. Sometimes if you jiggle the button while pushing it you may get a brief moment of life. But I'd redo it.

[Paladin528]

if you killed the batter completely in the beginning and then charged it you could have seriously affected the capacity pf the battery.  13.6 volts is fine but how much current can it deliver.  Motorcycle batteries are sensitive to a full discharge.

[The emperor has no clothes]

How you making out with it larue ? Any updates ?

[Tfrank59]

if you killed the batter completely in the beginning and then charged it you could have seriously affected the capacity pf the battery.  13.6 volts is fine but how much current can it deliver.  Motorcycle batteries are sensitive to a full discharge.

This is what's going on with my bike.  Yuasa now four years old, and I ride all year--make it crank in the cold--and it's been slightly weaker this spring.  Yesterday it cranked okay, so it seemed, but the bike wouldn't quite fire up.  This is the second time it's happened in a month.  It charges fully in like an hour, then fires right up, but I think it's time for a new Yuasa.

Update: just purchased new batt--expect no more starting issues once it's installed.

[larue]

How you making out with it larue ? Any updates ?

Opened the starter switch again, cleaned the contact over again, now my headlights are back on at least. Put new starter solenoid, took a battery out of my other Valk, no start on neutral, no start with kickstand up and clutch in in gear, even car jumped but zip nada no turn over still, I have a used right hand control not ready to use till further troubleshooting  

[Tfrank59]

Pardon me if this is a dumb remark or if I don't understand what's really the problem there, but could your starter be dead? Have you actually tested it? Again forgive me if I'm not even in the ballpark

[Bone]

Swap starters ?
I have never touched mine at 156K