Starter relay "POP"

[gordonv]

Sometimes when I start my bike I hear a large "POP" from the rear while I'm pressing/turning the engine over. There seems to be no set rhyme/reason for it, cold/hot, but doesn't ever seem to happen if the bike has been sitting and cold.

Is it a sign of the started replay going? Something that all relays do from time-to-time, and no sign of future problems?

Maybe pick up a spare while I've the time, and keep it with me?

[R J]

Where exactly is this pop coming from?

Exhaust pipe?
Under side cover on right side?

Give us some more details.

I'm assuming it is the exhaust, don't worry about it.

As Forrest Gump would say:
“That's all I have to say about that.”

[gordonv]

Hard to explain. Doesn't always happen. Even if it does, and I turn off the engine, then try again, it doesn't always do it again. Also wearing a helmet sorta makes thinkgs hard to hear.

I figure it's coming from the rear right, somewhere below me, so it could be at the back of the motor. It's almost the kind of sound that is made when you turn the light switch on and your light bulb blows, POP! I'ts related to pressing the starter switch to activate the starter to turn over the motor.

That's why I figure it would be the relay over the starter, but I don't know the details of the starter yet, I've only looked over the 82' GL1100 GW starter for my other bike.

I haven't looked over the bike enough yet to know where the starter is and the starter relay.

[elraque]

Mine made kind of a "CLACK" noise... right after I hydrolocked it and sheared one of the teeth off the starter gear. 

Not really a POP, more of a "CLACK." I hope this isn't the sound your's is making...

[gordonv]

No, more of an electrical pop than a metalic clack. It's been doing this over the summer, while the bike is hot/warm, but not all the time, so I can't get a second person and try to find where the noise is coming from.

[Valkpilot]

There's no loss of power when this happens?  The bike starts OK?

[doubletee]

Gordon,

It sounds like exactly what I described was happening to mine in this thread:
http://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php/topic,7379.0.html

Daniel Meyer and others posit that it's probably predetonation, as the motor starts instantly when hot.

[Hoser]

Clean the contacts on the starter relay, they may be on the way to fusing together.  It is under the right side cover.  What do YOU think, RJ? Do you still have the pics?  Hoser

[Ricky-D]

Yeah, I agree with Hoser.

it sounds as if there is a poorly connected wire.

Something that really needs to be investigated thoroughly.

***

[fudgie]

A helmet makes it hard to hear things?  Doesn't sound safe to me!  I tell my pro helmet coworker a helmet unsafely obscures my vision and hearing! 

Maybe its a backfire. Mine does once a year or so at start up. I can hear it just fine. 

[FLATSIX]

My relay did the same thing , but instead of PLOP it did PLOP PLOP PLOP continiously (and the startmotor did not turn either).

So big panic - took out the starterrelay etc etc.

It seemed to be my battery - put a new battery in it and everything went 200 % again.

Perhaps a battery that starts to die ????

Only trying to help 

[gordonv]

No problem, all suggestions will be looked at.

This is a one time, one pop, when I first hit the starter switch. Doesn't keep on popping, may not pop again when I don't start the bike on the first try and try the starter again.

It sounds a lot like what doubletee linked the thread to.

I'll start with the electrical, take off wires/leads and clean them up and use dielectric grease. This may not even happen again this year, as things are getting colder, and I may have to wait till next summer for the systems to come back, but at least I know that there is no definite problem, like a starter or relay going. I don't think it is exhaust related, like a back fire, this is too quick, and I drove cars and bikes that back fire sometimes, and it's nothing like that.

[R J]

This piece is under the right side cover in the black condom.

Pull it back and check this link.

If it looks like this then order the parts in the next picture.

Ya have to move the red wire to match the Valk.  This is for an older
Gold Wing and one 4377 of a lot cheaper than the Valkyrie wiring harness.

[gordonv]

Thanks RJ, those pictures look familar now that you've posted them. I'll look into this.

Just as a follow up, just got back across the border from the WA State Oyster Run. While waiting in line at the border, I like to turn the bike off, and when I can move up two lengths (cars) I start it up again and move forward. About 65', not once did it Pop, and this was after driving 70 mph up the hwy for the last 70 miles, so the bike was hot, but not the weather (cloudy/wet).

[R J]

Sounds like a cheap assed gas pop.

Pull a couple of plugs and look for little alumium balls on the tip.

If ya find these balls, move up to the next octane you can get.  It is called pinging, only out the exhaust end.    87 Octane with a 6 degree trigger wheel I had to use 89 octane stuff, which is 10% ethanol.   Besides, it is cheaper than the unleaded stuff.