Momentarily Dead

[Chrisj CMA]

Thank you for the few that have had NO START issues lately.  This was a blessing how it turned out but for a second I feared worse.

So Judy and I rode to church on the Cobra bike, then I went out an got some groceries so she could bake pies.  Yeah! Ill get you some apples....lol  Ok, then I decided to go out again to my favorite place (not) WalMart.  The bike had been running perfect all day and the battery strong, perfect volt meter readings.

I get on the bike, get my tunes playing.  turn on the gas turn the key all normal.  Hit the starter and after a half second of trying to start ALL goes dead.  I mean everything dead.  So Im thinking fuse.  Checked all the fuses on the bike and none are blown.  Still dead.

Next I think to myself, what have I posted to members on this board with this problem.

So I thought I would say simple things first.  Check fuses and then battery terminals and then ground in that order.  So thinking that the battery couldn't be the issue because I just put a fresh battery in  the bike before Biketoberfest.  So I do it anyways, pop the seat and wouldn't you know it, the + terminal bolt was LOOSE!  Now all my tools were in the black bike so I hand tighten it and then as I'm pinching that bolt with my fingers I think, that feels like a 10mm.  I had one tool on the bike, my 10mm ratchet box wrench I keep in the tail pack for the exhaust header nuts.  Yep, it fit all tight bike starts again.  

Problems like that (so easily fixed) are unusual for me, but Ill take it!  

Ride safe, Merry Christmas

[RDKLL]

Happened to me once too...a loud "aw chit.." and then find a loose connection on the battery...

[da prez]

  Chris , what kind of cover do you have on the master cylinder . I do not recall that one.

                                     da prez

[RonW]

That makes me glad for keeping a 10mm wrench in the MOM slot adjacent to the battery box. It's just for convenience when taking the battery out to charge it. I don't have a garage. It has always been a question for me how hard to tighten down the battery bolts.

[Chrisj CMA]

  Chris , what kind of cover do you have on the master cylinder . I do not recall that one.

                                     da prez

Nothing but Cobra for the Cobra bike

[Chrisj CMA]

That makes me glad for keeping a 10mm wrench in the MOM slot adjacent to the battery box. It's just for convenience when taking the battery out to charge it. I don't have a garage. It has always been a question for me how hard to tighten down the battery bolts.

I guess tighten them a little tighter than I did last battery change

[_Sheffjs_]

Jeff, can you point out with a pic everything Cobra, seeing you have the Cobra cover gurl?  I finally got the light bar.

[bill-jr]

Jeff, can you point out with a pic everything Cobra, seeing you have the Cobra cover gurl?  I finally got the light bar.

In the pic shown i see the radiator sides, light bar , rear brakereservoir cover and the tops on the carbs
I dont see the cobra gap fillers on that bike .....
Or the cobra things behind the bags ......

[Chrisj CMA]

Jeff, can you point out with a pic everything Cobra, seeing you have the Cobra cover gurl?  I finally got the light bar.

In the pic shown i see the radiator sides, light bar , rear brakereservoir cover and the tops on the carbs
I dont see the cobra gap fillers on that bike .....
Or the cobra things behind the bags ......

In addition to those things mentioned, it has the oil filter cover, neck cover, final drive bolt cover, clutch and brake m/c covers upgraded Cobra spots, tripple tree top three bolt cover set, radiator cap, oil filler cap, dip stick and front caliper cover.  It also has Cobra swing arm covers
  I still have the Cobra drag pipes and someday they will go back on when I perfect quieting them some.

[Farside]

  And I get to see this Beautiful Phat Girl often! 

[Chrisj CMA]

And I get to see this Beautiful Phat Girl often! 

Does yer wife know? 

[OzValk]

Same problem for me with a sudden no start (after 17 years trouble-free). Where should I start after the battery/fuses checks etc?

[Chrisj CMA]

Same problem for me with a sudden no start (after 17 years trouble-free). Where should I start after the battery/fuses checks etc?

If fuses, battery charge and connections are good, ground is clean and tight.  Next you do the starter button maintenance.  (It's in shop talk)

[RonW]

Same problem for me with a sudden no start (after 17 years trouble-free). Where should I start after the battery/fuses checks etc?

You probably meant symptoms. The *problem* was that the terminals wasn't on tight enough. If your's was the same problem, tightening down the terminals would have resolved the issue. Have you tried cleaning the battery terminals? It's not as easy sanding the underside of the cable terminals as it is the battery terminals. Do you have no power at all? If your headlights etc work, check the starter relay terminals, their condition and how tight they're bolted on. If that's good, try bridge the two copper posts on the starter relay with a screwdriver etc., key ON, transmission in neutral. Perhaps, the strands on one of the cables have broken off at the crimp. Take a peek at the crimp under the plastic sheathing. I had an old tube of dielectic grease and smothered the battery terminals with dielectic grease when I reconnected the battery after charging it on a tender. The next day no start or power at all, but my thoughts were on other things I had done on the bike the night before. Then I cleaned off the battery terminals and sanding it must have removed the dielectric grease & the bike indeed started with all systems go. It was something that simple. Btw, you didn't mention the condition of your battery.

[OzValk]

Thanks to all. I am following the advice and hoping.