No Joy this morning

[Kilroy]

First of all Merry Christmas to each and everyone on the board.  I hope I can get some ideas as to what is wrong with my lady.  She has been running just fine up till this morning.  Ran great last night and this morning as well, started right up when I stopped for coffee and came home.  Just went out to go to the post office and nothing happened when I hit the starter.  not even a click.  the horn made a very meager beep.  I got the jumper cables and just had to touch the battery and turn the key and she jumped to life as if nothing was wrong.  Went to the PO (maybe not the smartest thing to do) left her running while I dropped the mail and drove home the 2 miles.  When I got home turned her off, tried to start her and bingo started right up, twice.  I did hear  a little click when I started her.

I replace the battery in September of 09 with a Yusa, added a Big Bike light bar in September of this year and did a maintenance starter button cleaning in October.  The side stand works ok but does not spring up as it once did.  I do carry a new spring just in case I have a problem there. 

So what do you guys think?  I am a little concerned about using the lady to run my errands right now, any thoughts are appreciated.
Thanks
Kilroy

[2qmedic]

Well my friend, with the cold weather, it sounds like the lady is getting arthitis (did I spell it correctly)
Couldn't resist...
No seriously, I'd like to see the possibilities for this also.
Hopefully, it's something simple and easy,
Merry Christmas to you and yours

[Black Dog]

When she didn't start, did you notice if you had any signs of life?  Where there any lights on, with the key turned on, or was she DOA, until ya jumped her?

Reason I ask, is that I had a very similar issue a few years back, and it was the very first sign of my 'Starter relay' frying...

Go to this link (Chet is a wealth of knowledge), and scroll down to the section headed 'Valkyrie starter "relay" problem'...

http://www.rattlebars.com/mtz/starter.html

Worth a look, and a good time to clean up and protect with some dielectric grease.

Good luck.

Black Dog

[98valk]

when is the last time the battery/cable connections where cleaned?

[Trynt]

I had a similar problem after getting my bike back from the dealer when they redid the clutch.  I discovered they had blown the main fuse. It is under the right side cover and looks like a little wrench.

[Ricky-D]

I see that you are noting that the battery is relatively new.

That can be a indication the battery ought to be good, but not necessarily a fact.

A good battery should exhibit a standing charge of at least 12.7 volts indicating pretty much a full charge.

My first thought is a loose battery connection. The second was a kill switch you may have inadvertently brushed against.

A volt/ohm meter will help out here! You can do some revealing testing and since you are a long time member here on the board Kilroy, I am sure you will know what to do!

Regarding the kick stand, I find I constantly have to lubricate that thing. Grease when I can and oil when it starts to piss me off. I absolutely want to hear it "click/bang" when I kick it up. I do not want to have to look down at it to be sure it is up!

Battery!  Start there first!

***

[thewoodman]

Could be a loose connection at either end of the positive or negative cable. That is the first place I'd look as per your faint horn discription / starter relay connection-plug is worth a look once you clean and tighten all the cable ends

[captsharky]

I had a battery a Yusa that didn't last a year. I was going nutz. I thought it could not be the battery
};>( but I ended up replacing it with one I found on line somewhere that had 250 cranking amps, most only have 200.

[Hoser]

Could be a loose connection at either end of the positive or negative cable. That is the first place I'd look as per your faint horn discription / starter relay connection-plug is worth a look once you clean and tighten all the cable ends

This is exactly the symptoms I had on the way home from IZ.  It was a bad connection on the negative cable on the battery, where it connects to the post.  Removed and cleaned up the negative post, good as new.  Could also be the lower end of the cable though.     Hoser

[JC]

Had the same problem last winter myself. New battery that previous spring. Rode it 50 miles one cool December morning to our MC meeting and it wouldn't crank when I got on it to go home. Found the battery connections were the problem, and after I wrenched them tight(er) everything was fine.

[Farther]

Also check your grounds on the alternator.  A loose ground on my alternator resulted in poor charging of my battery but not all the time. 

[gordonv]

My first two thoughts are also connections at the battery, but also may be low on water. Just remove the battery, top fluides, and re-install after cleaning the terminals and appling some dielectric grease.

Check the charging, and worry if it happens again. Then do the rest.

You did mention the horn, so it seems you didn't have power (dead battery or bad connection).

[98valk]

My first two thoughts are also connections at the battery, but also may be low on water. Just remove the battery, top fluides, and re-install after cleaning the terminals and appling some dielectric grease.

Check the charging, and worry if it happens again. Then do the rest.

You did mention the horn, so it seems you didn't have power (dead battery or bad connection).

Dielectric grease does not conduct electricity.

[Hoser]

My first two thoughts are also connections at the battery, but also may be low on water. Just remove the battery, top fluides, and re-install after cleaning the terminals and appling some dielectric grease.

Check the charging, and worry if it happens again. Then do the rest.

You did mention the horn, so it seems you didn't have power (dead battery or bad connection).

Dielectric grease does not conduct electricity.

Correct, the time to apply is after the connection is made.  Hoser

[gordonv]

Just remove the battery, top fluides, and re-install after cleaning the terminals and appling some dielectric grease.

Dielectric grease does not conduct electricity.

Correct, the time to apply is after the connection is made.  Hoser

So you do not apply, then make the connection, but use it to "seal" the connection from air?

[Hoser]

That's what I was taught, prevents corrosion.  Hoser

[98valk]

Just remove the battery, top fluides, and re-install after cleaning the terminals and appling some dielectric grease.

Dielectric grease does not conduct electricity.

Correct, the time to apply is after the connection is made.  Hoser

So you do not apply, then make the connection, but use it to "seal" the connection from air?

yes use it to seal. it is also know as silicon grease. The confusion comes from the original bulb grease which actually did conduct electricity, now it is all di-electric/silicon grease which is sold on auto part stores.

I like to spray the final battery connections with white lithuim grease.

[Russell Rice]

Have you ever serviced the started switch? I had that same problem and found out the contacts on the starter switch needed cleaning to make contact. Just a though

[Kilroy]

thanks everyone, I tightened up all the contacts, the battery terminals took about a quarter turn on each screw.  My guess is that this was the  problem. I checked the starter relay and all look and sounded fine there.   I had done a starter switch maintence job a little while ago so I felt confident that was not the problem.  I guess we will see if we got the problem. 

Thanks again,  MERRY CHRISTMAS to everyone!

Kilroy

[Rocketman]

The fact that it was such an off/on event, nothing in between, indicates that it is a connection problem.  The 1/4 turn further indicates that.  Glad you found a culprit.  If I were you, I would check all my other connections, and then ride on with confidence.

Mark