Intermittent crank

[Jared]

I can put the key in, lights come on, etc. but sometimes it won't even crank. It is in Neutral. Just replaced battery, thinking the 3 year old battery I had may have been an issue. Still nothing. I have opened up the starter button and cleaned those terminals, so that should be good. If I do manage to get a little crank, it will only turn over a couple times, then just die like there's no voltage, gauges go out, but will do their startup routine after a few moments, as if there was a significant power interruption/reset.

Another symptom is when I turn the key on, even pushing the horn button does nothing, except when I release the horn button, that's when I get a super faint dying blip out of the horn. Headlights also seem pretty dim. I think maybe the clutch switch could be an issue, as messing with it can sometimes get the starter going, but surely I've got some amperage bottleneck somewhere. So this leaves me with 2 thoughts:

1) Maybe someone more experienced/better versed in electrical schematics can tell me if the starter relay could be the cause of these symptoms?
2) How do you remove the clutch switch? I checked my service manual and while I can search it (digital copy) for the keyword "clutch switch" and get many results, none of them allude to how to remove the thing.

 

[Tripps]

Bad battery, if not dirty terminal somewhere, my guess

 

[Jared]

I appreciate the shot in the dark, but as stated, it is a brand new battery. Just put it in today and it has a manufactured date of July 2020. I also ensured terminals were clean on battery as well as cable going to starter, which was already very clean.

 

[Tripps]

Still, unless tested, there aren't many other options with the symptoms you describe. Could be bad from the factory it happens

 

[Jared]

Well, I got back out in the garage and checked voltage of battery. I'll be ****ed if it doesn't show 10.3V...so I'll throw it on trickle charger and see how it looks tomorrow. I've never had a battery not be ready to go when purchased new. Thanks for the tip, that's a first for me.

 

[Bigjaype]

Well, I got back out in the garage and checked voltage of battery. I'll be ****ed if it doesn't show 10.3V...so I'll throw it on trickle charger and see how it looks tomorrow. I've never had a battery not be ready to go when purchased new. Thanks for the tip, that's a first for me.

10.3 is pretty low, may be a dud.

 

[Jared]

It seemingly held a charge at around 12+ volts, but one attempt to crank had it drop back down to about 10.3, so I took it back and got it exchanged. I also had them test it while I was there to rule out yet another dud, but it was good. Sure enough, bike started right up, no issue. What had me confused was the presumption that a new battery was infallible. Lesson learned.

 

[Tripps]

It seemingly held a charge at around 12+ volts, but one attempt to crank had it drop back down to about 10.3, so I took it back and got it exchanged. I also had them test it while I was there to rule out yet another dud, but it was good. Sure enough, bike started right up, no issue. What had me confused was the presumption that a new battery was infallible. Lesson learned.

I had a similar experience with a furnace, I hooked it up and the blower wouldn't start, but would spin if you started it by hand. I called my electrical guru buddy, Guzzi Dan, he said the capacitor is wired backwards, I insisted no, I never touched those wires. He said trust me, switched the wires, and it started right up. I couldn't believe it, he said what is so hard to believe about some guy making $7.50 an hour in Cleveland hooking up two wires backwards. Lesson learned also.

 

[Starmanut]

Just today mine would not start first time. I think the battery is just old. Bought the bike it in June 2017, I think the dealer said it was a new battery, but it probably sat on the floor for 3 or four month, too.
Second time I tried it started, but the fuel gauge did not come to life until I traveled about half a mile. I didn't dare stop anywhere in case it would not start again. It has seemed a bit weak for the last month or two and I usually keep it on a charger. It always starts when I take it off.
Any suggestions on a good battery? What is the life on a rocket? Seems I had to get a new battery on my Kawasaki 1500 about every 3 years or so, but the rocket batteries are bigger.

 

[Tripps]

I like Motobatt. Parts one and two.

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