strange starting behavior

[Ygransom]

Rode up to White Mountains for the weekend. it's about 300 miles rode thru 2 heavy rain/hail storms. At the last gas stop and when stopped to get gate key bike would not restart normal. When turned key on gauges acted normally, but when hit the starter it doesn't try to start, just hear a very loud clicking from front of bike. Cycled the clutch, side stand, in and out if gear. Than with it in gear, clutch in pushed a few feet, let out clutch, not surprising nothing, than pulled in clutch, hit starter and it started - started in gear. When got cabin checked battery, cables less than 1/8 turn to full tight, battery approaching 3 years old, on a battery tender at home. O'Reilly checked battery said its good, after about 10 minutes on their charger said full. Put it back in and has started okay twice. Any ideas before I start for home Monday, will need 1 maybe 2 gas stops.

 

[idk]

Keep the battery cables on tightly. 1/8 turn is quite loose, especially with rain around.

 

[Ygransom]

Not sure how loose a cable needs to be to be "loose".

Wondering about why if tried to bump start could pull in clutch and starter would work. I never hear the loud clicking near headstock before and when itstarts don't hear any thing. It takes a few revolutions before fires.

 

[barbagris]

Keep the battery cables on tightly. 1/8 turn is quite loose, especially with rain around.

+1 - A major pita is that for what ever reason battery connections seem to vibrate loose on R3s. Has happened to me on two long blasts. Use stainless nyloc nuts if possible. And Stainless spring washers whatever.