Battery / starter motor again!!!

[Santa-2512]

OK, update -

Starter reassembled & back in the bike - no leads other than the normal earth and +ve

I did an earth resistance check ?? on the +ve & -ve leads back to the battery both showed 0

the small lead, i couldnt get a reading from, but that may be down to me

Starter / engine casing to battery -ve was also 0

I hooked the battery up and repeated and the values were the same - 0

pressed the button and it started up ...

Hooked up the gs911 and ran the bike till warm, testing what functions i could using the inbuilt monitoring

nothing reported odd values ... side stand clutch switch etc.

stopped & started the bike several times slightly slower on subsequent attempts, but the bike started every time .

Was chatting to the SO, saying that i was a bit wary about if it broke down again ...

she came up with a fair answer... ride it and see what happens .... if it breaks down, youve checked so many

items, so then you have to dig a bit deeper .... I can see her logic...

She said she could always come and give me a jump start if required.


Which got me thinking, ... are AGM batteries ok if the end up on there side?

If there ok, i may put one in my backpack, or strap one to the pillion seat


I asked the bloke at the repair place about the repeated clacking when trying to start

He said its the solenoid coming forward, and as the voltage dies off it goes back, the voltage picks up

and it flies out again .

But beacause there is no voltage on the other side of things thats the fault.

He told me how to start it using a spare battery , which would show that its a wiring / voltage issue

fingers crossed, i dont have to go down that route


Mart

 

[Tractors are go]

Technically yes, but the concept of suphuric acid/skin interface is a tad scary.

Pillion seat is definitely safer.

What about longterm a lithium ion starter pack, amazon are doing them from around £25 ladt time I looked, take up very little space and can recharge your phone etc !

 

[DrFarkoff]

I asked the bloke at the repair place about the repeated clacking when trying to start

Usually its insufficient voltage OR bad connections ??

Are you sure you have good connections at battery and not a bit dirty or loose ?

 

[Bumhead]

This is great

Sorry I am no help to you or your woes but this is fascinating!

 

[Santa-2512]

Usually its insufficient voltage OR bad connections ??

Are you sure you have good connections at battery and not a bit dirty or loose ?

Battery clean & tight. I may see if i can change the standard nuts & bolts for some better ones

I'll get some dielectric grease on them too

 

[roamer]

You have a Pm,

 

[Wreford Miles]

Rather than staring a new thread….

First Hi all, I’ve not been around for a while

My 2013 Hexhead has been letting me down when hot, basically it starts (maybe slowly if is been unused for a month, but it does start) then I go for a ride and if I have cause to stop chances are it won’t start, just click, click click!

Park up for awhile and it will start, so it seems heat related - Did it yesterday, like a twit I stalled it at the traffic lights and it would not start.

I’ve asked ChatGPT and it suggests poor earth and starter motor heat soak causing drag and the two combined potentially meaning more amps needed leading to voltage collapse.

I checked the battery terminals today and the negative could be moved with some effort so I cleaned and reattached and went for a ride and did a few stop and restart tests which it did but it was slower cranking than from cold.

So… I’m thinking buy a new starter ( I’m not good at taking apart and fixing)

Any thoughts? TIA

 

[siddo]

Rather than staring a new thread….

First Hi all, I’ve not been around for a while

My 2013 Hexhead has been letting me down when hot, basically it starts (maybe slowly if is been unused for a month, but it does start) then I go for a ride and if I have cause to stop chances are it won’t start, just click, click click!

Park up for awhile and it will start, so it seems heat related - Did it yesterday, like a twit I stalled it at the traffic lights and it would not start.

I’ve asked ChatGPT and it suggests poor earth and starter motor heat soak causing drag and the two combined potentially meaning more amps needed leading to voltage collapse.

I checked the battery terminals today and the negative could be moved with some effort so I cleaned and reattached and went for a ride and did a few stop and restart tests which it did but it was slower cranking than from cold.

So… I’m thinking buy a new starter ( I’m not good at taking apart and fixing)

Any thoughts? TIA

Change the battery. Same symptoms I had and loads of others.

 

[Larry Langford]

Rather than staring a new thread….

First Hi all, I’ve not been around for a while

My 2013 Hexhead has been letting me down when hot, basically it starts (maybe slowly if is been unused for a month, but it does start) then I go for a ride and if I have cause to stop chances are it won’t start, just click, click click!

Park up for awhile and it will start, so it seems heat related - Did it yesterday, like a twit I stalled it at the traffic lights and it would not start.

I’ve asked ChatGPT and it suggests poor earth and starter motor heat soak causing drag and the two combined potentially meaning more amps needed leading to voltage collapse.

I checked the battery terminals today and the negative could be moved with some effort so I cleaned and reattached and went for a ride and did a few stop and restart tests which it did but it was slower cranking than from cold.

So… I’m thinking buy a new starter ( I’m not good at taking apart and fixing)

Any thoughts? TIA

It seems that when the battery goes, it won't take a charge anymore. Hard to tell from here, but likely it's the battery ....... They do go out ....

 

[Mistacat]

Had the same problem. Doubled up the wiring with 10mmSq cable Live and ground.
Also a new Battery may well help for a while.

 

[Boxerboy55]

I was there in February.

A non-start experience far from home.

Went for a new motor, new relay and new battery.

Post in thread 'Now I can't remove the starter motor . . .'

Feb 15, 2026

I only changed my starter relay as a precaution, I doubt the old one was faulty. My battery was allegedly fine as the bike was 8 months from approved used.

I didn’t bother moaning to Bahnstormer about it, batteries are usually deemed a consumable item like brakes and tyres. After I got a jump start from the recovery guy it wouldn’t repeat its misbehaving but I just swapped out the OE battery for the Hybrid anyway. You could instantly tell the difference!

Have you removed the starter just to inspect the insulator seal on the main cable terminal ?

I pulled the motor out as it could...

• Boxerboy55

• 

 

[Wreford Miles]

So it seems a next step should start with the purchase of a Motobatt MHTX16

Are they still the best

 

[Larry Langford]

So it seems a next step should start with the purchase of a Motobatt MHTX16

Are they still the best

Over here, I just replaced one in my 1250GS, and it is a BMW branded Exide AGM. Personally I would recommend at least AGM, but others will be along to recommend their favorite batt for the UK area, likely ....

 

[Slipperyeel]

I've had a flawless experience with lithium batteries. Aside from cold starting - which has never failed once, just needs a technique. The punch at startup is identical regardless of how temperatures of standing for weeks/months. Literally starts every time on first push of the button - ok, a list of other things have to be right to get that, but in terms of the battery doing its part, can't fault it. I bought Aliant.

But I have had the alternator go! Fitted by BMW Metz, in France, followed by a balls up of their making (They did get me home, just).

 

[Flintlock]

Had the same issue on my 2010 GSA a couple of years ago - new starter motor sorted it.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Sounds like starter motor failing and drawing too much, when cranked
It pulls the battery down
Do a voltage test
Off
On
Cranking
That will yield your answer, if when cranking it drops to 10v or less then it’ll be a starter
Happened with my 1150 even with a brand new battery

 

[Larry Langford]

I've had a flawless experience with lithium batteries. Aside from cold starting - which has never failed once, just needs a technique. The punch at startup is identical regardless of how temperatures of standing for weeks/months. Literally starts every time on first push of the button - ok, a list of other things have to be right to get that, but in terms of the battery doing its part, can't fault it. I bought Aliant.

But I have had the alternator go! Fitted by BMW Metz, in France, followed by a balls up of their making (They did get me home, just).

From everything I've seen lately with BMW motorcycles, full lithium batteries are a complete disaster ... I've heard tell of a hybrid battery that some are using in the UK and they seem to like them. Hybrid being both AGM and lithium. But a new AGM is a solid bet and many of the new 1300s that came with lithium are being converted back to AGM for the most part. You do have to tell the computer .... Or address the perimeter and adjust the charging voltage to the AGM level.
I also seen a guy at west denver BMW that had a Ural, a really neat machine, and he had put a lightweight lithium battery in it. It caused him many problems on a basically brand new bike, fuel pump went out, would start several times. A mechanic came out to help with the bike as it decided not to start when the fellow tried to leave. Myself and the mechanic talked him into putting an AGM in it ... It started right up and he drove it home ....

 

[Larry Langford]

Sounds like starter motor failing and drawing too much, when cranked
It pulls the battery down
Do a voltage test
Off
On
Cranking
That will yield your answer, if when cranking it drops to 10v or less then it’ll be a starter
Happened with my 1150 even with a brand new battery

The hot setup would be to have an extra batt (think DR. Farkoff) around that you could put in and see then if it is the batt or the starter. But without the extra batt you have to replace the batt first then the starter and so on ..... The batteries do go out a lot .... they are highly stressed in the modern BMW and they tend to go out during or right after the heat of summer ..... Never going to be a problem with a fresh batt in a bike imo ........

 

[Comfy Old Boots]

I replaced mine with a good quality lead acid about three years ago? Never given a spot of bother.

 

[Wreford Miles]

Sounds like starter motor failing and drawing too much, when cranked
It pulls the battery down
Do a voltage test
Off
On
Cranking
That will yield your answer, if when cranking it drops to 10v or less then it’ll be a starter
Happened with my 1150 even with a brand new battery

So that would be a starter failing through 'heat soak' when the engine is hot - Ill give your suggested test a go