r1150rt 2004, Old battery flat, new battery in, bike just clicks when starting

[colesyboy]

Hi all,

R1150RT 2004, before I buy a new starter motor, is there anything else I can check to make sure that its not the starter motor and something else? Light are all on, 12v on battery when doing nothing. Also tried with car battery via croc cables, same thing, just clicks a zillions times a second when trying to start.

i'm not a mechanic and can do the service stuff, I'm a bit of an electrical numpty, so please bear that in mind.

Cheers for the help

Brian

 

[ynotbiker]

have you cleaned the battery terminals..

 

[Steptoe]

More questions than answers at the moment ...... When was it last started ? Was it starting normally before you changed the battery or was it giving you the same symptoms and that’s why you thought you’d fit a new battery ? Did you test the old battery or just assume the battery was the problem ? Try attaching the the jump leads from the slave car battery to an earth and the live lead to the starter motor live lead, the big brass nut on the main connection, if you still get the same noise and friending in the answer to the first question, chances are it’s the starter motor ....

 

[colesyboy]

Thanks Neil,

Yes all starting and running about 3 weeks ago, but the old battery just started it (sluggish to start - was 0 degress celcius) so, no not normal starting and have kept the old battery on charge over the past 3 months off and on. It was slowly giving up the ghost.

So connect live from car going to this nut on the starter motor right?

More questions than answers at the moment ...... When was it last started ? Was it starting normally before you changed the battery or was it giving you the same symptoms and that’s why you thought you’d fit a new battery ? Did you test the old battery or just assume the battery was the problem ? Try attaching the the jump leads from the slave car battery to an earth and the live lead to the starter motor live lead, the big brass nut on the main connection, if you still get the same noise and friending in the answer to the first question, chances are it’s the starter motor ....

 

[hops]

Thanks Neil,

Yes all starting and running about 3 weeks ago, but the old battery just started it (sluggish to start - was 0 degress celcius) so, no not normal starting and have kept the old battery on charge over the past 3 months off and on. It was slowly giving up the ghost.

So connect live from car going to this nut on the starter motor right?

That’s the one, not forgetting to connect the earth terminal to your bike to.

 

[colesyboy]

I'm a numpty Neil - I have a positive (live) and negative on the jump cables - are we talking about connecting the negative from the negative terminal on the car battery to the frame of the bike? I'm a proper spazz when it come to electrics.

 

[dub 24]

Yep connect to earth on the bike

 

[Steptoe]

I'm a numpty Neil - I have a positive (live) and negative on the jump cables - are we talking about connecting the negative from the negative terminal on the car battery to the frame of the bike? I'm a proper spazz when it come to electrics.

Connect the positive as in the picture you posted. Although I don’t actually “connect” it, I just hold it against the starter terminal, that’ll turn the engine over (if the starter is ok), the earth I do ‘connect‘, to the bolt holding the starter motor to the engine case. .... how many years ago was it when you brought your GS to me ? I think it was just before you went Nordic

 

[colesyboy]

Connect the positive as in the picture you posted. Although I don’t actually “connect” it, I just hold it against the starter terminal, that’ll turn the engine over (if the starter is ok), the earth I do ‘connect‘, to the bolt holding the starter motor to the engine case. .... how many years ago was it when you brought your GS to me ? I think it was just before you went Nordic

yes that was a while back right? 13 years ago brought it to you, then did London to Himalayas on the GS with then girlfriend, now wife, made a house in Denmark, made three kids, buggered off again in 2019 (we quit everything, did asia, nz, japan, oz etc), came back 2 months before covid...now I want to do it all over again.

Thanks for sticking with me, did all the things, still same noise coming from bike, ie: lots of clicks on trying to start. I cant order from the UK - crazy import pricing now, so these guys seem to sell to outside of uk only....which is odd, considering its a .co.uk site

https://www.maxpeedingrods.co.uk/pr...XdubRp_VE4mVDRuubkxdMJ8DuXyAx75RoCSMUQAvD_BwE

 

[Wrigsby1]

"can't ship to UK" ... Oh the irony... Well done for your trips... Especially as you don't do electrics...!

 

[colesyboy]

"can't ship to UK" ... Oh the irony... Well done for your trips... Especially as you don't do electrics...!

I know, winging it all the way

 

[Irishdude]

if you are sure the battery is good and charged , you could try taking out starter motor and give it a good clean , easy job to do just take your time .
I took mine apart cleaned it and put it back together no problem.

 

[colesyboy]

if you are sure the battery is good and charged , you could try taking out starter motor and give it a good clean , easy job to do just take your time .
I took mine apart cleaned it and put it back together no problem.

Thank you for the suggestion, I have to go the lazy route as I just havent got the hours in the day to take that kind of care of the bike - I ordered a new one from Germany - 40 euros.

 

[Steptoe]

"can't ship to UK" ... Oh the irony... Well done for your trips... Especially as you don't do electrics...!

I know, winging it all the way

It tends to be people like Colesyboy who have no problems when riding across far continents... it’s the mechanically minded who fret over non existent problems and constantly post on the forum for advice every few hundred miles.