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RS No Start

Darryl Cainey

Sir Darby
My 77 RS ran great on a trip to Toronto yesterday charging all the way at 14+ volts. Parked it for a hour, then no start. just a loud click and volt meter goes to 0.

Checked the battery connections: OK
Tried to boost it with a car, same results: click.

Bump started it to get home, shut it off, still no start?

It charged OK all the way home 60 miles.

Relay or starter?
 
Relay or starter?

Yes? :stick

9 times out of 10, it's the battery. Rule it out...have one of the auto parts stores load test it. Or put a voltmeter across the battery terminals and watch the reading when you hit the starter button. That's basically a crude load test. If the voltage drops to 8-9 volts, it's the battery. If the voltage doesn't change, then move upstream.

The relay is the next easiest to check first and cheapest to replace...I'd start there. Then, move on to the starter.
 
Took the battery out to get it load tested today. Will post results later.

Checked the starter relay, no corrosion did run over the contacts with emmery coth anyway.

Starter was in the same place I left it:dunno

Called my local expert and was told to check the starter nosecone.
Looks OK in place!

Last resort will be to pull it out.
 
Check the big wires for loose connections

Yup the ground loosens up and the big wire on the starter will do it too, then it does nothing but click and get hot. I have had to address both issues multiple times on my assortment of bikes. If you have an OEM ground wire that connects to the speedo cable retainer bolt you might give some thought to getting a longer ground cable made and running it down to the transmission mounting bolt on the bottom right side.

Remember the K.I.S. method. Keep It Simple
 
Took the battery to the Professional Battery Shop where I purchased it and it passed the load test.

I kind of figured that out when it wouln't start with a boost.

I had already checked the cables & grounds.

The loud single click is comming from the starter area.

The investigation continues.
 
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If the thick plus wire to the starter has solid connections on either side it is either IN this wire or, the starter motor itself.

Small chance the contact in the starter solenoid is "broke".

I would use a jumper cable and attach the ground wire and hold the plus wire very carfully to the plus on the starter. Be prepared for the spark!!!

If it turns its the thick red wire or its connections. Otherwise the starter motor.

/Guenther
 
If it is the battery (and it could be) I wonder why it didn't start with jumper cables?
In my experience, a bad battery is like an electrical "black hole". It will suck all the potential out of any jumper set up. If the battery passed a load test, we can move on from there.

A single loud (as in audible) click is almost certainly the solenoid firing. A relay firing is almost in-audible unless you have your ear right next to it.

If you're hearing the loud clack but nothing else happens, you might try by-passing the solenoid and jumping directly to the starter motor. You do that by touching a stout jumper cable to the place where the solenoid connection disappears into the starter motor itself. As stated earlier, there might be sparks. I'm pretty sure this is what Guenther is alluding to.
 
Installed the good starter today.

Now it turns over, have to button it up now.

Thanks to all that offered good advice!

200,000 miles on a bebuilt starter, not bad!
 
Well this time you were wrong!

It was the field coils in the starter.

Rebuilt the starter now it works fine, with the same battery!;)

Awesome! I bet you never considered yourself a 1 percenter!

I actually had both problems on my RS at different times; a battery and a starter. New battery, rebuilt starter...darn thing almost starts itself.
 
We wish

Awesome! I bet you never considered yourself a 1 percenter!

We could be so lucky, I would be happy with the interest they (1 percenter's) earn in just one month.

Terry
 
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Awesome! I bet you never considered yourself a 1 percenter!

We could be so lucky, I would be happy with the interest they (1 percenter's) earn in just one month.

Terry
Yeah...

I was going with the original meaning of "one percenter" as defined here:


A member of an "outlaw" motorcycle gang. Origin is the American Motorcycle Associations assertion from the 1960s that 99% of motorcyclists are law abiding citizens.

The Hells Angels, Outlaws, Banditos, Pagans, Warlocks, etc. then adopted the idea that they were the 1%.

That 1%er just ran a light in front of a cop, and the cop acted like he wasn't there!
 
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