A couple of days ago I went to start the Monster. It didn’t fire up first time, which is a first since I put a new battery in about a year ago. It’s had several good long run outs lately so there should be plenty of charge. It was turned over slightly lazily and took about 6 attempts before firing up and running properly. It rode fine and fired up fine after gassing up and the first coffee stop. Then after we stopped to admire a view the starter button was totally dead. Absolutely nothing, not even a whisper on the button. We were a couple of thousand feet high at the time so a bump start in 3rd was no problem and neither was the return ride. I made sure to keep it running, everything went perfectly. When I got back I turned the engine off at the kill switch, then flipped it up again and pressed the red button. Nothing, not a sound of anything. 100% silence. I tried again, nothing. Headlight worked on dip and main, then my usual test for a battery problem is the horn. Apparently they use quite a bit of power to sound. Or they used too, maybe I’m behind the times with this theory, I don’t know but it sounded. I still had my earplugs in so I couldn’t tell if it was 100% but it didn’t sound like it was struggling. I didn’t have time to investigate further so I had to leave it outside to cool before putting it away later. Next morning there was much muttering because my Optimate 4 has taken a walk and not left a forwarding address. I hate that, going for a tool and finding it’s gone. So I can’t run that test. Out with the bike onto the paddock stand. Key on, press the button and boom! It fired up beautifully first time. 100% dead the evening before, 100% good in the morning. 3 more times I did the kill switch, 3 more times it fired up fine. I checked the positive terminal on the battery was good but didn’t get chance to get at the negative terminal, which is awkward to get to on the Monster as it has to be accessed from underneath. Due to our circumstances that bike was sat there for nine months in our extended lockdown. Not on a trickle charger either because I thought I’d be back there sooner. The Monster doesn’t seem to drain the battery when parked anyway. It fired up first time after 9 months. Now after several rides it’s turning out to be about as reliable as a politicians pre-election promise. Personally I’m wondering if it could have anything to do with the Healtech quickshifter. It’s been on there a year or so and been faultless but it’s the focus of my suspicion or maybe a fault in the kill switch. Unfortunately I had to leave the bike and start our return journey back to England. The land of cheery newscasters and Covid sensationalism. Fear and loathing in the bottom of my stomach. So this little puzzle is going to hang around. Any thoughts? What have I missed in my process of elimination?
Prob not but similar issue on a 748 a number of years ago it was a starter relay ( well I think ) as it seemed to behave after I changed it. Bike just seem to start when it wanted to, but I to had seemed to check every thing else
I’ll have to write up some more but this year hasn’t exactly gone to plan, hahaa. At least we got away for a bit and hopefully we should be getting back on track and normal service can resume. We’re good though, still laughing...the Mrs’s hair is even growing. Hope you’re well.
Check starter relay first - well just change it as I had that problem years ago and tried testing with a 9V battery (PP3) and it worked faultlessly but intermittent on the bike. The contacts corrode and it's basically toast. Next check would be earth connection as this would get worse with heat, i.e. resistance increasing with temperature so you get nothing when it's hot, one ctappy connection will do it. Good luck with finding it
Has it come back grey and curly? I’m doing ok bloods are stable light chains have risen a bit and protein up 5 to 6 but overall no cause for concern Looking forward to covid adventures write up Give mrs Sam a big hug from me x
I have a M1000ie with similar issues. I know it's been a while since you had this problem but I wondered if you you found anything. I have had a series of events and each time thought I had got to the bottom of the issue. The bike starts one day easily on the button the next day click and struggle to turn the starter. I replaced the starter motor about a month ago as the old one had dropped a magnet of the inner wall of the casing which turned out was jamming the rotor occasionally. With the new fitted the bike was starting like a new one for about two weeks. Then the problem Again. This time I saw some heat damage to the side stand switch cable when a wisp of smoke came off it. Weird right?. I stripped the loom down to find a positive node and negative node close to each other and dirty water helping them connect.i tried the button straight after I opened the loom and it was perfect again. I'm guessing the side stand switch wire was damaging/melting because it was the lowest part of the loom and the crap was gravitating to there (actually still scratching my head on that one). I had to cut out the connector and re-wired the switch. Also clean up the loom and over do the insulation between the nodes. Another week of perfect starting until yesterday. I'm on the tools again today checking battery solenoid earth etc etc so far no cigar so I'm looking for inspiration before I start parts bingo.
OK. So it looks like I found the fix "again". Inspired by suggestions on here about the earth cable. I measured resistance from the engine to the battery at 0.3 ohms with the multimeter so I had mentally ruled that out but out of desperation I used a car jump lead from the starter motor flange bolt to the battery neg. Eureka , she flashed up like a young un . I took the earth lead bolt out and it looks like the breather has put some insulating gunj in there. Quick clean up and new steel bolt and it's sorted. I think I will do the battery strap upgrade too. Incidentally I'm now thinking it must have been earthing through the side Stand switch circuit causing the melt. YIKES. Thanks all Conrad
