What Do I Check When My Motorcycle Won't Start? - Page 4 - Honda Shadow Forums : Shadow Motorcycle Forum

RadioDave · 03-04-2009, 08:37 PM

I'm not so sure that the battery is good. Even if you measure the voltage at 12.6, that does not necessarily mean that it has the capacity to power the starter motor any longer. The clicking is probably the starter relay, which draws much less current than the starter motor. A full discharge is very hard on a battery. How old is the battery?

Dave

up4fishin · 05-02-2009, 08:59 AM

I have been reading the posts in this forum and am impressed with the friendliness and the willingness to help of all the people here.
I have a new (to me) 2001 ACE 750 Deluxe that is having intermittent ignition problems. I've read the posts here and can't find one that discusses my exact situation.
I turn the key, flip the kill switch on, and (in neutral) push the button. No noise, but the lights flicker indicating contact (?). Same thing when in gear and the clutch is pulled in. toggling the kill switch has no effect. Eventually after playing with all the controls and putting the bike in and out of gear, it fires right up. so far. The battery connections are good, but could a weak battery cause this? Bad kill switch?
I'd appreciate some advice on where to start. I'm not very mechanically oriented (yet), but i did by a Clymers and am willing to give anything a shot. Again, it is very intermittent, so I'm not sure how to reproduce it at will, making it difficult for me to know where to start.

ljl888 · 05-31-2009, 11:30 PM

Don't laugh boys and girls, because these things happened to me(I am sure to others) more than once on each dumb occurance, and it always almost freaked me out!

1. Start switch.

2. Out of fuel.

3. Even when there is sloshing gas in the tank when flipped to reserve.(especially this one).

But I slowly become less panicky everytime.

ljl888 · 05-31-2009, 11:38 PM

up4fishin

Especially when you are in gear, the kick stand need to be up. Thats also one of the switch that may be causing problems.

up4fishin · 06-03-2009, 05:29 AM

thanks for the replies. i've experienced it a few more times and believe it is related to the kill switch. do these go bad? i've experimented by only using the kill switch when i'm home (and killing it with the key when I'm not). I've had no problems if I kill it with the key. so far, if i toggle the kill switch a bunch of times it will eventually work. again, do these go bad?

proal · 06-06-2009, 02:27 AM

i am having the exact same problem as up4fishin. i press the start button "after key on kill switch on run and in nutrell" the head light will dim but no response. if i sit there and play with the start button a bunch some times it will click and verry little times it will crank and start after pushin the **** out of the button out of frustration. i checked the battery and actualy took throttle off and sprayed contact cleaner on kill switch and start button put back together and still not working. guess i should take throttle off again and try to check for continuity. are the starter switches known to go out like that. i tried folowing wires aound also, guess i could do it more extremely. but unless somebody knows on this then i wont. checked fuses also. HELP

Aoxomoxoa · 06-06-2009, 09:56 PM

I don't know if anyone else said it, but try

THE KILL SWITCH!

I can't tell you how many times I've bumped it or if some joker touched it or something and then go to start my bike thinking about all the bad stuff that probably broke when all that's wrong was the GD kill switch on the handle bars.

proal · 06-08-2009, 01:41 AM

well i can arc the solenoid and it will crank and start, so the starter good. so when i push the starter button in like in the corners and let off of the button a little it will sometimes start, so i pretty much am putting it on the starter switch. wellp ill let yall know how it turns out

proal · 06-14-2009, 12:43 AM

it was the starter switch

hldspirit07 · 06-20-2009, 02:12 PM

2007 Shadow Spirit C2 2300 miles on the clock. Original owner. Recently washed the bike, but careful around electricals like always. Started fine this morning. Rode 3-4 miles to gas station, turned bike off and filled up the tank. Started fine. Headed dwon the road at 60 mph. A mile or so from the station, bike started to hesitant and jerk intermittently like when its time to flip to reserve and finally the engine quit entirely.

Needless to say, numerous attemptyed restarts resulted in a dead battery which is now on the tender at home. Bike is about 3-5 miles from home and I hate to have it towed for something simple. Double checked that the fuel is on, kill switch and ignition in correct positions. Had no trouble starting at the gas station. Plan to pull the plugs and check their condition when the battery is ready to go back over. Just wondering if anyone has had this problem - where the bike was running fine and then suddenly stopped? Any suggestions on what could have suddenly gone wrong or what to check next?

Any help appreciated.

Thanks.

03-04-2009, 08:37 PM	#31 (permalink)
RadioDave Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Delaware Posts: 489	I'm not so sure that the battery is good. Even if you measure the voltage at 12.6, that does not necessarily mean that it has the capacity to power the starter motor any longer. The clicking is probably the starter relay, which draws much less current than the starter motor. A full discharge is very hard on a battery. How old is the battery? Dave __________________ "de gustibus non est disputandum" (in matters of choice, there is no disputing) 2006 Shadow Spirit 1100

05-02-2009, 08:59 AM	#32 (permalink)
up4fishin Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 4	Intermittent ignition problem I have been reading the posts in this forum and am impressed with the friendliness and the willingness to help of all the people here. I have a new (to me) 2001 ACE 750 Deluxe that is having intermittent ignition problems. I've read the posts here and can't find one that discusses my exact situation. I turn the key, flip the kill switch on, and (in neutral) push the button. No noise, but the lights flicker indicating contact (?). Same thing when in gear and the clutch is pulled in. toggling the kill switch has no effect. Eventually after playing with all the controls and putting the bike in and out of gear, it fires right up. so far. The battery connections are good, but could a weak battery cause this? Bad kill switch? I'd appreciate some advice on where to start. I'm not very mechanically oriented (yet), but i did by a Clymers and am willing to give anything a shot. Again, it is very intermittent, so I'm not sure how to reproduce it at will, making it difficult for me to know where to start.

05-31-2009, 11:30 PM	#33 (permalink)
ljl888 Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Alhambra, Southern California, USA Posts: 36	Don't laugh boys and girls, because these things happened to me(I am sure to others) more than once on each dumb occurance, and it always almost freaked me out! 1. Start switch. 2. Out of fuel. 3. Even when there is sloshing gas in the tank when flipped to reserve.(especially this one). But I slowly become less panicky everytime. __________________ 2003 VT750DCB Spirit

05-31-2009, 11:38 PM	#34 (permalink)
ljl888 Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Alhambra, Southern California, USA Posts: 36	up4fishin Especially when you are in gear, the kick stand need to be up. Thats also one of the switch that may be causing problems. __________________ 2003 VT750DCB Spirit

06-03-2009, 05:29 AM	#35 (permalink)
up4fishin Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 4	more info thanks for the replies. i've experienced it a few more times and believe it is related to the kill switch. do these go bad? i've experimented by only using the kill switch when i'm home (and killing it with the key when I'm not). I've had no problems if I kill it with the key. so far, if i toggle the kill switch a bunch of times it will eventually work. again, do these go bad?

06-06-2009, 02:27 AM	#36 (permalink)
proal Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane Wa. Posts: 27	i am having the exact same problem as up4fishin. i press the start button "after key on kill switch on run and in nutrell" the head light will dim but no response. if i sit there and play with the start button a bunch some times it will click and verry little times it will crank and start after pushin the **** out of the button out of frustration. i checked the battery and actualy took throttle off and sprayed contact cleaner on kill switch and start button put back together and still not working. guess i should take throttle off again and try to check for continuity. are the starter switches known to go out like that. i tried folowing wires aound also, guess i could do it more extremely. but unless somebody knows on this then i wont. checked fuses also. HELP __________________ 01 Shadow Spirit VT 1100 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NOB4P40Isc

06-06-2009, 09:56 PM	#37 (permalink)
Aoxomoxoa Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Centennial, CO Posts: 160	I don't know if anyone else said it, but try THE KILL SWITCH! I can't tell you how many times I've bumped it or if some joker touched it or something and then go to start my bike thinking about all the bad stuff that probably broke when all that's wrong was the GD kill switch on the handle bars.

06-08-2009, 01:41 AM	#38 (permalink)
proal Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane Wa. Posts: 27	well i can arc the solenoid and it will crank and start, so the starter good. so when i push the starter button in like in the corners and let off of the button a little it will sometimes start, so i pretty much am putting it on the starter switch. wellp ill let yall know how it turns out __________________ 01 Shadow Spirit VT 1100 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NOB4P40Isc

06-14-2009, 12:43 AM	#39 (permalink)
proal Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane Wa. Posts: 27	it was the starter switch __________________ 01 Shadow Spirit VT 1100 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NOB4P40Isc

06-20-2009, 02:12 PM	#40 (permalink)
hldspirit07 Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 23	Bike Died Out of the Blue - Please Help???!!!! 2007 Shadow Spirit C2 2300 miles on the clock. Original owner. Recently washed the bike, but careful around electricals like always. Started fine this morning. Rode 3-4 miles to gas station, turned bike off and filled up the tank. Started fine. Headed dwon the road at 60 mph. A mile or so from the station, bike started to hesitant and jerk intermittently like when its time to flip to reserve and finally the engine quit entirely. Needless to say, numerous attemptyed restarts resulted in a dead battery which is now on the tender at home. Bike is about 3-5 miles from home and I hate to have it towed for something simple. Double checked that the fuel is on, kill switch and ignition in correct positions. Had no trouble starting at the gas station. Plan to pull the plugs and check their condition when the battery is ready to go back over. Just wondering if anyone has had this problem - where the bike was running fine and then suddenly stopped? Any suggestions on what could have suddenly gone wrong or what to check next? Any help appreciated. Thanks.

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