Clicking/Won't Start

[dapasda]

I finally got around to getting some things done. I removed the plastic, and took the upper left fairing to the body shop, to get repaired, due to the accident last June. I removed the right side dash, to replace with one I bought from Carl.

I tried to start the bike, and it was completely dead. I put the trickle charger on, and let it charge for about 24 hours. The charger has a light to show it is charging, and a light to show fully charged. This is a battery I bought during the riding season last year.

When I try to start the bike, the radio lights up brightly, along with the red lights on the dash, and the green neutral light. I hit the starter button, and I just hear clicks.

The strange thing to me is that the TACH jumps up as it clicks. I may be wrong, but I never noticed the TACH going up until the engine started. Maybe I am just stretching for an answer.

I took the battery out, and it is full (as I said before, it was newly bought during last years riding season). When the bike was parked in the garage for the winter, it was running fine, and we had ridden many times, with no problems.

I also charged up the lawn tractor, and it fired right up. I wonder if anyone would think it strange if I rode the lawn mower down the road, with the wind blowing in my hair.

[debron]

Charged battery, clicking sound but no starter motor activity. Starter relay?

[Me Again]

Try cleaning the connections real good and put it back in.
"Click" could just be a dirty/loose connection

[dapasda]

Try cleaning the connections real good and put it back in.
"Click" could just be a dirty/loose connection

I took the battery out, to check the water level. The bolts and terminals are clean, and I made sure the bolts were tight, when I put it back in. What surprises me is that I was not having any starting problems when I parked it.

Does anyone know if the TACH normally jumps up, when the starter button is pushed? Does that give any clues to where the problem could be?

I have a friend "hopefully" coming on Monday, with a meter. Would like to get some advice on where to start.

Is the starter relay the middle one, in the group of three? How would I check that?

Thanks in advance for advice.

[pasam]

Hi, have the same problem, with the battery tender on, the indicator lites show a full charge, but get just clicking with the starter. My volt meter shows 12.5 volts and goes to 0 when trying to start. Using my jumper set the bike starts right up. I have a new battery on order. The tender is a new unit, so don't understand the 6 year old battery indicating full charge, but is old enough to replace. Even year old batteries sometimes have failures. These Voyagers like good batteries. I would suggest trying to jump start the bike before condeming any of the electrical system and check connections.
Sam in central PA

[Nathan (South Carolina)]

Hi, have the same problem, with the battery tender on, the indicator lites show a full charge, but get just clicking with the starter. My volt meter shows 12.5 volts and goes to 0 when trying to start. Using my jumper set the bike starts right up. I have a new battery on order. The tender is a new unit, so don't understand the 6 year old battery indicating full charge, but is old enough to replace.
Sam in central PA

Typical symptom of a bad battery. The battery tender is seeing the same 12.5 volts that you see on the voltmeter. However, once you put a load on it, the battery voltage goes to zero because there aren't enough cranking amps left in the battery to handle a load.

[dapasda]

Typical symptom of a bad battery. The battery tender is seeing the same 12.5 volts that you see on the voltmeter. However, once you put a load on it, the battery voltage goes to zero because there aren't enough cranking amps left in the battery to handle a load.

Well, after reading theses post I tried to jump start it. Not easy, cause I don't have any small jumpers to fit on the posts. Sure enough it tried to turn over. I guess I will just have to buy ANOTHER new battery. Since I just got that one last year, I was hoping it would last a while longer.

I hope the body shop doesn't take forever fixing the fairing. I am looking forward to seeing how it turns out. The seven day forecast shows rain tonight, rain Monday, rain and snow Tuesday, sunny Wednesday, rain Thursday, rain Friday, partly clear Saturday, and rain again next Sunday.

I guess I got time to wait.

[ekap1200]

Check the battery cells with a ( Hydrometer ). A bad battery that has been just charged or on a battery tender will show voltage but when a load is on it drops out.

[dapasda]

I took the battery to Advance Auto, and they checked it. Said it was not holding a charge. I got a new battery, and after the prep time, started the bike.

Now I noticed that I have the shorting problem in the wiring, when I turn the handlebars. I had taken off the cable ties long ago, when I read the posts about that, but it caught up to me anyway. Will have to go back and search for the post to find the repair for that problem.

I will need to dig into that. Maybe tomorrow. No word on the fairing yet. The problem with living in a small town, a long way from lots of shops, when you take something in, you just have to wait til they get around to it.

Today is a beautiful day for riding. 51 degrees and bright sun.

[gearheadfla]

My bike will be naked tonight for paint work but will be done Saturday. The advantage of working where I'm getting the paint done.

[pasam]

Hi,
Got new battery installed and starts great. Yausa YTX24HL-BS
Sam in central PA

[gearheadfla]

WTG Looks like the guys here came thru again.

[jetjock76]

I have a Battery Tender, Jr. and I keep my bike plugged into it anytime it is parked at my house. I have put 2 Walmart batteries in in 2 years until I bought an AGM no maintenance and kept it plugged up to the trickle charger. Batteries don't like to be discharged, charged and then discharged again. They also don't like long periods of being discharged. Put some pigtails on your battery and make it easy to plug it up and you shouldn't have anymore problems with your battery.
Best regards,
Charlie.

[David (N. Alabama)]

I have a Battery Tender, Jr. and I keep my bike plugged into it anytime it is parked at my house. I have put 2 Walmart batteries in in 2 years until I bought an AGM no maintenance and kept it plugged up to the trickle charger. Batteries don't like to be discharged, charged and then discharged again. They also don't like long periods of being discharged. Put some pigtails on your battery and make it easy to plug it up and you shouldn't have anymore problems with your battery.
Best regards,
Charlie.

I have the same wet cell battery in my bike since before 2006. Keep the distilled water topped off and keep riding and never an issue. How many years can a battery last?

[jetjock76]

I have a Battery Tender, Jr. and I keep my bike plugged into it anytime it is parked at my house. I have put 2 Walmart batteries in in 2 years until I bought an AGM no maintenance and kept it plugged up to the trickle charger. Batteries don't like to be discharged, charged and then discharged again. They also don't like long periods of being discharged. Put some pigtails on your battery and make it easy to plug it up and you shouldn't have anymore problems with your battery.
Best regards,
Charlie.

I have the same wet cell battery in my bike since before 2006. Keep the distilled water topped off and keep riding and never an issue. How many years can a battery last?

MRJensee had a battery that was 8 years old and still going strong, he just wanted to put a AGM in. My bike would go 3 weeks sometimes when I was out of town without being started. The XII sucks some juice out of the battery and invariably, I would have to charge it up to ride. Killed 2 batteries that way. MRJensee showed me where to get the battery and he always keeps his battery on a tender. Works great for me now.