[Terri]

Hi,
I'm having trouble with my electric start on my electra x. It worked great early in the season, but now it seems to work only when the motor is warmed up. If I try to use it from a cold start, it's next to impossible to get it to turn over. Sometimes it won't work at all no matter what I do.

The odd thing is that it seems to be making contact, since the amp meter jumps when I hit the switch. I'm getting tired of kick starting it. Does any one else have this issue, or have a quick fix?

Thanks,
Ter

[Vince]

     A low battery will cause this. If you use the bike on an irregular basis the battery will discharge. The cure is a charger known as the Battery Tender. Trying to start it under these conditions can cause a kick back that will damage the Sprag clutch. Try using the kick starter to bring the piston to TDC compression as for kick starting, but then use the electric start. This eases the strain on the electric starter as it does for the kick starter.

[GreenMachine]

Vince: I do that every day when I start the bike..Even with a low battery I've been able to es it if I so desire...Kickstarting a cold bike is good 2..

[bob bezin]

sounds like mine. when cold i turrn on the key kick it over with the compression release on then hit the starter and let go of the compression release it starts right up . then when it warms up it usually starts with just a slight hint of starter button. or i just kickstart it that works everytime.

[bob bezin]

oh and it has nothing to do with my battery... new and fully charged.

[GreenMachine]

Bob: Exactly how I start..sometimes I get lazy and ES cold...I had a small problem a few weeks back where the battery had drained pretty low and the ES wasn't starting and Kickstarting cold was getting more difficult..I had been using my 1100 and the enfield had been sitting and used occasionaly to the store which is only a few milles from the house...These bikes by nature like to be ridden and ridden for an hour or so at a shot..That Yamaha silverado being turnkey doesn't require it as much...Guess a battery tender is probably a good idea (at least where the battery is concern) if the bike becomes strictly a weekend endeavor..

[Terri]

Hi again,
I never had trouble with the es early this Spring. I had a new sealed battery put in, and I could es it pretty much everytime. I'm going to try the Decompress, kick, and then es to see what happens, like you guys recommend. Thanks for all the info. I really appreciate it.

ter

[scoTTy]

n o problems here..  1000 miles

[calman28556]

Believe it or not, but check your left side tool box.  In the bottom is a two wire brake switch.  One may be disconnected and the reason for your "sometimes" efforts.

In my case the loose wire eventually rubbed through the paint on the cover and finished grounded the electrical system and shorted the solenoid.  While I had enough power for the lights, etc, I had to kick start the M/C. I went through 10 fuses over the two days I had the problem,before I got to a RE dealer to get it fixed. 

The guy in Memphis did a great job.

[bob bezin]

calman  yes yes. i was on my way to the british biker coop annual rally when my bike just stopped . i hauled it home (a long and interesting story in itself) and found that one of the  the little screw down connectors on the switch  had come in contact with the metal shelf  in there and blew a fuse. i just tweeked it with pliars and made sure there was room . has'nt helped in the starting though

[Tiny Tim]

Terri,
your symptoms do tend to suggest that your battery, when the bike is cold, is not capable of spinning the starter. When the bike is warmed up, then the battery has had some charge and it is a different matter.

I suggest that you either try a new battery or get the one you have tested. It sounds as if it is either dry or has a cell gone down as it will not hold a charge for long. It will need to be tested with an ampere/hour meter.

REgards

TT

[calman28556]

Bob,

Still can 't use electric start?  Can you kick start your cycle and still have the ability to run your all your lights? If the answer is YES, then it's probably your solenoid. 

Cal

[No. 5]

Hi. Check your fuse holders on the battery holder. Mine were just wires and clips for the fuse with a plastic snap case. My clips did not grab the fuse and it vibrated loose. Also clean the connection behind the headlight where the pigtail from the starter/engine cutoff switches are. A dirty or corroded connection will cause a drop in voltage, enough so the starter solenoid won't work. When the bike has been running at speed, your battery will have a higher voltage than it will at 'rest', making up for what you lose in the connectors. When my ES is out, I can plug and unplug the end of the pigtail behind the headlight several times, and then vrooom. (...actually... putt putt )

p.s. i've been meaning to get some dielectric grease all summer

[bob bezin]

today the outside temp is 80 . the starter works  just like when the bike warms up in cooler conditions. a puzzle.oh well i can live with these little idiosyncracys.

[Terri]

Hi again,
Well....all of you guys who said that it was likely the battery were right. I wanted to take the bike out for a ride yesterday, but I had no luck with even kick starting. I tightened down the battery cables, made sure that all the connectors near the battery were solidly connected, but I couldn't get it started.

The damn thing kicked back so hard that I hurt my ankle. I told Buzz (that's my Bullet's name) that I was ready to trade him in for a Honda, since he wouldn't start. But, today I went out, and stuck the battery charger on, and I tried to start it with the ES. It fired right up. I shut it off and tried again, and it starts right away. Whoever said that it was likely a bad cell in the battery wins the trip to Hawaii.

I just got the battery this spring, and all was well until about 2 months into the season. Do you guys recommend the battery from Classic motorworks, or should I look into another heavy duty brand? Again, thanks for all your advice. I need to be able to make it to the Slimey Crud run this fall, so I'm glad that this is an easy fix.

Terri