Unofficial Royal Enfield Community Forum
Royal Enfield Motorcycles => Bullet Electra & AVL => Topic started by: crkennedy1 on August 31, 2012, 06:29:09 pm
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Hi Guys, I need your help! Over the last couple of days I have not been able to start my Elecrta with the ignition. I've been able to kick-start it just fine, but when I try to use the ignition I hear this sputtering sound. It sounds like it's coming form something located just under my seat. Any ideas what's going on? Any assistance would be appreciated! Thanks, Christopher
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Hi Guys, I need your help! Over the last couple of days I have not been able to start my Elecrta with the ignition.
****I think you mean starter, not ignition. Ignition is the system that shoots a spark to the spark plug.
I've been able to kick-start it just fine, but when I try to use the ignition I hear this sputtering sound.
**** You need less charge in the battery to kick-start. "This sputtering sound" is the starter solenoid clicking.
It sounds like it's coming form something located just under my seat.
****The starter solenoid is in the left side case.
Any ideas what's going on?
****My first guess is your battery's low. It wants to be charged back up.
****Then you gotta figure out WHY it's low.
****If you're going to continue to use your electric start a lot especially if you make lots of short trips (start stop start start stop start....) you're probably going to have a consistently low battery. I Never use my starter; avoid it like the plague.
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I can tell you that when I put in a brand new, sealed battery this spring, I was quite surprised that my starter fired right up. However, even with my daily commute of 10 miles in/10 miles out (lots of traffic lights in between and only about 3 miles each way of continuous 35-55mph riding) it is NOT enough to keep the battery charged enough to e-start. If I try, I get a very week, wrr-wrr-wrr and then nothing. Kicks real easy though.
I recall someone posting here that pre-UCE e-start bikes need about 30 minutes of continuous riding to keep the battery charged, but don't take my word for it.
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Probably just need a new battery.
If your making short runs, leave your lights off if you can get away with it.
I leave mine off quite often usually because I forget to turn them on. I've passed a few cops and none have come after me yet.
Get a Battery Tender if you don't have one. Hook it up, that'll take care of the charging problem
Bare
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As an FYI, I hooked the battery up to a charger and let it charge all night (about 7 hours), and it still sputtered when I tried to start it up. The battery was replaced at the beginning of the summer, so it's about four momths old.
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Check the large battery cables where they attach to the battery, to the starter solenoid and the frame. A loose or corroded cable won't carry the amount of current needed so even with a fully charged battery it can cause the starter solenoid to kick in and out rapidly.
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1. Check the battery at rest. In theory it should be 13.8 DC but 12.5 DC will do. Check with the bike running and over 1,500 RPM's. Should be about 14 volts DC.
2. Check the starter relay