| Author | Message | ||
     Rekrab |
New battery, cleaned ground ( battery to frame) when I hit the starter it might kick once then silent, if I hold starter button and wait it kicks again then no noise, still holding starter button 3 to 10 seconds another kick and then eventually it will start the bike, it doesn't make a difference if I release the button and retry . Has not left me stranded yet, but !!! Any ideas what to look for ? | ||
| Sparky |
It sounds like the battery might not have been fully charged before it was installed. If you can put a DC voltmeter across the battery and press the starter button, it would help to determine if the battery is in good condition or the problem is elsewhere. | ||
| Rekrab |
Had the same problem with the last battery, also have ridden many miles with this issue . Stator is new and charging as it should . | ||
| Dbolemiss |
My 06 does this also, but my signal lights are acting up to. Going to cut in the wiring harness and see if I have some bad wires. I have the new harness clamp ordered. | ||
| Babired |
oh I got a good one for you guys related to power, I think, Trip 1 display read 28. something Trip 2 read about a mile more what gives with that? I have hard starts also, new battery, and battery tender plugged in everyday | ||
| Wesman |
When it stops let off the button and wait a sec for a leak down. Usually a cold engine on a compression stroke. It will go away when the motor breaks in around 25K miles | ||
| Rekrab |
It's a 08 with 55 thousand good miles . The problem is there when warm , cold , release retry ,consistently inconsistent ! | ||
| Sparky |
Before hitting the Start button, try cracking open the throttle slightly, then hit the button holding the throttle open until it makes the first rev, then release the throttle. The idea is that with the throttle open, there is less of a vacuum load the starter has to contend with. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
My 2008 is the same. I may have fixed it by accident when looking for the problem though. I took out the battery to have it tested. It passed every test they could throw at it. I filed the battery terminals flat and also the wires and torqued them down. The rate of cranking is much better now though still not up to the speed of my X1's or my friend's XB12. I will have to investigate the grounding link under the airbox next. | ||
| Rekrab |
Anybody done the starter rebuild , or solenoid ? My problem has to be in one or both . Battery is good charging is good , ground points are clean , solenoid is my next target. Help! | ||
| Scooter808484 |
Mine has done that pretty much every start for the last 33,000 miles. Starts every time. So far. | ||
| Uly_man |
I have tried every thing and think it is down to air temp, engine wear and the position of the engine stroke at the time of starting. Maybe its just a XB thing. Who knows. | ||
| Nobuell |
My 08XT hesitates occasionally when first hitting the button. Mostly when cold. It has done this since day one. I just installed a brand new 220 amp battery and it does the same thing but does seem to spin faster once moving. I agree with Uly man, I believe it to be a combination temperature and position of engine stroke. | ||
| Cpeg |
My 08 does this too, have cleaned checked and added star washers to a fully charged battery, etc. yada yada. I think it is just the nature of the beast and decided to live with it. | ||
| Uly_man |
I sort of look on it like this. You love the person you are with but take on what they are good and bad. Nothing is perfect. A Buell is the last and best of the real bikes. The way it is going you will be lucky if any bikes will be on the road in the future. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Perhaps I should experiment by installing a grounding link between the battery and the engine case nearest the starter. My X1 has this and so does my XLH1000. It seems the most logical place to put a ground => next to the highest current draw. | ||
| Sparky |
I'd put a DC voltmeter between the battery ground lug and where you want to put an additional ground wire near the starter, then while cranking the starter, read the voltmeter. If it only reads a few millivolts, like 10 or less (that is less than 0.010 volts), I wouldn't install a new ground wire. But if it reads more that a 1000 millivolts (that is more than 1.0 volts), then there is something wrong with the existing ground cabling setup and something needs to be done, like clean up or replace existing ground cable connections or add an additional ground wire. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Good point Sparky. I'll get out the ole Fluke before I do anything rash. | ||
| Uly_dude |
try experimenting with the headlights off(you'll have to pull the plug) vs. on. When I had my headlights out for my HID mods, the turned over much quicker than when I had everything plugged in. I'd like to put a toggle switch on my dashboard to turn off all lights for situations like this, or when the charging system starts failing me and I have to limp home. | ||
| Teeps |
My '06 has done the starter hesitation, on first start of the day, from day 1. After the first cold soak start up, the starter does not hesitate for the rest of the day. | ||
| Etennuly |
Mine is the same as Teeps. | ||
| Vwone |
My 08xt is doing the same thing. | ||
| Tootal |
If you have done the low beam on at all times conversion by changing the wires on the lighting connector then your headlight is on during starting since it's no longer on the headlight fuse but on the accessory fuse. Therefore the headlight does not go out during starting putting extra strain on your battery. | ||
| Etennuly |
Greg, you are correct. But my headlight mod was done a couple of years ago, the Uly is now five years old and has done the same since new. It started much better right after installing a new AGM battery. It was back to the same after a year or so. | ||
| Nobuell |
When I did the dual head light mod and added my low beam HID lights, I added a switch to the added low beam relay. I did not want the HID electronics subjected to the electrical surges during start-up but I did get the added benefit of a lower load on the battery during start-up. The switch is on the left hand bar.  | ||
| Tootal |
Hey Vern, I concur but just thought every little bit helps. I had done the wire swap a long time ago but I was having some starting problems too so I put it back to stock and soldered a jumper wire at the light switch which keeps everything on the correct fuse. Now my light goes out at start up but it didn't cure my problem, it ended up being the battery. My shorted stator evidently fried the battery. Even with a new AGM battery it will still stall slightly if the pistons on the compression stroke. | ||
| Etennuly |
Damn the long stroke and hi compression anyways!  How about we call it normal if starts every time and it does not wipe out your odo memory? | ||
| Ronmold |
I agree with Et, it's just the feisty, rebellious nature of the Thunderstorm, I rather enjoy it's attitude as long as it always starts and it has. | ||
| Mculy |
Hi everyone, Just want to put my 2 cents to this discussion. I have a 06 ULY with only 9500 kms on it. I bought it last year with low mileage on it. It was lazy to start from the beginning and after a bit of research here and on UKBEG I thought it was a bad earth problem. I made up an earth lead and connected it directly to the engine from the battery as well as cleaning up the originals. It made no difference but at least it might prevent my fuel pump from getting fried in the future. Voltage and charging seemed ok but the battery was a cheap brand that I didn't recognise so I replaced it with a Bosch. The old one is still starting my ride-on so it wasn't too bad. Starting was still lazy so I have developed a technique that works every time. I hit the starter button for a second to push the pistons to the top of the stroke and release, then I wait a second and proceed to start the engine, it doesn't hesitate the second time and starts immediately. Hope this is of some use, at least it means that compression must still be good. | ||
| Rekrab |
Thank for all the comments and suggestions. My starter doesn't just hesitate it will not engage at all sometimes for 8 to 10 seconds then may be take two revolutions then pause again for many seconds before engaging again, and then maybe two revolutions or maybe go into normal starter motor mode, this can go on for 30 seconds or more. It makes no difference if I release the switch or hold it down. I have no modes to lights etc. And electronics ( odometer etc.) Do not reset or do anything abnormal. Has anybody ever cleaned the solenoid plunger ? If so any advice. | ||
| Dbolemiss |
So before I order, Is the AGM Battery X2-15L a good choice? This is the right one with no fitment problems? http://www.batteriesplus.com/product/40578-X2--15L -X2-Power-AGM-Battery/558-CC/3990-Motorcycle-Batte ries/138257-Buell/XB12X-Ulysses/1200CC-2006-to-200 9.aspx | ||
| Uly_man |
I sort of find the same as Mculy. Part of it is the v-twin engine thing. I have had others and they have not been great either. I get the idea that it is resistance on the compression stroke, of the engine, from the last run. In other words fuel in one or other of the cylinders plus new fueling on starting. It does make sense if you think on it. I seem to recall, in years past, that some engines had a "do-hicky" on them to stop this sort of thing. I have designed a "starting device" to help with this problem. It is a big long crank handle which you use to hit people who laugh at your Buells starting problems. Its cheap and you cant beat a cheap laugh. Only joking Guys. | ||
| Etennuly |
Dbolemiss, I just got my new battery from O'Reilly's it is an ETX14 AGM. It is what I got last time and is a direct fit. | ||
| Dbolemiss |
Thanks Etennuly, I guess it held up pretty good the first go around. I'll check into it. |
