Bike wont start, suggestions please.

Just getting the bike out (I know criminal isn't it?)

Any it wont start, when I press the starter button, it just buzz's

I've tracked the buzz down to a little black box next to the battery.

Any idea what it is?

Think mine did that when the battery was nearly dead.
Do you have a charger.....You'd need to leave it charging a while though as I think to start the bike and keep it ticking over it needs to draw a fair amount of Amps.

Not 100% sure of any issues about jump starting it from another 12v power source. I'd check with a sparky guru first.

Good Luck
Rosco

Aye you can jump start it from another 12 volt sorce, like a car but don't have the car running at the time, can't remember why but you are better to have the car switched off

Davie

Remember to check the side stand cut out isn't stuck in with crud too.

Pete it sure does sound like the battery died over winter. Have a go at charging it or bumpimg the bike off. How old is the battery? Think mine expired at 7 years old.

Mine also did something like that the other year and it was the battery - you don't have an alarm on it do you? That killed 2 of my batteries at less than 2 years in :(

The battery was knackered thanks.

But that's not the reason why the bike wouldn't turn over.

It appears that I have been negligent, and I've had an oil leak.

Complacently I've not checked the oil for a while, so when I started the bike and it intially ran for a minute or two, it was doing it dry, and the reason it stopped is because it seized.

There's a lesson for us all, I kicking myself.

Anyway, I'm going to take the engine out, but it would probably be easier to replace it rather than try and do anything with it.

If anyone knows of a decent T-cat engine, or best places to look, with reasonable mileage - give me shout - looks like 2011 might be spent in the garage rather than the dales.

JAM wrote:The battery was knackered thanks.

But that's not the reason why the bike wouldn't turn over.

It appears that I have been negligent, and I've had an oil leak.

Complacently I've not checked the oil for a while, so when I started the bike and it intially ran for a minute or two, it was doing it dry, and the reason it stopped is because it seized.

There's a lesson for us all, I kicking myself.

Anyway, I'm going to take the engine out, but it would probably be easier to replace it rather than try and do anything with it.

If anyone knows of a decent T-cat engine, or best places to look, with reasonable mileage - give me shout - looks like 2011 might be spent in the garage rather than the dales.

Oh no - that is terrible news JAM.
Hope it doesn't cost too much.

Oh no! Sorry to hear you're bad news - you've killed a 'cat!!

Hope you manage to find a new engine. I'll have a word with Mechy and see if he has any contacts. Be good to catch up sometime this year. You can do it. Keep us informed.

Cheers,
Chris

Thats terrible news mate, how did you manage to miss 3 litres of engine oil escaping? makes a lot of mess does 3 litres.

yamahamad wrote:Pete it sure does sound like the battery died over winter. Have a go at charging it or bumpimg the bike off. How old is the battery? Think mine expired at 7 years old.

Very good question!

I'm not mechanically skilled, but I am learning. I these things:

1: the engine has seized, I don't know how bad,but it won't turn. It did turn just the other day.

2: there was very little oil in it, I put in at least 1lt and it didn't get to the window.

3: when I took off the plastic yesterday there was lots of oil residue near the sump area.

4: I haven't checked the oil in a long time, I mean 2 -3 years. The mileage I've done in that time is less than 1000.... Much less. I was going to change the oil and filter this year. It's just complacency.

My next move is to remove the plugs and see if it'll turn over without the pressure.

I don't have much mechanical experience so I'm doing it bit by bit a hour or so every night, so it'll take me a while.




My next move is to remove the plugs and see if the engine will turn.

Taking the plugs out is a good idea & could possibly reveal a lot about the internals of the engine. I would drain out the oil & measure the quantity to see if it had any left at all, obviously need to minus the litre you put in. From what i can remember the red oil warning light comes on when low by as little as half litre.
Keep us informed mate & good luck.

Hi mate

Where are you? Might be someone nearby with idea's/spanners to help.

Also, I can't remember but does the oil light indicate pressure or level?

stretchie_ wrote:Hi mate

Where are you? Might be someone nearby with idea's/spanners to help.

Also, I can't remember but does the oil light indicate pressure or level?

Oil level, there is no pressure warning light.

Was the bike running when it seized? It's not impossible but unlikely to have seized whilst turning over on the starter motor. Good luck but try seeing if you can free it up by hand first

Okay.

Emptied the oil out of the engine, and it had loads in it.

So I don't feel so bad now in that regard.

I've taken the plugs out (they looked fine) and it still wont turn.

It's stuck solid, tried turning by hand at the back wheel - no chance.

I'm at a loss to explain why it has seized.

Any ideas?

It has 23K on it, I've only done about 1K in the last 3 years, it's garaged.

As I said it started when I first got it out and ran for about 2-3mins before it stopped

Sounds possibly like a blocked oil passage? Old oil can turn like jelly in narrow oil ways thus starving the motor, the cam is the most suspect area & if so you may find only the top end is locked up.
If you can't free it by hand then It's engine out & pop the head off for a closer look. Might not be as bad as you think with a little bit of luck.
Tell tale sign is usually componants have turned blue from excessive heat.

Starter motor jamed pull it of stick the bike in 6th gear and see if the engine will turn useing the rear wheel, the chains not broken preventing it from turning?

yamahamad wrote:

stretchie_ wrote:Hi mate

Where are you? Might be someone nearby with idea's/spanners to help.

Also, I can't remember but does the oil light indicate pressure or level?

Oil level, there is no pressure warning light.

Cheers dude, wasn't sure

furball wrote:Starter motor jamed pull it of stick the bike in 6th gear and see if the engine will turn useing the rear wheel, the chains not broken preventing it from turning?

And the winner is, yes, thankyou furball.

I pulled the starter motor this morning and the engine turned easily.

Nightmare over.

Great news matey Chuffed it was sommat simples.

So what's next ? New,fresh oil and filter new set of plugs fully charged battery and hey ho here we go season off to a stuttered start.

What a relief! Glad you got an easy result.

That is great news mate. How much is a replacement starter?

Nice one always start with the easy things first, i would buy some cheep oil run it for a few miles drop the oil and change the filter, then put the oil of your choice in..

Hope all goes well from here


Davie

PS: Put a wee bit of oil on the starter motor then with some jump leads from a battery on to the starter see if it spins freely , if all's well pop it back in, and it should be good to go..

Hi JAM

That is great news.

You'll need to come all the way up the Heelands to Big Mac to but Davie and pint now

Cheers
Rosco