starting problems

[bentfab]

I've got a 2000 V11 Sport w/ 50,000 + miles. Over the last couple of months it developed a starting problem that I cannot figure out because it is totally random.

 

Bike starts fine 90% of the time, but the rest of the time when I hit ignition switch nothing happens at all, as if the bike is not even turned on.I can hear the feul pump cycle. It has the Bosch relays. They are a few years old, but it's been my experience that when a realy fails, it fails. Not works some time and not others.

 

Sometimes if I just hit the ignition switch again it will start. Sometimes if I turn key off then back on it will start. Sometimes if I put bike in gear and bumb it forward it will then start. If none of those works I push start. Sometimes it starts on first push w/ minimal effort. Other times I can push it up and down the block for half an hour and nothing happens. Then I'll hit the ignition switch and it will fire right up.

 

I was thinking dirty contacts at ignition switch or relay or a lose wire some where, but then why will it not push start and then decide to fire up? Or for that matter if it is a lose wire somewhere why would it fire up when I've done nothing more than hit the ignition switch again.

 

I'd appreciate any input. This is my daily driver.

 

Thanks

[stefano]

I've got a 2000 V11 Sport w/ 50,000 + miles. Over the last couple of months it developed a starting problem that I cannot figure out because it is totally random.

 

Bike starts fine 90% of the time, but the rest of the time when I hit ignition switch nothing happens at all, as if the bike is not even turned on.I can hear the feul pump cycle. It has the Bosch relays. They are a few years old, but it's been my experience that when a realy fails, it fails. Not works some time and not others.

 

Sometimes if I just hit the ignition switch again it will start. Sometimes if I turn key off then back on it will start. Sometimes if I put bike in gear and bumb it forward it will then start. If none of those works I push start. Sometimes it starts on first push w/ minimal effort. Other times I can push it up and down the block for half an hour and nothing happens. Then I'll hit the ignition switch and it will fire right up.

 

I was thinking dirty contacts at ignition switch or relay or a lose wire some where, but then why will it not push start and then decide to fire up? Or for that matter if it is a lose wire somewhere why would it fire up when I've done nothing more than hit the ignition switch again.

 

I'd appreciate any input. This is my daily driver.

 

Thanks

my '02 acts exactly like this about 50% of the time.(although i've not tried to bump start)

you've probably already tried this, but when this happens i turn off the kill switch on right bar, then turn it back on & it will start every time.

good luck, stef

[Tom M]

A common fix for what you are experiencing is to pull the gas tank and clean, lube, and tighten the bullet connectors on the left side of the frame. They connect the sidestand, clutch, and maybe the neutral switch to the starter circuit. At 50k you could have an ignition switch issue too but cleaning up the bullet connectors is a good place to start.

 

I'm exhausted just thinking about trying to bumpstart a V11! That can't be fun.

[bentfab]

I've got a 2000 V11 Sport w/ 50,000 + miles. Over the last couple of months it developed a starting problem that I cannot figure out because it is totally random.

 

Bike starts fine 90% of the time, but the rest of the time when I hit ignition switch nothing happens at all, as if the bike is not even turned on.I can hear the feul pump cycle. It has the Bosch relays. They are a few years old, but it's been my experience that when a realy fails, it fails. Not works some time and not others.

 

Sometimes if I just hit the ignition switch again it will start. Sometimes if I turn key off then back on it will start. Sometimes if I put bike in gear and bumb it forward it will then start. If none of those works I push start. Sometimes it starts on first push w/ minimal effort. Other times I can push it up and down the block for half an hour and nothing happens. Then I'll hit the ignition switch and it will fire right up.

 

I was thinking dirty contacts at ignition switch or relay or a lose wire some where, but then why will it not push start and then decide to fire up? Or for that matter if it is a lose wire somewhere why would it fire up when I've done nothing more than hit the ignition switch again.

 

I'd appreciate any input. This is my daily driver.

 

Thanks

my '02 acts exactly like this about 50% of the time.(although i've not tried to bump start)

you've probably already tried this, but when this happens i turn off the kill switch on right bar, then turn it back on & it will start every time.

good luck, stef

I've tried that, it's the only thing that doesn't seem to help!

[bentfab]

A common fix for what you are experiencing is to pull the gas tank and clean, lube, and tighten the bullet connectors on the left side of the frame. They connect the sidestand, clutch, and maybe the neutral switch to the starter circuit. At 50k you could have an ignition switch issue too but cleaning up the bullet connectors is a good place to start.

 

I'm exhausted just thinking about trying to bumpstart a V11! That can't be fun.

 

Yeah, I think it's time to start taking things apart and cleaning them up.

 

To bumb start you have to put it in second gear and jump on the seat just as you are letting clutch out.

[makarushka]

Hi everyone,

 

I am new to this forum as you can see, this being my first post. I hope it's ok for a newbie to provide some feedback from very recent experience that I strongly believe may be relevant in this case. I recently became an owner of a '01 Rosso Mandello, which was in wonderful shape overall but exhibited some of the common issues, including a completely random, intermittent start problems EXACTLY as described here. I, too, spent quite a bit of time trying to get it going on several occasions. I was almost certain it had to do with the kill switch or ignition.

 

Long story short, in my case the problem turned out to be the switch in the clutch. It was just a matter of taking things apart and cleaning and the thing has been bulletproof since then.

 

Just something to check out.