Sprint 2010 St Starting Issue

neil1975 · Jul 12, 2020

My bike makes a click noise. The battery is fully charged, it goes through the ignition priming process, lights and dial do the dance. I can hear the pump prime. I press the starer and "click" then everything starts again. Any ideas?

Triumphal385 · Jul 12, 2020

Have you done anything to the bike, since it last functioned correctly?

I had similar with mine recently, fault turned out to be me. I trapped & shorted a wire, when fitting crash bars.

neil1975 · Jul 12, 2020

Looking back through my previous posts( few years back) it's doing the same. It turned out to be the starter relay, so I am hoping that is the reason. Just out of curiousity, what causes the starter relay to go?

Triumphal385 · Jul 12, 2020

There can be several causes, but commonly, it is pitting and carbon build on the contacts, caused by either rapid and excessive activation, or insufficient battery current. N.B. The battery may have full voltage, but an internal defect, may cause low current. That is the same effect, for both the solenoid and the relay.

The starter relay, removes power to the headlights, whilst the starter is operated, to enable the battery to give its maximum output, to the starter motor. Common advice, is that if you hear a click, then the solenoid is good, however, that is not an absolute. A bench test will give an absolute.

Both the solenoid and relay are easy to remove and bench test. If they test as good, next I would conduct a load test on the battery. After that, would be connections and wire integrity, for which a circuit diagram is a must. A Haynes manual is normally a good investment.

Hope that helps in some way.

neil1975 · Jul 13, 2020

Bike is now in the garage and the battery is goosed, not holding its charge. Not that bad, New battery. However starter motor is also goosed wear and tear 10yrs. He has done some checks and apparently their are numerous starters for my bike. Checked the VIN against the list to get the exact one. He gave me the price to supply and fit starter and battery. I woke up about 10 minutes later.
Does anybody anywhere in the North East to refurbish starter motors? TIA

Triumphal385 · Jul 13, 2020

When I was looking earlier this year, I found a google listing which sold refurbished starter motors. I also found on eBay both salvage units from breakers and kits to do your own refurb.
Typically, salvage was around £80, and refurb kit around £40.
Doing your own change out of the starter motor is quite straight forwards. In the end, mine was ok. Had replacement been needed, I’d have gone salvage, in the first instance.
Hope you get a solution.