Electrics cutting out on pressing ignition - sometimes!

I've recently put my bike back together following a crash at the end of last year that required the top fairing to be replaced but my bike now seems to have an intermittent fault. Several times when I've come to start the bike all the electrics have gone off when the starter button is pressed.

During the time the bike was off the road it was hooked up to an optimiser and ran several times - it started each time with no problems.

I ran the bike several times after I got it back together. When I came to take the bike out for a ride for the first time I put the key it, turned it to 'on' and when I pressed the starter button all the electrics went off. The fuses were all fine so I checked the connectors and everything came back on.

The bike started several times after that and a few days later I came to start my bike in the morning and again everything went off until the same connector was adjusted. The connector in question I've since discovered is the starter relay.

The bike again worked for several days and then same problem and solution this morning!

Anybody had a similar problem? Any ideas why the problem has only happened when the bike has been left stationary?

I don't think it's the recent cold weather as it's worked just fine on some very cold mornings and failed on days like today that were ok.

[Sid Squid]

Check all the connections are secure, check the multipin connector on the solenoid as it sounds as if the spades are not gripping correctly.

Also check inside your starter button housing since switch cuts off power to lights and stuff when bike is cranking. May be sticking.

[Sid Squid]

Originally Posted by zadar

Also check inside your starter button housing since switch cuts off power to lights and stuff when bike is cranking. May be sticking.

I think that may be applicable to US spec bikes, and perhaps other non UK models, I don't think any of ours do this.

It actually started in 05 I believe. You can tell by two extra wires in that connector.

Originally Posted by Sid Squid

Check all the connections are secure, check the multipin connector on the solenoid as it sounds as if the spades are not gripping correctly.

I'll second that, one of the pins on the relay may have failed and not be making good connections.
I'm in the process of replacing mine thanks to the exact same fault.

And check terminals are tight on the battery. As I spent a rather long time when this happened to me looking for a loose connector block only to find the positive terminal connector had come loose.

Thanks for all the comments, I'll check everything at weekend.

I've tried leaving the bike in the 'on' position and then twiddling the connector and the lights went (and stayed dim) until I pulled on the wire! At one point the display did what it does on startup and showed everything. The bike didn't go off totally though.

[Sid Squid]

That would certainly point to the connector in question not making good contact.

And the prize* goes to Stig!

This morning my heated grips packed in, then on the way home from work a quick beep at a car driver revealed the horn sounded like it was dying and finally connecting the battery optimiser when I got home greeted me with flashing lights and a horrid buzzing!

I checked the battery and the positive terminal was loose! A quick look at the starter relay connector that previously appeared to be the problem showed that it had a short cable connected directly to the positive terminal which should explain why wiggling that caused/fixed problems.

Hopefully that's the end of all my problems now and the bike will go back to being very reliable.

Thanks everyone.


*The prize being that feeling of smugness that comes from being right