Well its time to get off me 'arris and sort me baby, am lookin at an exhaust this weekend. But, my main problem is that she wont start up, and I'm no good with electrics.
Shes been standing for a year and a half. bout 6 months ago I tried to start her up, put key in - got no lights, petrol pump didnt even gurgle (battery is not at fault). But I can arc the solonoid with a screwdriver and she will turn - beyond this im not sure where to go next. Does the starter solonoid need replacing? or where do i start looking electric wise?
as an aside, when we tried to start her she had been standing in our living room for bout a year, for the last 6 months she has been outside


Thanks in advance, im really not lookin forward to this (standing outside in this weather) lol but its got to be done

First stop is check whether the push button for the starter is making any contact. If it isn't, then try giving it a squirt of contact cleaner (or WD40, though some will say not).

If still no joy, we'll look at something else

well, I did briefly think of this...... but theres no power in the first place for lights or the petrol pump, even tho the battery is fully juiced. Powers getting to the solonoid but doesnt appear to be going anywhere else.

Ooer, that's less than good.

Have a check of all the fuses. Even if they look good, pull each one out & give the contacts a clean up, before replacing.

Next check that the ignition switch is doing it's job. You'll probably need a manual for this though & I wouldn't know where to start with any advice.

Good luck though.

I assume that you just short across the solonoid, so shows that there is power getting to the live end. From memory this end comes straight from the battery? It is the control circuitry that goes via the ignition switch/kill switch, etc?

My guess that it is something up that end - do you have a haynes manual with cicruit diagrams (and maybe someone who can wave a volt meter in the correct place?)

One othe thought, off the battery there is normally more than one cable, are all the cables connected OK? On a ford escort I once owned, a small wire fell off the battery and the whole car died.


Hope this helps

There will be a thick cable going to the starter and another going to earth. There should be another wire from the same side of the battery as the starter lead taking power to the fuses and ignition switch. Check that you have power along these wires by using a test lamp or a proper electrical screwdriver (with a tell tale lamp in the handle and an earth clip on a wire). Follow the live feed through until there is no light and you have isolated the problem. Usually it's corrosion on the contacts or spade connectors which can be cleaned with a small wire brush or emery cloth/tape.

So.... (bear with me).. I take it a test meter will do the job - cause I got one of those - I connect battery, put key in ignition pos 1 and check/clean/check connections between battery and ignition but ignore the lead that goes to starter.... ?

so could the starter solonoid be ok? its just ive got to go pick up some bits at the weekend, and I was thinking I may need a new one...

well thanks for the help so far guys, id better dust down the voltmeter and manual for saturday morning

Solenoid could be ok, it may just not be getting the message to work. Have you got a clutch lever switch? They're always going wrong.

If you've got no electrics at all even though the battery is good it sounds like a main fuse that'll be hidden somewhere, or the ignition switch is faulty.

Hey neighbour! You've got mail

The solenoid needs a start fron the small lead that goes to it. That shot of power comes from the battery via the starter switch. You need to know that power is going from the battery via the smaller wire to the fusebox and then the handlebar switches first. If you have no lights etc the fault could be on the way to the ignition switch, in the switch or in the fusebox.

Like this .... I've left the starter motor out as you know it spins when you short across the solenoid




You need to check your main fuse, then check at the fusebox that one side of the fuses are live when you turn the ignition on. If not, then the switch is faulty or there's a break in the wire to or from it.

Just had another thought (how amazing!!!); have a check on the kill switch too. If that's got gunged up, then that'll stop it starting as well.

thank you fastfitter


*runs away and cries*


i cant think about this anymore on valentines night, the boyf is gettin a bit annoyed. funny, that.....

thanks e&b, im thinkin bout how to squeeze the bike through the porch so i dont have to worry bout takin bits off with numb fingers......

From the circuit diagram, has to be the feed to the ignition switch or the switch it self - main fure is the best guess - but what has caused it to go might be the next thing to sort out.

PM me if I can help

I would always check the fuse first as it's the simplest!