Starting problem. Can anyone solve this one?

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For a few days now my storm has struggled on occasion to start although sometimes no prob at all. A strange phenomenon is when it struggled to start I found that pulling in the clutch lever allowed it to start as normal (strange).
Well started it up fine last night and rode to pub. When I tried to start it at the end of the night it just clicked. Checked battery terminals and they were tight. Lights etc all burn brightly. Left it inside pub tonight. Anyone know what the problem is with the electrics?
I'll go to bike with jump leads tomorrow and hopefully start it that way. But even if that starts it, there's still evidently a problem there somewhere!
I'd appreciate any tips. I was wondering if the starter motor is shorting. Where is the starter motor on a storm?

[MacV2]

For a few days now my storm has struggled on occasion to start although sometimes no prob at all. A strange phenomenon is when it struggled to start I found that pulling in the clutch lever allowed it to start as normal (strange).
Well started it up fine last night and rode to pub. When I tried to start it at the end of the night it just clicked. Checked battery terminals and they were tight. Lights etc all burn brightly. Left it inside pub tonight. Anyone know what the problem is with the electrics?
I'll go to bike with jump leads tomorrow and hopefully start it that way. But even if that starts it, there's still evidently a problem there somewhere!
I'd appreciate any tips. I was wondering if the starter motor is shorting. Where is the starter motor on a storm?

On the front bottom right of engine, hidden by the belly pan. Check the connection by removing the rubber boot, quite often badly corroded.

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Thanks for that. I'll do that. Is that the starter motor?

[Wicky]

Starter Motor -at the front hidden by the small belly pan about the size of a big can of beans (see pic)





Also check the terminal connections on the battery are clean and tight - and with it sometimes starting with the clutch in, that could be a sign your neutral switch is on the way out.

http://images.wemoto.com/full/ELECTRICAL/10001635.jpg (nr the sidestand)

[VTRDark]

Try charging the battery overnight. Nothing strange about it being easier with the clutch pulled in as it will be disengaged from the engine, therefore less resistance.

(:-})

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I'll go to pub now and first I'll use jump leads from the car. If it starts that would suggest a flat battery. If it doesn't start I'll have a look at the starter motor connections.

Damned embarrasing it was. Half the pub came out to see what a storm sounds like with race cans and all they heard was a 'click'.

[tony.mon]

At least you had plenty of people to help push start it.

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I left it inside the pub and went home in a taxi. Visited the bike this afternoon and it started right as rain on jump leads from the car so obviously a drained battery, but why? Must be a short somewhere. First place I'll look is the starter motor terminals as pointed out above.

[VTRDark]

Could be just an old battery that's knackered, past it's sell by/usage date. Charge it up and keep eye and monitor how things go. It may be worth getting a multimeter out and checking the R/R and charging system.

(:-))

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The battery is only 3 months old, as is the regulator.
Charged up in seconds from the jump leads so possibly a short at standstill. Yep, the multimeter sounds a good plan. I don't have one but the bike garage does. I'll see how it goes for a while and carry some jump leads in a tank bag just in case.