Help. - im stumped !!!!!

[BrianC]

As some of you will know i have been working on my second storm.

I fixed the front head and then checked the timing etc and im pretty sure i got all that right having done it before on storm one.

One thing i noticed was that the cam chain seemed to get tight on the compression stroke but it was fine at the timing mark. I checked the rear one and it was the same.

Before i did anything else i turned the engine manually and evetything seemed fine. After id changed the oil etc i then span it over on the starter, but with no plugs in and it span really well.

Just waiting for my silencers to be made road legal, read polish the not for road use off!'n.

But i thought id fit the new plugs in readiness, but now when i try and spin it over it is really sluggish and hardly turns over. Ive tried it with a couple of my spare car batteries and also the bike battery, all with the same problem. The jump leads im using from the batteries seem to be getting a bit hot. Ive got a good earth on the frame and tried plenty of other earths to ge sure.

Ive thoroughly cleaned up the contact on the starter motor as i know that can be a problem - no change.

I then removed the airbox again and slacked off both the manual adjusters by three flats and still no change.

Took the plugs out again and it spins no problem.

I have replaced the rear subframe with a freshly powdercoated one - earth problem ?

What am i doing wrong? I have just closed the garage door in frustration and left it !!

Help me out boys

Brian

[VTR Phoenix]

Do a compression test

With the plugs out there is no pressure, with them in there is.

Could be high compression.

Where you attached the earth/ground did you save off a bit of the paint also where the RR attaches?

[BrianC]

Should the back of the rr earth? The screws connecting it to the subframe are drfinitely making a good earth

[VTR Phoenix]

It acts as a heat sync as well and won't dissipate heat as well if it's sitting on powder coat.

Have you mounted the earth/ground elsewhere then? Usually it uses the same bolt as the RR.

[BrianC]

Slight development.

It seems that the subframe was not making earth with the rest of the frame due to the thickness of the powder coat.

Made sure i was getting a half decent earth now, and at least it turns over now with the plugs in, but still not throwing it over as i would like.

All batteries on charge now as i think i might have tired them out. Still not convinced about starter though. Maybe it is failing when it gets under load ie full compression

Still looking forward to your help.

Brian

[Wicky]

Make sure earth path is present where subframe bolts onto main frame and everywhere it should as you've been doing by removing power coat from where it shouldn't be. Also run a wire directly from R/R to negative on battery as well.

[BrianC]

Thanks wicky.

Is that likely to be givng me the lazy starter issues?

Its really pissed me off today !!!!'

Brian

[Cadbury64]

If your current battery is getting on a bit, you'll get a problem just like you describe. The clue is that your jumper leads from the other battery are getting hot, which suggests an internal short in your current battery. Same thing happened on my daughter's car recently, the solenoid was just clicking rapidly but the car wouldn't turn over. Charged the battery, no change. Jumped the car with cables from a known strong battery and a little better but still no starty, and warming cables. New battery: vooom! problem sorted and it didn't come back.

At the very least, try jump starting your bike with the existing battery taken out of the loop e.g. pull off the earth connector. Hope that helps.

[tony.mon]

Suggest that you loosen both manual cct a quarter of a turn and try again.
If it spins faster then do one at a time to see which one is too tight.

[BrianC]

I loosened both by three flats each with no difference at all to the symptom.

Brian

[BrianC]

Won't be able to get in garage until Monday now due to manchester bike show tomorrow and work Sunday.

But as I was driving my Tesco van around today I suddenly thought that i could take the wiring out of the equation of my problem, and just take the power straight onto the starter and if it spins nicely then I know it's a problem with earths or other electrical gremlins !!!

And reason I shouldn't do this?

Brian

[tony.mon]

I once had an issue with the main starter cable itself.
Not the terminal on the starter motor, but the cable.

They have to take a lot of current- cranking amps.

You can try using cooker cable- 7mm plus stuff- and running that alongside the regular main cable.bolt tightly on to the same terminals, but don't overtighten at the starter terminal bolt, just a firm nip up.
Not instead of the main cable, though, as well as.

If it spins up faster then the main cable is at fault.

There is one other possibility.
Did you rebuild the starter motor, or undo the motor's terminal bolt?
It's possible that the bolt isn't properly isolated from the motor body, and there is a partial short.
There should be a fibre insulation washer inside the motor body, then an isolating bit of plastic tube over the bolt keeping it away from the motor body, then another fibre washer on the outside.
If one of those parts has failed , cracked or disappeared that might be the reason.

[BrianC]

Now here is something!!!!!

Charged all my batteries up, and tried the bike again via the switch - same very sluggish performance

Connected battery live direct to solenoid end of the starter cable - still sluggish

Put live battery cable direct to starter motor and it throws it over much much better!!!!

So it looks like you have nailed it Tony !!!!!!!!

Just need to get a new cable now - any ideas chaps???

Also fitted a new reg/rect plug to the wiring loom and done the mod where the live goes directly to the +ve on the battery and the green goes directly to the -ve on the battery - pictures to follow.

A much happier Brian !!!!

[Wicky]

Clean both terminals at either end of the starter cable, otherwise...

https://www.bike-parts-honda.com/pieces ... STORM.html

Put part no. into David Silvers search by part no.

http://www.davidsilverspares.co.uk/part ... rt-number/

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Honda-VTR-VTR ... SwSlBYxnKG though in the photos the connection to the starter is kept hidden and could be also corroded.

[BrianC]

Following on from my previous post here is a picture of the modded reg/rect wiring




And thanks wicky for those links

I did actually try another shorter starter cable I had in stock(probably from a blade) and perfect!!!!

So I took the original cable off and on closer inspection here is what I found!!!!! Im suspecting it just could not carry enough current.