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Electric starter malfunction
Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:33 pm
by Harryb
Hi,
I have a 2016 Classic C5. The starter will not turn the engine. Battery is fully charged and it will start with kickstart. When pressing starter switch there is a loud buzzing noise but it does not turn the engine. Any advice would be helpful.
Re: Electric starter malfunction
Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2020 9:50 pm
by Adrian
Is this the original battery? Could be it still has enough juice for kick-starting but has deteriorated enough so as not to cope with the load of the Electric starter as well. Other option is the starter relay/solenoid has packed up.
A.
Re: Electric starter malfunction
Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2020 4:23 am
by Cranky
Battery wrong way round.
Re: Electric starter malfunction
Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2020 2:33 pm
by Chris [Stockport]
Bad earth?
Easy enough to check....
Good luck, C:
Re: Electric starter malfunction
Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2020 4:49 pm
by Harryb
Finally got round to sorting it.
Adrian was spot on - not enough juice in battery, so new battery sorted the problem.
Thanks for all replies.
I wonder if these small batteries are up to the job of electric starting. I never wanted an electric starter on my first Enfield which started like a dream but when you have one, it has to work.
Re: Electric starter malfunction
Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2020 5:16 pm
by windmill john
Interesting observation... well I think so
I’ve not had my 500 Classic 2017 too long. Lately, I’ve kick started it a few times. Generally it requires fewer turn overs than the electric start to start.
My battery is fine, so it makes me think that the supply to coils, EFI etc isn’t high enough when the starter has taken its bit.
Re: Electric starter malfunction
Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2020 5:21 pm
by PeteF
The kick starter on the efi models isn't brilliant or I would use it more. Useful to free the clutch though.
Re: Electric starter malfunction
Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2020 5:39 pm
by Trev
PeteF wrote: ↑Fri Oct 30, 2020 5:21 pm
The kick starter on the efi models isn't brilliant or I would use it more. Useful to free the clutch though.
Agreed, one of the worse kick starts I've ever used. Not great in the first place and my 2008's is now a little worn in the swivel joint so 'opens up' that bit further and is all but useless.
On the battery issue, I replaced the wet cell battery (my second in six years) with a Lithum Ion version and starting is superb on the button + a fair bit of weight saved and no nasty acid spill when the bike gets laid down
Re: Electric starter malfunction
Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2020 6:25 pm
by Wheaters
Being a "kickstart only" owner, I've often wondered if it's physically possible to use the kickstarter at the same time as pressing the starter button. A bit of mutual help, as it were.
Re: Electric starter malfunction
Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2020 6:51 pm
by windmill john
Wheaters wrote: ↑Fri Oct 30, 2020 6:25 pm
Being a "kickstart only" owner, I've often wondered if it's physically possible to use the kickstarter at the same time as pressing the starter button. A bit of mutual help, as it were.
I may struggle with electrics, but you’d be in a world of hurt doing that. The kickstart mechanism would be running at a different speed to the electric leg for a start. Whilst I do not know the RE innards, if I tried this on a CB500T, my Transalp, any number of Janapese models, I could imagine possibly jamming the starter chain, or snatching it badly possibly. Everything could freewheel and you might be fine, I wouldn’t want to try though.
We need a guinea pig
