DR650 electrical problem

[Acajou]

I'm hoping someone can help me. I went out for a ride today and after watering the hedges I climbed back on the bike and hit the starter button. Nothing. I bump started the bike and rode it home. There doesn't seem to be anything wrong mechanically.

Now, every time I turn the key to the "on" position, the idiot lights flash once and go off. I can also hear a clicking/crackling sound. The lights then slowly come back on. If I hit the starter button, everything goes off and then slowly comes back on. I took the seat off to see if there are any loose connections, but I couldn't find anything. I reconnected the sidestand switch, but it made no difference. If I hit the starter with the seat off, I can hear a clicking/crackling sound coming from the black box behind the battery. The headlight doesn't work, nor do the spots. Both taillights work. Only the left indicators work 

Unfortunately I don't have the mind for electrics and as a rule I stay away from wires, so please talk slowly 

[Kykdaar]

Start at your battery and follow the cable to the starter relay, and from there to the starter motor.

Use your multimeter to measure whether power, and how much, gets through to the starter motor via the relay when you press the starter button.

[Kykdaar]

Look here

[Kykdaar]

Some more diagrams to help you along

[sidetrack]

Easiest way put a multimeter over the battery terminals and measure voltage when starting bike, sound to me like the battery cannot deliver enough current. Even if it's farly new batteries can go anytime. Next I will check the main fuse / connection for good contact.

[Acajou]

Easiest way put a multimeter over the battery terminals and measure voltage when starting bike, sound to me like the battery cannot deliver enough current. Even if it's farly new batteries can go anytime. Next I will check the main fuse / connection for good contact.

Measured the voltage over the battery and it seems ok (12.7V). I don't think it's the battery, because as I said, this happened probably 50km's into a ride and I had it on a battery tender for the whole day yesterday. Checked the fuse and it's still good and firmly attached.

Start at your battery and follow the cable to the starter relay, and from there to the starter motor.

Use your multimeter to measure whether power, and how much, gets through to the starter motor via the relay when you press the starter button.

Unfortunately I'm too stupid to find the starter motor. I found the starter relay as shown in the pic in the manual, but I couldn't find the wires going out. Maybe I had the wrong thing? Is it the object which holds the 30A blade fuse? I measured it anyway, 9.7V without hitting the button, and 6V while hitting the button.

Look here

According to this chart I have a faulty or poorly connected starter relay, as there is no clicking when I hit the starter button and I measured voltage on the relay-battery leads.

[sidetrack]

Easiest way put a multimeter over the battery terminals and measure voltage when starting bike, sound to me like the battery cannot deliver enough current. Even if it's farly new batteries can go anytime. Next I will check the main fuse / connection for good contact.

Measured the voltage over the battery and it seems ok (12.7V). I don't think it's the battery, because as I said, this happened probably 50km's into a ride and I had it on a battery tender for the whole day yesterday. Checked the fuse and it's still good and firmly attached.

Start at your battery and follow the cable to the starter relay, and from there to the starter motor.

Use your multimeter to measure whether power, and how much, gets through to the starter motor via the relay when you press the starter button.

Unfortunately I'm too stupid to find the starter motor. I found the starter relay as shown in the pic in the manual, but I couldn't find the wires going out. Maybe I had the wrong thing? Is it the object which holds the 30A blade fuse? I measured it anyway, 9.7V without hitting the button, and 6V while hitting the button.

Look here

According to this chart I have a faulty or poorly connected starter relay, as there is no clicking when I hit the starter button and I measured voltage on the relay-battery leads.

Is that 12.7V even when you hit the starter button ?

[subie]

This just sounds like battery problems. Either dirty or loose terminal connections or battery on its way out.

[Acajou]

I am willing to admit that it may be the battery. I tested it again and this time it went from 12.7V to 4.2 when I hit the starter. Second time it dropped down to 2.7V. I just don't understand how it could have gone so quickly? It started twice today and then died after 40km's of riding.

[sidetrack]

I am willing to admit that it may be the battery. I tested it again and this time it went from 12.7V to 4.2 when I hit the starter. Second time it dropped down to 2.7V. I just don't understand how it could have gone so quickly? It started twice today and then died after 40km's of riding.

Well there you go 

[Acajou]

I don't want to be Julius Malema about this, but now I'm not sure it's the battery anymore. Even after charging it fully (once fully charged, all the lights and indicators work again), it doesn't even make a clicking sound. Just one click when I hit the button, which sounds more like a short than a real click, and then nothing. Shouldn't even a shot battery be making a clicking sound from the solenoid/thingamabob?

Anyway, I'm going to clean the battery terminals and terminal connections, recharge the battery and replace the fuse and see how that goes. After that it's off to a professional, who will hopefully not break it any further (high hopes).

P.S. Can I test my battery myself with a multimeter, or does it need to go to a battery testing place?

[Kykdaar]

Although your battery charges it may not be able to handle a load placed on it. Suggest you have the battery tested (for free) by someone like battery centre before incurring more expense?

[sidetrack]

Dude your battery is moertoe I'm 99% convinced  There is a big difference between being fully charged and having to produce amps when starting, battery can die overnight or over a period of time they are weird things. Jump to your cars battery or see if you can borrow someone else s and test again, sure it will start.

[Acajou]

Dude your battery is moertoe I'm 99% convinced  There is a big difference between being fully charged and having to produce amps when starting, battery can die overnight or over a period of time they are weird things. Jump to your cars battery or see if you can borrow someone else s and test again, sure it will start.

Haha sorry mate, I'm a malema when it comes to technical stuff. I've jumped a bike from a car before, but I didn't really like doing it and I blew a fuse (and destroyed a battery too). How would you recommend I do it? Red to red on the bike's battery, and black to the bike's frame?

[lecap]

Take a car battery
Remove your bikes battery
Take jumper leads
Connect positive terminal of car battery via one jumper lead to bike battery terminal with red rubber cap
Connect negative battery terminal to the other battery cable on the bike

Make sure you don't make shorts with the jumper leads. put a blanket or folded newspaper between jumper lead clamps and bike or ask some one to hold them clear and apart from each other.

Switch on bikes ignition
Start normally
Realise that everything works perfectly
Switch off.
Remove jumper leads.
Take bike battery to shop for recycling
Buy new bike battery. Avoid riff raff brands or "This one is just as good and almost fits" replacements. Buy a Yuasa YTX9BS or the Motobatt equivalent.
Fit new battery.

[lecap]

And BTW batteries almost all the time die spontaneously. Even more if they are pampered by a maintenance charger which will mask that the batteries self discharge rate has gone through the roof. Until a plate is distorted enough to short or break and kills it.

[sidetrack]

Agree Yuasa or Motobatt

[Acajou]

I replaced the battery this morning and it fired right up. I suppose this is another lesson in Occam's Razor for me.

I must say that I am not very impressed with motorcycle batteries at the moment. They've let me down more times than I can count in less than two years of riding. I should've bought a bike with a kickstarter 

Thanks for all the help