Okay so my bike has been sitting for a few months.

Go to start-er-up and all I get is the loud click from the solenoid, nothing else. Battery is fully charged, all the other electrical works great (horn, bright headlamp, turn signals).

The start switch is on, bike is in neutral, plenty of gas, have the choke on and fuel on Prime setting. Even have the manual for the thing, but I have no clue what could be causing this. Damn thing ran fine last time I took her out.

2/18/2007 3:32:00 PM

try tapping the starter with something. check all of your electrical connections to the starter and the starter relay/solenoid also. not uncommon for a starter to freeze/stick if it's been sitting a while. especially anywhere moisture can get at it.

2/18/2007 3:34:53 PM

try pulling in the clutch.

2/18/2007 3:44:25 PM

if it's one of the "no start" safety switches, he wouldn't be hearing the relay/solenoid clicking. even if it wasn't, the clutch shouldn't matter if it's actually in neutral.

[Edited on February 18, 2007 at 3:48 PM. Reason : .]

2/18/2007 3:48:05 PM

hey it's a good time to get a new bike anyway..

2/18/2007 3:58:30 PM

is the same bike igor and i worked on?

2/18/2007 4:21:24 PM

yo Tyler, sorry, my phone died in the middle of conversation and i just got home to where i could get a hold of a charger.

as far as the bike goes, i think Big Blue might be right. If it would be loose connection it would do the same thing but then your lights would cut off until you switch the ignition on and off and i thats the case.

either that or possibly a starter relay issue.

hook up a multimeter if you have one and see if your starter is getting current when you push the button. that will narrow it down.

2/18/2007 7:39:47 PM

yea i think its probably a fucked starter. I ran through all the "no start" safety switches, since that's what kept me boggled the last time the fucker wouldnt start.

I made damn sure the clutch is actually in neutral, bike rolls freely and I shifted up and down just in case.

Yea I forgot to take the multimeter with me today, I figured I'd end up having to trace the starter/solenoid anyway. I'll try to get out there this week again and report back.

Quote :

"hey it's a good time to get a new bike anyway.."

I love this shitty bike. As long as I ride her every few weeks she has been super reliable. Quick startups, even idle and good performance for a bike with as much mileage as this one.

Thanks guys!

2/18/2007 9:12:05 PM

my '81 xs650 was the shit, starter never worked right, but it had a kickstarter and it fired right up every time

2/18/2007 10:47:27 PM

my 83 nighthawk 750 was a royal POS... it was fun though.

2/19/2007 1:45:04 AM

Are you talking about the old bike you bought from me? I had a lot of fun with it. I don't know about motorcycles, but sometimes the starter will lock up on my grandfather's 140 Farmall, and all you have to do is put it in gear and rock it till it wiggles past the bad spot. the bendix has to be engaged for that ,though

2/19/2007 7:12:57 AM

^yep

2/19/2007 1:15:34 PM

i just push the bike down a hill hop on and let the clutch go in second gear...i have done it many times on my old nighthawk

2/19/2007 6:30:23 PM

yah i'd try that too real men dont need starters

2/19/2007 6:36:03 PM

I do because im in a parking lot AT the bottom of a hill, no chance in hell of pushing it out.

2/19/2007 7:20:45 PM

hey man up, push that bitch out. how many pounds it weigh? 400-500, ur good that's why it has wheels. better yet park at the top of the hill

2/19/2007 7:27:16 PM

you try pushing an early 80's bike up a hill.

then report back.

2/19/2007 7:28:55 PM

^haha done that with my ole virageo.took half of my highschool autotech class lol

Noen what you need is this http://www.aerostich.com/catalog/US/Dummy-Kickstart-Lever-El-hombre-est-macho-p-17396.html

2/19/2007 8:25:38 PM

i pushed my nighthawk from the wade ave. exit on the beltline to ridgewood shopping center once.

i wanted to die.

2/19/2007 8:35:30 PM

damn wish i woulda known, i just junked an asload of interchangeable parts that would fit that bike too, from an 81xs650, an 82xv750, and a 83xv920m

2/20/2007 4:52:57 PM

i do that all the time with the 85 nighthawk...in fact did it today pushed that shit up kaplan! then it died competly on westerned at hess where i just got someone with jumper cables to jump the bike...so sad my battery isn't holding a charge and i have no clue why.

2/20/2007 11:47:01 PM

^^Unfortunately very very few parts from the xj/xs line fit this bike, its an 83 Midnight Maxim xj750, and a LOT of the shit on it is only compatible with the 81 and 83 xj750 bikes. Was a real son-of-a-bitch to find brake calipers

2/21/2007 6:52:01 PM