1 Starting Issue - Warning (Long Winded). Fri Sep 21, 2018 7:32 am
Ron Ashurst
Silver member
I apologize but this will be a slightly long winded story/rant/vent.
I have angered the Motorrad Gods and they have sent a gremlin to humble me.
I have been cast down and seek guidance from the multiple Methuselah's who reside in this forum.
As I have stated sever times I got my bike from a salvage yard and it was in poor condition.
I got the bike in June and am having trouble getting the title.
The thing was owned by Net Flix and used in a movie and they lost the title in some filing cabinet or something.
So I am waiting impatiently for them to get a copy or whatever the slow corporate machine needs so that I can register the bike.
This has resulted in me being unable to legally ride the bike and give it a good shake down.
After the various repairs the only issue I have encountered to this point is a slight stutter that is very inconsistent when cold during idle.
I admit to riding the bike 1 time for 7 miles violating all my personnel rules with no helmet, jeans, boots or jacket.
But i had planned on 1 ride this weekend where I would take it out and blow the cylinders clean so to speak.
As the battery is not the best I placed the trickle charger on the battery 2 days ago.
Last night I tried to start the bike and it acted as though the battery was almost dead.
The lights were dim and I could not hear the fuel pump.
Now this bike sat outside untouched for 2 winters and I got that battery to hold a charge for weeks on end.
So I don't think the battery sitting in a warm garage out of the weather would have killed it if it had survived to this point.
I cycled the ignition switch and flipped the kill switch several times in minor frustration and for just a second I had full power again.
Having read the multiple threads in the forum I immediately started checking battery connections and saw how poor the earth ground was.
The poor thing was melted and in desperate need of replacement.
I disconnected the battery, cleaned connections and improvised a new ground to verify that was my problem.
It was not.
I actually had to duck from the ricocheting screwdriver and gather my thoughts.
So back to the forum.
I know I have solid connections at the battery.
I pulled the battery and placed it on the big charger and it has 95% charge.
I am making a proper earth ground today and will reinstall the battery with it.
My question is, Should I disassemble the kill switch and clean that?
1 thing that leads me to look specifically at that is due to when it does seem to have full power and i hit the start button everything dims again.
I normally started the bike at least once a week just to listen to it and to let it know I care while we wait on the title.
But as I went away last weekend due to my wedding anniversary thing it has been 2 weeks.
So is the bike angry or the Motorrad gods?
How to I exorcise this gremlin which plagues me?
I beseech thee oh great Methuselah's!
Guide me to the path of redemption.
I have angered the Motorrad Gods and they have sent a gremlin to humble me.
I have been cast down and seek guidance from the multiple Methuselah's who reside in this forum.
As I have stated sever times I got my bike from a salvage yard and it was in poor condition.
I got the bike in June and am having trouble getting the title.
The thing was owned by Net Flix and used in a movie and they lost the title in some filing cabinet or something.
So I am waiting impatiently for them to get a copy or whatever the slow corporate machine needs so that I can register the bike.
This has resulted in me being unable to legally ride the bike and give it a good shake down.
After the various repairs the only issue I have encountered to this point is a slight stutter that is very inconsistent when cold during idle.
I admit to riding the bike 1 time for 7 miles violating all my personnel rules with no helmet, jeans, boots or jacket.
But i had planned on 1 ride this weekend where I would take it out and blow the cylinders clean so to speak.
As the battery is not the best I placed the trickle charger on the battery 2 days ago.
Last night I tried to start the bike and it acted as though the battery was almost dead.
The lights were dim and I could not hear the fuel pump.
Now this bike sat outside untouched for 2 winters and I got that battery to hold a charge for weeks on end.
So I don't think the battery sitting in a warm garage out of the weather would have killed it if it had survived to this point.
I cycled the ignition switch and flipped the kill switch several times in minor frustration and for just a second I had full power again.
Having read the multiple threads in the forum I immediately started checking battery connections and saw how poor the earth ground was.
The poor thing was melted and in desperate need of replacement.
I disconnected the battery, cleaned connections and improvised a new ground to verify that was my problem.
It was not.
I actually had to duck from the ricocheting screwdriver and gather my thoughts.
So back to the forum.
I know I have solid connections at the battery.
I pulled the battery and placed it on the big charger and it has 95% charge.
I am making a proper earth ground today and will reinstall the battery with it.
My question is, Should I disassemble the kill switch and clean that?
1 thing that leads me to look specifically at that is due to when it does seem to have full power and i hit the start button everything dims again.
I normally started the bike at least once a week just to listen to it and to let it know I care while we wait on the title.
But as I went away last weekend due to my wedding anniversary thing it has been 2 weeks.
So is the bike angry or the Motorrad gods?
How to I exorcise this gremlin which plagues me?
I beseech thee oh great Methuselah's!
Guide me to the path of redemption.
__________________________________________________
1988 BMW K100LT ....minus the fairing.