Ok so I’ve been reading multiple forums and I have yet to find a solution. So here goes nothing.

Background- I bought this bike from a blind sale of a storage unit.
It looks as if it had been sitting for nearly 14 years.

I have gone through and changed the oil, spark plugs, fuses, bleed the brakes and put in new fluid, cleaned up the wiring a little, checked the relays for power, checked the wires for continuity and double checked my work. I had to buy a new tank so I bought a new tank from a K75RT which was confirmed by BMW to work with my K100 LT. It supposedly (and looks like) it has all new internals as well.

However, when I plug the key in, I can hear the starter click. I turn the key and flip “off” the kill switch. The lights on the speedometer show and the correct gear shows as well. I pull the choke, and depress the starter button. Nothing happens. No whirring of the fuel pump, no pruning sound, nothing.

I have checked the wiring and all seems kosher there. The switch is relaying power (I believe- I’m also very new to the electrical world of bikes- I know enough to get by within a home).

I need some suggestions as I am stuck. Oh and I have labeled nearly every damn wire I can think of from the wiring diagram. Oh I have also cleaned up all the grounds (that I could find- which was the battery one and the one from the relay box, and the one from the front of the bike). Thanks!!

Ok so I’ve been reading multiple forums and I have yet to find a solution. So here goes nothing.

Background- I bought this bike from a blind sale of a storage unit.
It looks as if it had been sitting for nearly 14 years.

I have gone through and changed the oil, spark plugs, fuses, bleed the brakes and put in new fluid, cleaned up the wiring a little, checked the relays for power, checked the wires for continuity and double checked my work. I had to buy a new tank so I bought a new tank from a K75RT which was confirmed by BMW to work with my K100 LT. It supposedly (and looks like) it has all new internals as well.

However, when I plug the key in, I can hear the starter click. I turn the key and flip “off” the kill switch. The lights on the speedometer show and the correct gear shows as well. I pull the choke, and depress the starter button. Nothing happens. No whirring of the fuel pump, no pruning sound, nothing.

I have checked the wiring and all seems kosher there. The switch is relaying power (I believe- I’m also very new to the electrical world of bikes- I know enough to get by within a home).

I need some suggestions as I am stuck. Oh and I have labeled nearly every damn wire I can think of from the wiring diagram. Oh I have also cleaned up all the grounds (that I could find- which was the battery one and the one from the relay box, and the one from the front of the bike). Thanks!!

Side stand up, clutch pulled.

Test light showing power to starter motor  with button pressed?

Which lights on?

If it then cranks but doesn't start, possibly the injectors are blocked.

the click heard is the Load Shed relay activating

1- What is the state of battery charge, 12.8V or better?

2- pull the clutch lever in when starting

3- check the petrol tank 4-pin connector, clean the connector, manipulate the pins to make a solid contact
found on the lower right of tank remove the side battery cover

4- check the ECU connector under the seat/tool tray, clean connector, make sure properly seated
flat blade screwdriver in the hole of the tool tray and lever screwdriver forward to release the connector

5- petrol fuel pump has the 2 wires properly attached large ring connector on the pump negative, smaller ring pump positive stud

All relays are present?


What is the year of the moto?

Moto may have a side stand switch which prevents starting when sidestand is extended.
Place on center stand or side stand up when starting

The side stand is up all the way. 

The clutch has been pulled as well and works. 

I don’t have a test light to show power going to the starter motor when the starter button is pressed. I also wouldn’t know how to do that, so any explanation would help!

The lights on the speedometer come on (original equipment because I haven’t changed that yet). So the Green “N” comes on, the oil temp light comes on and if I switch on the choke, that light comes on. 

It doesn’t even crank. I press the starter button and nothing occurs. 

If it helps I can always send pictures of what is going on and what looks like what. Again I admit I am new to this, but I am willing to try new things and learn

...

With a test light clip on earth,  the light should glow when the probe touches the power feed to the starter. Might as well get a computer safe test light,  they're cheap.

If you have power and earth to the starter,  but it doesn't turn,  you need to dismantle it, clean it, and check that the brushes aren't too short.

I'm thinking the alternator light and brake light should also be on, but I'm not familiar with the LT models.

Clean all the terminals well, specially under the tank, with electrical contact cleaner.

Is the neutral light on when in neutral, simultaneously gear position indicator showing zero? Normally the starter won't activate unless they are. Pulling in the clutch as volador mentioned bypasses that function, as long as the clutch switch is functioning correctly. I think the side stand switch was only on K1100 models, but if I'm wrong someone who knows better will correct me.

Did I read you correctly, you get a relay click just from inserting the key without turning it? If so, that is weird and wrong.

Bill

There's no need to start two threads for the same topic under the same category. If it repeats itself in the beginning it's because I've merged them.

1.  Check to four pin tank connector to make sure the pins are clean and make good contact

2.  Remove the ignition switch and lean the contacts inside. http://www.kforum-tech.com/electrical/Cleaning_ignition_switch/Cleaning_switch.htm

3.  Pull all the fuses out and check them for continuity,  Spray Deoxit in the sockets and replace them.

4.  Remove the starter and clean the commutator and check the brush length.  http://www.kforum-tech.com/how-to/Starter%20Motor%20Cleaning%20Tutorial.htm

5.  Remove and clean the insides of the kill switch/start button with Deoxit.

6.  Bridge the power terminals on the start relay and see if the starter turns.

Do the above stuff more or less in order and post the results.  While you are doing all this stuff, have the battery on a charger.

@volador- that is really good to know! I thought it was the starter relay.
1- the charge of the battery is:
2- I will try that
3- that connector looks good- except on the bike side of the connector, the brown (I presume Earth wire) the rubber is split. I don't know if that's a big deal or not.
4- the ECU connector is all good as well. Checked that last night.
5- I'm not sure what you mean here. The only thing I see coming off the petrol tank is the fuel pump connection.


And yes. All the relays are present and they seem to be good. Can you walk me through how to check so I can make sure I'm not being an idiot and not doing it properly.


It is a 1986 BMW K100 LT (that I'm building into a cafe racer).
The side stand is all the way up from what I can tell.

@volador- I didn't mean to make two threads. I don't know how that happened lol.
Also the battery voltage- I think I'm only reading 6.5V. But it's allegedly a new battery.

@ daveyson-
I'll pick one up tomorrow.
I've also tried to dismantle the starter. For the life of me I cannot get it to budge. I've undone the two bolts holding it in as well as disconnecting the ground that's on it. But it wiggles but won't pull at all. Any suggestions?

Also I don't see a light for the alternator, and the bike is disassembled so I do not have a brake light installed.

@indian036-
The neutral light is on when it's in neutral as does the reader say 0.
And no I hear a relay click AFTER turning the key.

@point-seven-five:
I have done steps 1,2,3, and 5.
As stated above I am having trouble removing the starter to try to clean it.

And how would I do step 6?

To get the starter out you may have to pry on the feet with a big screwdriver levered against something on the bike.  Usually only takes a little bit of movement to the rear to break it loose.

To check the start relay, get a big wrench and use it to touch both of the big terminals on the relay at the same time.  Don't hold it there, just a quick touch to bump the starter motor.  If the motor turns when you jump the relay, you know the motor and the wiring are okay. 

After that, the next thing would be to Hot wire the start relay coil.  That will confirm that the realy is working and the problem is in the wiring between the button and the relay.

Check the earthlines, and corrosion behind it.
There are 2;
One on top of the frame, under the tank, brown wires coming together under a bolt.
Other one (better replace) goes from battery to the left side of the gearbox.

Ok so the battery was bad. I’ve replaced it. Bike now tries to turn over. It doesn’t catch though. I’ve put just over a gallon of gas in it; does it possibly need more?

I’ve also realized my throttle isn’t set up properly- I’m at a loss at how to even begin to play with that to fix it.

Also the moment I turn the key the lights come on, but when I remove the key the headlight and the speedometer backlight stay on. Is that normal?