Clickety Click click click

I need some help. I have a '94 CBR600F2 that has a starting
problem. When I thumb the starter, I get a clicking sound like 30
or more clicks a second.

My story:
I had a starting problem last fall. I'd ride the bike for a half
hour and then it wouldn't have enough battery to restart. It'd
slowly turn over and run out of juice. I could bump start the bike
with no problems. I got a new battery in late fall and have been
experiencing the same behavior for the couple of times I've ridden
it through the winter. I'd go to start the bike after it had been
sitting for a month and there wouldn't be enough juice for the bike
to start. I'd charge the battery and the bike would start fine.
I'd ride it to work and by the end of the day, there wouldn't be
enough juice to start it...I'd have to push start it again. I had
the battery checked out and it charged fine and could "take a load"
according to the battery shop. I tried starting the bike and
removing the battery cable while running and found that the bike
didn't run as well at 3500 or so RPM. I figured that the electrical
system must not be putting out enough current. I bought a
regulator/rectifier and put it on. I got the same result...the
battery didn't seem to be charging. The bike also seemed to be
running slightly worse by the end of the 30-40 minute test ride like
the jetting was too rich (maybe not making a good spark?). Here's
where the funkiness starts...I bought a stator on Ebay to try out.
I put in on and put it all together and tried to start the bike.
The first time I tried, nothing happened and I found out that the
regulator/rectifier was unplugged because I had been checking the
resistance with a meter. I connected it and tried to start it again
and now all the bike does is quickly click when I hit the starter.
It kind of sounds like a relay clicking or maybe the starter motor.
I thought I might have not gotten the mid starter gear aligned
correctly (the one between the small starter gear and the big,
engine turning gear) but I just took a look at it and it seems to be
in place correctly. I unplugged the *new* stator and plugged my old
on back in (but left it hanging from the bike) and I still get the
click.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Any Ideas?

Curtis
'94 CBR6F2, 26000 miles
Annapolis, MD

 

<snip>

The bike's not charging. It's probably the regulator/rectifier (known
CBR weakish spot).

 

I've already replaced it. Didn't fix the problem.

More info:

The starter relay is making the clicking noise.

Curtis

 

Yes, I realised that. If it isn't charging, and plainly it isn't, it's
either the stator or the reg/rec.

Quite possibly the one you bought on Ebay was faulty.

The easy check is simply to put a voltmeter across the battery terminals
with the engine running (you may need to bump or jump start it,
though!). Rev the engine and it should read 13-14v. If it doesn't it's
not charging, and then it can only be the above.

It *could* be corroded terminals on the reg/rec and/or stator
connections. Unlikely, but possible.

If it is charging OK, then the battery you bought might just have
discharged itself completely over winter and is now u/s.

 

HI Curtis,

What's the Battery voltage at before it does start? it should be 13.6
volts. Then check it after it starts, should be greater then 13.6v and
should be moving. When you shut the bike off check it again. If it is lower
then the first reading, this would indicate a weak battery. I think you have
a bad cell in your battery.

Make sure your battery is fully charged, don't trust the meter on the
battery charger. Get a good multi meter and check the battery voltage.
13.6-14.1 Volts. Don't think your battery is good just because it's new. A
bad cell is a bad cell.

Hope this helps.

--
Jean-Yves
"Bulldog"
Aubry
747-1617
www.trickedoutcycles.ca

 

I'm trying to get this bike running because it is in my basement and down a
short flight of stairs. I usually walk it out on a ramp board under it's
own power. Doing a bump-start is going to be difficult until I can get it
out of my basement.

When running, the battery terminals are showing a voltage of 13.6 to 13.8.
When I rev the motor to 5000rpm, the voltage drops below 13.6. It's been a
month or so since I did that test so I don't remember what it exactly
dropped to but I think it was > 12.5.

With the battery fully charged, I'm getting the relay clicking. The
reg/rect. connection looks good along with the battery and connectors that
are bundled together near the battery and starter relay. I haven't touched
anything else but I'll look at the cables going to the starter. Any others
I should be looking for? Is WD-40 a good thing to spray on the connectors?

I tried to start the bike with the battery charger providing a 60A starting
boost and it still just clicked.

Since I've started having this problem after replacing the stator, I've
connected the original stator but just had it hanging from the bike. Is
that OK while I'm trying to figure out what's causing the clicking?


Thanks,
Curtis

 

WD-40? Not really. Take connectors apart and clean with an electrical
connector spray cleaner such as you can buy at NAPA. You can slather
the connectors with grease after hooking them back together to prevent
further water ingress.

Check *all* cable connections between the battery, the starter relay,
and the starter, including the battery ground cable.

The stator and the rest of the charging system have nothing to do with
starting, other than the fact that the battery won't start the bike if
it hasn't been getting charged. You can certainly start the bike with
no charging system installed.

I have to say it sounds like your battery isn't any good, despite your
assertion that it is fully charged. What is the voltage across the
battery terminals (measure across the actual battery terminals, *not*
the cable ends where they attach to the battery) while you are cranking
it over? If it's dropping way down, the battery is toasted.

 

I have noticed that the battery has been dropping in voltage fairly quickly.
I'll charge it and it will be at 13.6 or so volts and within a week, it is
down to 12.5. I wasn't sure what the "resting" voltage should be. At
first, I thought that the bike might be drawing some current while turned
off but I haven't been able to register any draw with my digital multimeter.
I think I'll try a new battery.

 

My battery seem to drop to 12.5 volts one week or so after a charge.

Curtis

 

I think this is it...the voltage was dropping WAY down while cranking...like
down to 6 volts. I'm getting a new battery and I'll start going through the
electrical system after that.

Thanks,
Curtis

 

snip snip

Replace your battery... it doesn't have enuff umph to start your bike...
is evident from the voltage drop while cranking

Fwed

 

I'm finding on the internet that the resting voltage should be 12.6. After
a week, mine is down to 12.3.

....snip

 

a voltage drop like that would mean that your battery is sulfating and
the cells are shorted out. Its not the worst Ive seen, the worst
would drop for 13.2 to .13

Rev. Zack

 

thanks, I should be getting a new battery today to try out.