gen 2 starter issue?

[Schism]

my 08' with 11,700 miles has been progressively getting worse when i try firing her up. i got the "rectifier recall" done already so that is ruled out. i had the new battery tested just in case and it was at 12.8 volts. so, the gauges sweep and the fuel pump kicks on but when i hit the ignition button nothing happens. the headlamp will dim out if i hold it steady and that is it with an occasional sluggish starter trying to turn over. i've tried locking out the bars left and right in case the ignition wire was broke(my bike doesn't qualify for this recall), put her in gear, neutral, and wiggled the red and blue ignition wires next to the ignition box on the handle bars to see if that would do the trick.. i am guessing the starter is shot but i was curious if there was a relay that triggers it to rule out the cheap stuff first. i can fire her up here and there when she is on the battery tender or just messing with the key on and off and depressing the button a few times but the starter sounds like it's lagging. when i do get her fired up is okay to ride her or will that cause any further damage? any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. i guess i will be hitting the mountain bike a little harder 'til i get this thing figured out.

 

[RussellJ]

my 08' with 11,700 miles has been progressively getting worse when i try firing her up. i got the "rectifier recall" done already so that is ruled out. i had the new battery tested just in case and it was at 12.8 volts. so, the gauges sweep and the fuel pump kicks on but when i hit the ignition button nothing happens. the headlamp will dim out if i hold it steady and that is it with an occasional sluggish starter trying to turn over. i've tried locking out the bars left and right in case the ignition wire was broke(my bike doesn't qualify for this recall), put her in gear, neutral, and wiggled the red and blue ignition wires next to the ignition box on the handle bars to see if that would do the trick.. i am guessing the starter is shot but i was curious if there was a relay that triggers it to rule out the cheap stuff first. i can fire her up here and there when she is on the battery tender or just messing with the key on and off and depressing the button a few times but the starter sounds like it's lagging. when i do get her fired up is okay to ride her or will that cause any further damage? any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. i guess i will be hitting the mountain bike a little harder 'til i get this thing figured out.

Yes there is a relay. just follow the positive wire off the battery. The rear fairing will need to be removed

 

[RussellJ]

Look for the red rubber pieces that are on my power wires in these pics and you will find the relay. Its on the clutch side as seen in the pictures

 

[Schism]

Thanks a lot Russell. Do you think the bike could still fire up with a numb relay?
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[RussellJ]

Thanks a lot Russell. Do you think the bike could still fire up with a numb relay?
Posted via Mobile Device

If the relay is shot the bike wont fire up at all i believe. only way to start it would be to put the starter wire to the + on the battery. but thats only temporary to get the bike to start

 

[dadofthree]

I think it's a Gen II issue. I was told that the recall had been performed on my bike the day I took possession of it, but I have no proof. My bike has acted like yours now and again since I bought it 3 years ago. In the last two or three months it has gotten worse. I started wondering if it might be my Pazzo that was messed up in a wreck, but now i'm thinking it's an issue with the bike. Been kicking the kickstand and pulling and releasing the clutch and eventually it will fire. Need to go by the shop tomorrow and ask about that recall. Not sure it was done.

 

[Schism]

alright here we go! i was out in the garage problem solving like a champ and i started to retrace my steps to what i have done recently to the bike. well, i recall that i flushed the clutch fluid and cleaned clutch push rod a few weeks back. the clutch master had some black residue on the bottom of the sight glass and the lever felt a bit light when i pulled it in on position 1. not sure why, but i decided to switch it to the 2 position tonight which had a better feel to me and she fired up flawlessly several times back to back. hopefully, i haven't damaged anything within my clutch system from my highspeed flush. i had a small visible bubble sitting on top of the sight glass within the past few rides so i flushed it again today. i think i pinpointed my screwup for now. funny thing is the shifting has been relatively smooth.

 

[Schism]

i had to resurrect this thread to help others with suspected clutch issues. the contact was not as strong as it should be when i pulled the clutch lever in. so, the clutch assembly switch for about $18 was the resolution. i figured it out when i had to move the clutch lever to position 3 because it would not turn over on 1 and 2.needless to say it was an easy fix and a good starting point when your problem solving. my general rule of thumb is to start small and rule out the cheap stuff. so there you have it!

 

[dadofthree]

I took my bike to the dealer and had them research the recall for my bike. My bikes VIN was out of range but the guys at the shop said they don't always go by those numbers if the number is anywhere near the range. They checked my bike and found that the cable routing for the ignition switch was correct and that my pazzo lever was the issue. They told me to build the lever up if it became a problem. No charge, great guys.

 

[Schism]

I took my bike to the dealer and had them research the recall for my bike. My bikes VIN was out of range but the guys at the shop said they don't always go by those numbers if the number is anywhere near the range. They checked my bike and found that the cable routing for the ignition switch was correct and that my pazzo lever was the issue. They told me to build the lever up if it became a problem. No charge, great guys.

wow that's rare around here. i would do business more often if i had a dealer like that.