Hey guys,
I just replaced the battery on my 2000 r1100r (OEM maint-free battery), and now when I try to start the bike, I hear a loud click, and the bike loses all power. The only way to restore power to the bike is to forcibly turn the handlebars all the way left and right, and eventually power is restored. I've checked the fuse box, all the fuses are good. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
New Battery: get power, hit starter, bike loses power
Moderator: Moderators
Re: New Battery: get power, hit starter, bike loses power
First make sure that battery is fully charged. What's your no-load voltage?
Other than that my best guess would be a loose ground connection. Take apart, clean and re-tighten both ends of the ground and power cables coming off the battery.
The click you are hearing is likely the solenoid for the starter. You getting voltage, but not enough current to turn the motor.
The turning of the handlebars part has me confused. Hopefully you don't have a broken wire in your harness. I haven't heard if the 1100s have the same problem as the 1150s with the cable ties being too tight. If you haven't done so, get a bag of black cable ties and replace all the ties you can get to when you have the tank off. They don't need to be tight at all, just snug enough to stay in place. If you suspect a harness issue, you'll have some more troubleshooting to do.
Other than that my best guess would be a loose ground connection. Take apart, clean and re-tighten both ends of the ground and power cables coming off the battery.
The click you are hearing is likely the solenoid for the starter. You getting voltage, but not enough current to turn the motor.
The turning of the handlebars part has me confused. Hopefully you don't have a broken wire in your harness. I haven't heard if the 1100s have the same problem as the 1150s with the cable ties being too tight. If you haven't done so, get a bag of black cable ties and replace all the ties you can get to when you have the tank off. They don't need to be tight at all, just snug enough to stay in place. If you suspect a harness issue, you'll have some more troubleshooting to do.
Re: New Battery: get power, hit starter, bike loses power
thanks for the response Andy.
The turning of the handlebars restores power to the bike.
What's happening is that when I hit the starter, the bike loses ALL power - headlights / indicators turn off, dashboard lights all turn off - the bike is dead. Turning the handlebars far left / right will restore power. It's bizarre.
Could I have knocked something loose when I took the tank off to replace the battery?
Will check the voltage when I can borrow a tool, although it was a new battery from the local dealer who claimed (yeah yeah...) it was fully charged and good to go. It sat in my garage for maybe 9 days before I installed it.
The turning of the handlebars restores power to the bike.
What's happening is that when I hit the starter, the bike loses ALL power - headlights / indicators turn off, dashboard lights all turn off - the bike is dead. Turning the handlebars far left / right will restore power. It's bizarre.
Could I have knocked something loose when I took the tank off to replace the battery?
Will check the voltage when I can borrow a tool, although it was a new battery from the local dealer who claimed (yeah yeah...) it was fully charged and good to go. It sat in my garage for maybe 9 days before I installed it.
Re: New Battery: get power, hit starter, bike loses power
That sounds like a faulty connector. A common problem is either zip-ties which are too tight on the cables on the front of your bike which may result in broken/faulty cables/connectors. Or the other common problem is the connectors at your ignition lock. Both have been reported frequently on the older oilheads.
Best regards
Oliver
Best regards
Oliver