starter motor problem?

[DrSnoosnoo]

Hi everyone, I hope you guys can help me. the other day I come to my bike and turned ignition on, clutch in and start button = nothing. Bump started it to get me and had to leave it for the weekend. I got a battery charger yesterday assuming low voltage for not charging over short distances. Get it charged and get multimeter from work and I plug everything in and again clutch in + ignition = nothing.
This is making me think it's the starter motor. does anybody know how to test if the starter motor? The fuse is fine I checked that. When ignition is pressed the voltage across the battery drops so current is being drawn from somewhere.

Cheers

Edit: the bike is a Kawasaki zzr 600
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I'm Sam; Northern, Ginger, Lover
Did have: '95 ZZR600 '83 CG125 '97 ZZR1100 '15 Hypermotard 821 SP Do Have: '10 ZX10R

[at106]

To test the starter motor I would connect a 12v battery directly to it. However the problem is more likely to be the starter solenoid or the side stand switch if your bike has one?

[DrSnoosnoo]

The side stand switch would cut my bike out when I bump started it though, would it not?
____________________
I'm Sam; Northern, Ginger, Lover
Did have: '95 ZZR600 '83 CG125 '97 ZZR1100 '15 Hypermotard 821 SP Do Have: '10 ZX10R

[at106]

[unitynotsocri...]

one fault with starters is they can become scruffy and tarnished across the starter mmotor poles.Sometimes they can go slowly and appera like the battey is getting tired.When you press the starter you say you know the voltage is dropping and the eletric is going somewhere,it could be heating up the starter motor coils which refuse to turn because of corrosion .clean the starter but be carefull using copper grease that it does'nt get anywhere near the pole contacts.
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nearly a normal tax paying tosser.......with ferrileness suzi100,cg125,cb125scb100n,cb175,cd100,cj250t,kh250,c15,125 bantam,super 6,rickman gs750,xt500,250rs,dt175,lifan125,dolomite1850,metro,Morris220ld,morrisfg,leyland princess,range rover,corsa,vw camper .now struggling with legs. MORE ORDER = MORE CHAOS

[DrSnoosnoo]

Thanks for your ideas everyone. I'm going to see if I can get inside the side stand switch tonight and have a look in there. It's parked (if you can call it that) at my girlfriend's so I'll have to bump it and get it home, frustrating!

I'll let you know how I get on.

Sam
____________________
I'm Sam; Northern, Ginger, Lover
Did have: '95 ZZR600 '83 CG125 '97 ZZR1100 '15 Hypermotard 821 SP Do Have: '10 ZX10R

[DrSnoosnoo]

Right! I've got some readings:
Disconnected 11 V
Ignition turned on 9-10 V
Begin button 5-6 V ( did these a few times and saw as low as low as 4 V) the bike does not turn over at all

After bump starting it:
at 3 k revs 14 V
Headlights on at 3 k revs 10 V

Can anybody tell me what this could mean?

I think the battery is humped and to test that theory, I'm thinking of connecting my mates care battery to the bike to see if that will turn it over - to prove to myself the battery is at fault (possibly among other things). How stupid an idea is/isn't this?

Cheers
____________________
I'm Sam; Northern, Ginger, Lover
Did have: '95 ZZR600 '83 CG125 '97 ZZR1100 '15 Hypermotard 821 SP Do Have: '10 ZX10R

[at106]

Have you tried this, If you don't want to connect a battery directly to the s motor, find the positive wire that goes to the starter motor then using a multimeter you can see if the s motor is getting power when you try and start the bike.

[DrSnoosnoo]

I've thunk about getting to the starter motor but I don't have the kit to get the tank off the bike. I've got the tool kit for the bike ... you know what, I'll try it tonight, I've helped get the tank off a couple of times and with help from a mate, to do the lifting I should be able to do it. Then I'll try find the starter motor.

Any info about the battery idea though? Is it a stupid idea? I thought batteries have the same voltage but with different capacities and abilities to be drained at different rates. I'd assume a battery that can turn over a 3 litre engine could easily turn over a 600 cc without damaging the bike?
____________________
I'm Sam; Northern, Ginger, Lover
Did have: '95 ZZR600 '83 CG125 '97 ZZR1100 '15 Hypermotard 821 SP Do Have: '10 ZX10R

[jeddy11]

If the battery is under 12.5v standing then its knackered if its as low as 11v its lost a cell definately need a new one.

Unplug a lead to the battery and measure it incase anything is dragging the voltage down to be sure.

Running on a knackered battery can also damage regulators and stators etc as it works much harder to try to charge a battery that never will !!

[kernow24]

You've got a dead / dying battery. If it drops to what you
are saying when you press the starter button, then it would
suggest a couple of cells are dead.

You can hook it up to a car battery, 12v is 12v, regardless
of the size of the battery, just a car battery has a larger capacity
and can have a larger load placed on it. Just don't have the
car running when you do it.

But your battery is fubarred, I'd just replace it.
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[DrSnoosnoo]

Yeah that's what I was thinking, the battery being humped.
The sad thing is that this is the second one that this has happened to.

Reckon a new reg/rec could be in order?
____________________
I'm Sam; Northern, Ginger, Lover
Did have: '95 ZZR600 '83 CG125 '97 ZZR1100 '15 Hypermotard 821 SP Do Have: '10 ZX10R

[monkeyking118]

[DrSnoosnoo]

[monkeyking118]

sounding like it could be the reg/rec then.
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Baimo RSR125(sold), Suzuki En-125 '06 (sold), Honda VFR400 NC-30 '92(sadly stolen), Kawasaki ZX6R Ninja '96 (sadly stolen), Kawasaki GPZ500s '93 (sold), KTM rc390 '16 (f***ing stolen), Kawasaki Z750R, Triumph Daytona 675

[promufa]

You defo have a dead battery and most likely problems with your charging system. Have a look at this thread: https://www.triumphrat.net/speed-triple-forum/104504-charging-system-diagnostics-rectifier-regulator-upgrade.html Some good ways to figure out what's a fault.

Good luck
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'02 Triumph Speed Four

[DrSnoosnoo]

So last night I clipped up a car battery and it started first time, so it's not side stand , clutch switches or anything of the like.

Charged the battery again last night, it had 12 volts while charging and the second I took it off, the voltage dropped to 11. Deffo humped battery.

New reg/rec here I come (probably). Oh, and a new battery ... again.
____________________
I'm Sam; Northern, Ginger, Lover
Did have: '95 ZZR600 '83 CG125 '97 ZZR1100 '15 Hypermotard 821 SP Do Have: '10 ZX10R

[promufa]

Check your stator as well. I did it just like you, got a new r/r but it turns out my alternator is duff...
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'02 Triumph Speed Four

[DrSnoosnoo]

If the alternator was duff, it wouldn't charge the battery at all would it not? when at 3k revs, the battery gets up to 14 V
____________________
I'm Sam; Northern, Ginger, Lover
Did have: '95 ZZR600 '83 CG125 '97 ZZR1100 '15 Hypermotard 821 SP Do Have: '10 ZX10R

[promufa]

[DrSnoosnoo]