Suzuki Marauder GZ125HS not always starting

[Crack The Sky]

Hi, I got my CBT Friday of course wanted to get out on my bike and practice before my first trip to work on Tuesday. But i have starting issues.

I have a Suzuki Marauder GZ125HS which i brought in September last year from my partners friend. as i wasn't able to ride it i have been starting it regularly with no issues. A couple of weeks back i was able to get it too a piece of private land to practice just moving forward really and after i turned it off after about 30 minutes of it running, its wouldn't start again. Luckily the person i brought it from was not far and came over to help he thought it needed a new battery and i was able to bump start it to get it running again.

However yesterday i took it out for the first time since passing my CBT and putting the new battery in, only to the local shop and back (about 5 minutes each way), got to the shop no problems. Got back and got ready to leave but the bike wouldn't start, i push the starter button and nothing, no noise or anything not even a click. once again i bump start it and get it home.

So today i thought i would try to figure out if its loose connection or something simple, i push the button and it starts up first time, so i leave it idle for 15 minutes, and turned it on and off 4 or 5 times and then me and my partner decide that i should go out for a bit of a longer ride while she follows in the car to give the bike a good run. about 45 minutes overall around the local area of a few various types of road.
On the ride i only stalled it once (2nd gear pull away so my mistake) pushed the button and nothing again, i put it into 2nd again ready to bump start it, but i pushed the button again on the off chance and boom, its started like nothing happened. so i carried on my ride and the rest went well. I got home and then i thought i would see what happens, so i turned it off and back on, but nothing again. so i am confused, im guessing its an electrical issue, possible starter or solenoid maybe?

When trying to start it i've tried:
Both clutch in and out
Side stand up
Checked the killswitch has not been hit or anything
Fuel tap on
Electrics all come on upon key turn
Open the choke to help

I hope to attach a video of me trying to start it but im not sure if it will work.

Thanks in advance for any assistance

[Nobby the Bastard]

Do any of the electrics work? indicators, lights?
____________________
trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Sprint ST 1050

[WD Forte]

What year?
It looks like it has a carb but cant see it that well in the vid
Also I couldn't see if the neutral light was on when you pressed the button and you didn't mention it.

It should be easy enough for someone to fix though
I couldn't hear the soleniod click so doubt its the starter motor
so will guess its age related poor/intermittent contacts maybe an iffy side stand switch.
A few minutes with a meter would help debug it.
____________________
bikers smell of wee

[Crack The Sky]

[Crack The Sky]

[Crack The Sky]

UPDATE:
Hi all, I have an update, on Monday I rode the bike to my dad's, once I arrived I tried to start it again and nothing, we partially took apart the killswitch/lights and start button enclosure, it looked OK but the light switch looked corroded, so I'll try and replace that, I put it back together and nothing happened so we got the multimeter out and started testing bits, the starter motor had no power going to it.

While I was there I decided to try and find out why the front brake didn't activate the brake light, when I pulled the front brake the light came on same with the back brake, it didn't work on my way to my dad's so I'm guessing fiddling around in the starter enclosure fixed it, however I noticed that the rear light no longer work when turning the lights on, only when braking.

Throughout my 3 hours there I kept randomly pushing the starter and hoping, not long after realising the front brake light now worked, I pushed the button and it started up first time. I have now been riding it daily to and from work (about 30 minutes each way on fast roads) and I've not have any problems starting it at all... So I am still confused, but happy it still working. I also replaced the rear bulb and now I have a rear light but it once again the brake light only works on the rear brake and not the front one so I still have to sort that one out.

My plan is to start replacing some electrical components, like the switch enclosure, starter motor, starter solenoid and headlight as the casing has a crack on it just so they are done.

I have some other issues, on the bike that have arisen too;
First one being, there is a cable and plug under the seat not plugged in to anything and I'm not sure why and where it is plugged into, is it possibly for an added extra? (see attachment)

secondly, this bike has a gear read out, but only the 1st, 2nd and 3rd gears show up on it, I can get into 4th and 5th no problem, but there is no read out for these. This is not a big issue at all but I would like to see if I can get them working (see attachment)

Thank you

[stinkwheel]

My first thought is a bad connection somewhere in the starter safety interlock system. It not clicking suggests power isn't going to the solenoid. Although a bad solenoid would also be on the list.

Really there are four componants to this on most bikes. Starter switch, clutch switch, neutral switch and sidestand switch.

Given it's not cutting out when running, it's probably not the sidestand switch. So I'd have a good look at the others and the connectors between them.

That gear indicator doesn't look standard fitment? So I'd be suspicious of how that was wired in. Given the standard of wiring done by many 17 year olds, they may have tapped into a wire in a less than optimal manner leading to an intermittant electrical fault. I'd follow the wires from that and look for how it's hooked in. Look out for joints made with PVC tape or scotchlocks.

Can't find a wiring diagram to help with your mystery connector. It looks original so I feel it ought to be connected to something, possibly related to the gear indicator install?
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Crack The Sky]

[Evil Hans]

The gear indicator looks like it has separate bulbs for each gear - may be as simple as a couple being blown?
____________________
Triumph Sprint ST 1050. And it's Red.

[WD Forte]

2005 bike?
Its well old enough to have gotten the weather in then and sounds as if
you just need to check/clean all electrical connections.

Could be wrong but that connector has way too many wires for a side stand switch IMO
I dont know what colour conventions Keeway use and finding a wiring diagram is often difficult, but would be useful if you can find one.

Edit:
Oops! I see its a Suzuki, got it comfused with a Keeway
they all look the same to me
____________________
bikers smell of wee

[stinkwheel]

It would probably have had a sidestand switch when it was new so that's another thing to look into. How was it removed and what did they do with the wiring to it.

Google shows them having a plunger sidestand switch with 2 wires (black and green) going into either a 2-pin connector block or a single pin connector block with a flying bullet connector.

Don't know the switch logic but those wires either need to be kept apart or joined together for the bike to start and run. So if someone removed that. How did they do it? Be suspicious of PVC tape wrapped round the end of two wires.

The clutch switch is usually part of the same system (the stop you doing something stupid system). So starter should be locked out if the bike is in gear and the clutch is not pulled in. Engine should cut out entirely if it's in gear and the stand's down regardless of clutch position.

So normally, on most bikes, the starter solenoid earths through the neutral switch (and usually the light does too so the neutral light being on means the connection is good). If it's not in neutral, it can earth through the clutch switch when that's pulled in. Some bikes take the neutral wiring up through the clutch switch connector, don't know about yours.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Crack The Sky]

I found an ebay listing for another Suzuki GZ125HS the same as mine and it also has the same gear indicator so im guessing its a optional extra of the HS model?
I'll try to take the assembly apart soon and see whats what, a couple of blown bulbs seems the most likely situation.

I'll got around a make a list of any corroded connections that i need to replace and give all connections a clean while i'm at it.

As for the mystery plug, i'll contact the previous owner and see if he is able to shed some light what it is for and will post an update.

Thanks for every ones help

[WD Forte]

Re that multi way connector
Going by Suzuki's usual colour conventions

Black/white - ground
light green - RH flashers
Black - LH flashers

Red - main supply to ignition switch from battery
orange - switched live from ign switch
Yellow - 3 phase to rectifier or head lights

Not sure if that's a red cable or age darkened orange in the pic
a dark orange seems more likely

Also remember bikes often get 'improved' by previous owners the older they get
and there may be mods and bodges to deal with.
A haynes manual with wiring diagram would help if you cant get one online

a can of switch cleaner is cheap and always useful
____________________
bikers smell of wee

[Crack The Sky]

Another update for you all.
The bike wasn't ridden Friday or Saturday. But on Sunday I rode it to my dad's, on first try it didn't start and no noise at all but after two more button pushes, it started up and was perfectly running, after being at my dad's for some time I was about to leave and basicly the same thing happened, 3 pushes with nothing and then started on the 4th push and got home with no issues.
Starts up first time Monday morning and I get to work with no issues, same with the journey home, first time start and no issues.
Then comes this morning, ready to leave for work, push the button and nothing, a few more trys and nothing still, I try to bump start it (something which normally works first time) 3 attempts and it's starts, only to stall after a about a minute while I'm letting it warm up and then bump start on longer started it. I thought maybe I had forgotten the fuel tap, but I checked it and it was ON.

So I'm now going to start cleaning the electrics after work tonight, and I'm going to try and get the start button disassembled and properly check on it

[Crack The Sky]

Update for you all.
So far I have gone around cleaning all connectors and checking for broken cables as of yet I have found none. I am still only able to bump start the bike. However this morning something new happened, I pushed the button and I heard a click from what looks to be the starter solenoid, still not starting, but this is a new thing and up until now there had been no noise at all when pushing the starter button. possible start motor issue? (video attached) I have a charger being brought down to me work to charge battery just incase, but it's a brand new battery and have been on 2 30 minute rides a day minimum, so I thought it would charge it haha

[virus]

A Click is either low battery or a poor connection somewhere to the solenoid causing it to not quite have the voltage to close the main contacts.

Underneath the tank on the left hand side of the frame is a yellow 2 pin connector, this connects the switchgear to the starter solenoid, On Mrs Virus' GZ when we first got it sometimes it wouldnt spin over at all and other times it'd spin and start perfectly fine. Turned out to be an intermittent bad contact at this join, I just cut a section out and soldered in new wire to hardwire it.

Id suggest getting the tank off then when its refusing to crank over give that connector a wiggle. If it starts working then you know that area is your problem.
____________________
own: 81 xs1100g...
owned: 85 rat CG (sold), 91 GS500e (stolen), 84 gsx400f (scrapped), 81 z250 (siezed, siezed, scrapped), 83 cb250rs (sold), 84 gpz750r ratfighter (killed) 84gpz400 (sold), '80 cb650 ratfighter (wrote off) 95gsx6/12f ratfighter (killed) 91 xj900 (sold)
stinkwheel Well I just had my hands up a pigs fanny. Which makes your concerns pale into insignificance.