Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Hi All,
My nighthawk was starting fine but when I turned it off it refused to do anything but give a single solenoid/starter switch click. I perfromed the following:
1) Charged my pretty new battery and check all the fuses.
2) took off all connections from the battery to the solenoid and to the starter and cleaned them with emory cloth to shiny metal then re-connected and tightened.
3) tapped the starter.
4) Tested the battery output - 11.3V So I bought a new battery - output 12.7V.
5) Tested the voltage across the solenoid when pushing the ignition button - about 12.3V
6) took off and cleaned the starter thoroughly and made sure it was spinning freely. It is.
7) checked continuity at positive starter terminal - it's gettin juice.
After each of these steps, I tried starting the bike with no luck. Just a click.
SO... I have a new battery, juice is crossing the solenoid to the starter, the starter turns freely when off but does not turn when trying to start.
I was able to push start it with no trouble and it sounded great when running. ANY possible solutions would be greatly appreciated.

Just a thought, as you have done more than I would have known to do.

Could be a kill switch/clutch sensor issue. If the sensor that tells the starter that the clutch is pulled is not working, it may refuse to start. If the kill switch at the kickstand is not working, it could kill the engine before it starts. Not sure how a Nighthawk behaves with the kickstand, all bikes seem to be different in that regard.

Have you tried starting the bike in neutral and/or with the kickstand up?

--Dave

You want to make sure you startor clutch is spinning. Other bikes like yours has had that problem before. You can check that by pulling you startor out and resting it on the motor. Make sure you hold it then try hitting the startor botton. If it spins you have a startor cluch problem or you motor is locked up.
If it does not spin then you problem is eltrical. If you are getting a click you got power to the sylonied. Next electrical problem I would check is the relay switch. Hope this helps.