Page 1 of 2

missin its mojo....help!!!

Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2014 9:35 am
by Spunky
i own a 2001 yamaha vstar............so heres my problem.....went to ride in a funeral yesterday...rode all the way there....get to the meetin site & mingled for a while....got ready for the line up & sat waitin....went to crank for the ride and seemed the battery was dead....but lights were comin on....when i pushed the black ignition there was nothin...we pushed it off 3 different times at each stop & i made it home.....its got a brand new battery with only 650miles on it checked cables for corrosion & connection & all was good....checked all fuses they were good...tested the starter it was fine....followed wires & found no bare or tore wires.... :rant: .......what am i missin guys ??? thanx in advance for any help.....Brandy

Re: missin its mojo....help!!!

Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2014 3:39 pm
by JackoftheGreen
For starters, 650 miles or otherwise you should still pull the battery and have it tested, if nothing else than just to rule it out. Even if there's NO WAY it could just be a bad battery, make sure it's not a bad battery.

Failing that, and given that you've checked everything else, maybe the ignition switch is faulty?

Also, welcome to TMW! We're glad to have you, and my wife is always glad to see more women riders.

Re: missin its mojo....help!!!

Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2014 2:19 am
by GS_in_CO
Brand new car batteries are at least half-dead right off the autoparts store shelf.

Proper battery installation includes a long trickle charge before putting the battery in service.

If all this was done, you might need to look at your charging system.

Or the charging and battery are fine and the starter relay isn't being energized. Or the starter is bad (less likely)

Re: missin its mojo....help!!!

Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 6:04 am
by Spunky
thanx guys 4 the input...i did take the battery iff & charge it jus 2 make sure...i think its been narrowed down 2 the switch or the brushes n the starter ? idk jus doin trial n error & hope i figure it out without breakin the bank lol

Re: missin its mojo....help!!!

Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 6:06 am
by Spunky
& thanx 4 the welcome...iv been ridin bout 4mth now & i agree we need more female riders...

Re: missin its mojo....help!!!

Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 10:32 am
by JackoftheGreen
Given your description of the problem and if the battery checked out okay, the problem is almost certainly something with the starter, either the relay, solenoid or brushes. You said the starter checked out okay though?

Four months is a good start, what size is your VStar?

Re: missin its mojo....help!!!

Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 10:39 am
by Spunky
jus a 650....im already wantin 2 upgrade lol & yea most feedback is pointin 2 the starter ....bf hooked it up 2 a battery charger but didnt check brushes yet

Re: missin its mojo....help!!!

Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 10:54 am
by JackoftheGreen
Sounds like you're on the right track, keep us posted. You'll be back on the road in no time.

Don't be too much in a hurry to upgrade, take your time and put in some miles on that 650.

Re: missin its mojo....help!!!

Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 11:05 am
by Spunky
i am...i jus need another gear lol ridin beside my bfs beast (roadstar 1600) i sound like a pissed off bumble bee nxt 2 him n he still hasa gear left lol

Re: missin its mojo....help!!!

Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 4:42 am
by Johnj
Have you checked the kickstand safety switch or the neutral safety switch? :ninja: Did you check that the OFF/RUN switch is set to RUN?