Right, its all gone wrong! It was running fine, admittedly off the booster pack most of the time. It would sometimes splutter and die when i unclipped it, which i took to be a sign of a seriously flat battery. However, it then wouldnt start. I assumed id cooked the booster, as its always been a bit funny. So i bought a new battery, but now it still doesnt work.

The starter relay (original bike one) clicks loudly when i turn the key, but the is not a hint of the starter turning. Its definately in neutral, and the engine definately isnt siezed as i can still bump it round in gear. The clutch and sidestand switches are both earthed, plus i dont think the relay would click if they werent.

So either the new battery was supplied flat, which i didnt think they did nowadays, or the starter has gone west. Unfortunately i dont have an accurate volt meter, thouhg i suppose i could use my PAT tester to see if its dead or alive. That or just try the hazards..

I have a spare starter in the garage, bolted onto my spare engine. How hard are they to swap? Cant be too bad i guess.

Unfortunately, the car is stuck at the bottom of my sloping drive, and its just started raining

Oh yeah, finally, if i just click my booster pack directly onto the starter lug and the engine earth, the starter should turn shouldnt it? Im guessing this is the best way to see if its shafted...

Any good ideas anyone? Mainly on the 'do batteries ever come flat new' question?

If the zx9r is anything like a blade engine it should be a 2 min swap job, just undo the bolts that hold the starter in then jut pull it out.

yup, turns out thats it! I had the genny cover off the spare before i realised it wiggles out. Id left that rubber thing bolted to the gearbox so that will have to pop out. Its just the damned rain thats getting in the way...

Anyway, using the booster pack on the terminals, it seems that the one on the car is dead and the one in the garage is alive.

No idea why it packed up so suddenly, i hope its nothing to do with the gubbins inside as theres no space to take the genny cover off whilst its fitted to the car.

As an aside, the coils in the genny are covered with the same white shite you would have if your head gasket failed, is this meant to be like that?! I put it all back together without prodding it and seeing if it was actually plastic...

and touch with you Booster directly the startermotor...does it turn?

Maybe you have broken the booster...
or the regulator is gone....??

anyway short runs for the bike engines aren't ver good for the spark plugs etc..
especially when you don't have rejetted/corrected the injection yet..

Tks

also give the starter motor time to cool down, they aren't made to run for long times....and will become hot... and finally they will give up..

[Edited on 26/3/06 by tks]

lucky me, i borrowed a full exhaust and set of jetted carbs off alan (wadders), which he actually took off his car for me. Mind blowing generosity, the guys a legend Can you imagine dismantling your car so someone can get to a trackday?!

not many people like that around anymore,deffo deserves a night on the town
good luck with getting it sorted for the trackday and hope its in one piece still for anglesey

lol, let hope so! heres the old one, absolutely paggered. It rattled, turned out to be loads of the contacts fallen off. I managed to get up and down the road before it stopped, definately need the neutral light! Never ridden a bike before so the clutch feels dreadful.
Rescued attachment starter.JPG

Well done Joel. I would take the alternator off the spare engine and bring it along just in case.

I had a problem when I installed my engine the first time, in that the starter was constantly engaged. I couldn't hear it over the engine, but it went west very quickly. It also cooked a battery! I stripped the entire loom out and there was no trace of a mistake. But it works OK now I have a lamp in the starter circuit. Seems the kawak may have had a resistor in the igniton switch that put enough load on the circuit to release the relay once it was running?

HTH

Mike

thats a scary thought mike, ive modified the loom so much i dont really know if it would turn itself off. Can any one else throw light on this? Ive basically skipped the ignition barrel, and the stop and start switches, and wired it straight onto the existing ignition.

My clutch cable is now back on but the clutch arm on the engine seems wrong, it is hard to pull but doesnt spring back by itself. Theres no pedal stop, i recall someone saying this can cause trouble. I pretty sure ive pulled it too far, as the cable came off just after i reached a junction. what would this do inside the clutch?

the second starter is now broken too bollox.

What the f$%k is doing this to them?! Im baffled.

Only thing that comes to mind, is that the starter relay may be connected back to front. Would this cause the starter to be perminantly engaged (ie powered, not just connected)

Or is it possible that the gubbins in my engine is knackered.

Ideas all? Tomorrows looking unlikely now...

I don't know if the ZX9 starter is the same as the ZZR but you could try this.

On the top of the ZZR starter is the positive terminal. This has / had a rubber cover on it. Get a 12v lamp and two bits of wire to use as a test lamp.

Start the engine, then when the engine is turning you release the key / button and connect the lamp to the +ve terminal and ground the other wire to the chassis / block. If the lamp comes on then you have a problem. If not you're off.

Dead easy to check if you have a lamp and some wire?

HTH

Mike

and a starter to start it! Thinking about my wiring, i cant see how its possible for it to be perminantly on. Im more inclined to blame the slipper mechanism. Im gonna dig out the manual and see if my red and black wire is doing more than i thought.

back in business, hopefully 3rd time lucky (bloody needs to be, 3 starters in 2 days wouldnt be fun

Don't know if this is any help yo you..

I've put an 100 Ohm resistor between the ignition switch and bypassed the run and starter button.I had no problems.

I would also not use any seirra ignition switches, just use an aftermarked starter switch and an power on off ignition just to block the power from the battery.
[img]Gax rushmotor strat nietCIMG0692.JPG[/img]

[Edited on 2/4/06 by badding]

[Edited on 2/4/06 by badding]

ignition
Rescued attachment CIMG0692.JPG

starter button
Rescued attachment CIMG0733.JPG