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starting issue

2K views 10 replies 6 participants last post by  rcmcfly 
#1 ·
my '94 m900 is having an issue with starting. it starts fine intermittently. but sometimes it will turn over but won't fire. I can get it to bump start and sometimes it will start as soon as i let off the starter, then it kicks over. any thoughts?
 
#2 ·
Sounds like a bad battery or the battery is not being fully charged.

Put a volt meter on the battery and watch the voltage.
Note level it drops to when you turn on the key and the level it drops to when you hit the starter button.

If it drops below 11 V when you hit the starter button its dropping too much to fire the coils.
When you let off the starter button it then has power to the coils and tries to start.
 
#3 ·
hmm never thought of that... it dos kinda intermittently stop or struggle when trying to turn the starter. thats better than what i was thinking. i thought maybe a pilot jet or something. thanks for the tip ill keep ya posted and see if it work. could i hook jumper cables to my truck to test it? i don't have a volt meter.
 
#4 ·
Well, technically yes but you REALLY need to watch how you connect it up or you can damage the bike.
Volt meter is safer way to do this and you can usually get a cheap one from an auto supply store.

If you want to boost it then the truck should not be running and you need to attach cables carefully between the two such that the positive cable does not get near any GND points on the bike or truck.

If it starts fine that way then I would suspect the battery or the charging system (when it's running is the head light bright?).
If it still has trouble then may be a bad starter motor or corrosion on the starter cable connections (Solenoid, starter motor) including the main GND cable to the frame.
 
#6 ·
"Sounds like a sprag issue"?? Jump start your Duc with a %#&@ing truck


Jeebus. It's the wimpy battery to frame ground wire that bike came from the factory with. Run a nice fat 4ga wire with 2 tinned lugs from the neg battery post to the bolt on the motor behind the right rearset and near the rear brake fluid reservoir. Run a good 4-6 gauge wire direct from the positive to solenoid then solenoid to starter while you're at it and delete that crappy splitter Ducati used. Then ride and be happy because your problem is now solved.
 
#7 ·
And while you're adding a better ground, check the connection spots all the way to the starter. Take them apart and clean real good.
If the battery is okay, the bike should fire up like new with a little TLC.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Yep^^^. Add a bit of dielectric grease smeared on the lugs or silver paste if you're rich (or OCD) to prevent future issues for years.

If you want to do it the quickest and easiest way, Motowheels sells a kit that has all of the wiring I mentioned premade for around $35. This is something I preferred to DIY as I enjoy doing it and it's easy. Find a marine/boating supply store locally and purchase 2-3 feet of marine grade 4g wire, a few TINNED copper lugs and a length of heatshrink. You will need a total of 5 1/4" lugs for the battery>solenoid> starter, one 3/8" lug for the ground at the motor and 6 inches or so of 1/2" marine grade heatshrink. From here there are lots of tutorials for how to properly crimp the lugs via Google or by searching the forum for "ground/starter wire upgrade".

I'm fairly certain the only critical upgrade you need to address to solve your current problem is the ground from battery to motor but most people take care of it all in one shot. Keep in mind a poor ground won't just cause starting problems, it can eventually damage your ignition components, including those 2 insanely expensive CDI boxes next to your coils.

After thorough research on this subject I went with 4G welding cable. VERY flexible and the jacket is very tough. I purchased cable, lugs, and heatshrink on eBay for $30 but I have enough material now for like ten bikes, lol. I even bought a pricy crimping tool because I'm a tool whore but you can use a chisel or dull flathead screwdriver and a hammer, works just fine.

You can also Paypal me $10 to cover postage and materials and I'll make and mail you a kit, I enjoy helping out other old school Monster owners and my kits are just as good as anything out there.
 
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