Yamaha TRX850 Enthusiasts Forum

After spending over 4 hrs at Westmead, when it should have taken 2, I went to start my bike.
Ignition light came on, went click and then EVERYTHING went off....nada......nothing!
No lights, indicators, brake light, horn etc.............
Checked the fuses and their connectors, all ok. Even checked the starter relay and its fuse.
Rang Lloyd Penn and they thought it might be a fritzed battery (short circuit). Battery was an $80 cheapie 4 years ago so that's on the cards..........
I'm thinking either battery or ignition switch, only because something similar happened years ago on the Guzzi..........
Many thanks to Ricardo from Moto Motion who came and picked me up and delivered me and the bike back home

Am I on the right track?

Bob

Looks like training and skateboarding to work for a while

loose battery terminals will give what you described...

Plus the connector block into the rectangular black relay that sits at the back of the motor near the large alloy H casting. The terminals suffer from corrosion in the terminal block.
Also the starter relay could give a similar problem especially if any shite / water etc has got underneath it.

Mincehead wrote:Plus the connector block into the rectangular black relay that sits at the back of the motor near the large alloy H casting. The terminals suffer from corrosion in the terminal block.
Also the starter relay could give a similar problem especially if any shite / water etc has got underneath it.

Good clues there too mince..always a shitty problem when they just go ;click;..

I am usuall all over my bike with a cheap can of CRC or wd 40, as it find its way into places to protect and lubricate...it also conditions coolant and fuel lines as well as protecting valuable earths and wireing from the weather...especially in the UK with the corrosion on those roads...and the bike LOOKS good after..none on the rubber though..!

It`s nearly always caused by voltage drop or a poor earth.
While recently down south, I was called out to help my pal Steve look over a non starting Reliant based trike.
I`ve always got a tool roll with me even in the motor, a multimeter too so off we went....................
Found the low tension feed to the points all intact, good distributor cap, good rotor arm, no breaks in continuity anywhere!
Scratched my bonce for a while then asked Steve to `flash` the points (open them with a screwdriver and let them snap shut) while I held my multimeter to the low tension side of the coil, sure enough the voltage was creeping away through the shite that had built up around the coil terminal to earth.
One cleaned with my trusty little stainless bristle wire brush from my tool roll she started first touch of the button!
Electricity will always find the least resistance to earth, sometimes it`ll seek that earth down another wire not carrying current at that particular moment too, hence the voltage drop problems.
If you`ve ever followed a vehicle which has it`s lights on and then indicates, and witnessesd the indicator flashing dimly followed by the side light and / or brakelight, that`ll always be an earthing problem.

Mincehead wrote: If you`ve ever followed a vehicle which has it`s lights on and then indicates

Never seen that before

Blimey, you see it all the time in the UK, esprecially on older cars that might have a bit of rot in them and likely poor connections between light units and earthing points.

Mincehead wrote:Blimey, you see it all the time in the UK, esprecially on older cars that might have a bit of rot in them and likely poor connections between light units and earthing points.

................I've never seen a car INDICATE before just have to explain everything to you poms

Something I`m not getting here? Indicate, to have a right or left indicator (flasing amber light) showing.

Mincehead wrote:Something I`m not getting here? Indicate, to have a right or left indicator (flasing amber light) showing.

Ok.....when was the last time you saw a car actually indicated that it was changing lanes, turning left/right.

Soooooo this is a very rare event "If you`ve ever followed a vehicle which has it`s lights on and then indicates

time to make your bike louder Rod

cobbadiggabuddyblooo wrote:time to make your bike louder Rod

No point making it louder when you travel at the speed of sound

Rod

faster than 7.6m per sec per sec .. sounds travelling behind you...there you go..thats your prob.. try a brighter headlight

cobbadiggabuddyblooo wrote:faster than 7.6m per sec per sec .. sounds travelling behind you...there you go..thats your prob.. try a brighter headlight

Arh ha!! that should do it need one of those Zenon/iodine/ion/sodium/helium/iridium/gama radiation lamps to see the my way and be seen

pretty good those ones...strap a chook to it wrapped in alfoil and it will be done in an 2 hours..
I normally do my greens over the tail light too...