Bandit not starting

FatherLen

Hey guys,

Went to start the bike yesterday and well...... it wouldn't.
Nothing is hapening, it's not making any noise when i hit the start switch.
I can't hear the starter motor turning so it's not even trying, just nothing.
I checked to see if I was just forgeting something stupid lilke the stand being down or something but i can't think of any reason why it's not starting.

When I went to start it yesterday, it started but it was cold and I had the choke closed so it cut out after a few seconds and then the problem started.
I left it overnight and just tried it this morning and still nothing. I tried bump starting it and I could hear it trying but it wouldn't catch.

Any ideas?

MonstaMash

Is there spark at the plug?

Will she bump start?

arybvtcw0eolkf

Where are you?.

MonstaMash

Kickstand down?

Is it in Neutral?

Is the engine kill switch in the RUN position?

Loose battery terminal connection?

Have you enough current to actually TURN the starter?

Check the starter solenoid / bad primary cable leading to the starter solenoid?

Checked fuses?

Juice in the tank?

FatherLen

I'm in tallaght so if need be, I can push it around to tallaght suberbikes.

kickstand down and in neutral, killswitch is set to run, still plenty of juice in the tank and it's got plenty of oil.

It didn't bump start but i only tried 3 or 4 times, I could hear it trying to turn over but it wouldn't catch.

When I hit the button, literaly nothing happens. Can't hear a peep from anything.
I am thinking maybe something happened in the rain yesterday and maybe did some electrical damage.
I don't think the battery is gone because the lights and other electrics are working fine.

I am going to try bump start it a few more times and see if I can get it going.

arybvtcw0eolkf

FatherLen wrote: »

I'm in tallaght so if need be, I can push it around to tallaght suberbikes.

kickstand down and in neutral, killswitch is set to run, still plenty of juice in the tank and it's got plenty of oil.

It didn't bump start but i only tried 3 or 4 times, I could hear it trying to turn over but it wouldn't catch.

When I hit the button, literaly nothing happens. Can't hear a peep from anything.
I am thinking maybe something happened in the rain yesterday and maybe did some electrical damage.
I don't think the battery is gone because the lights and other electrics are working fine.

I am going to try bump start it a few more times and see if I can get it going.

If I was closer I'd have went over to you.

I was thinking a battery terminal or faulty earth but if your electrics are working that probably rules that one out.

I'm not sure about the side stand switch on the Bandit, but have a look and see if there's a connector block behind it or along the wiring and, if there is disconnect it and try that.

Although we've Bandits in work and the side stand switches have never been a problem (unlike the Kawaski GT550's we had).

The engine isn't even attempting a turn over?.

FatherLen

OK well I tried to bump start it by using the ramps in an underground carpark and all that happened was I got bolloxed. It was trying to turn over when i was doing it but it still just wouldn't catch and start. I can't take the seat off to check the battery because the key hole to do it is broken and I think I need a special tool to take it apart. I don't think it's the battery so I am guessing it's probably a fuse or loose connection somewhere.

arybvtcw0eolkf

FatherLen wrote: »

OK well I tried to bump start it by using the ramps in an underground carpark and all that happened was I got bolloxed. It was trying to turn over when i was doing it but it still just wouldn't catch and start. I can't take the seat off to check the battery because the key hole to do it is broken and I think I need a special tool to take it apart. I don't think it's the battery so I am guessing it's probably a fuse or loose connection somewhere.

They're a heavy bike to be bump starting by yourself, but if it was the starter motor she'd have fired up fairly quickly on the bump providing you're doing it correctly.

Since you can't get under the seat just yet check your earth point from the engine to the frame, I think you should be able to see it ~ it'll be a heavy insulated wire connecting the engine to the frame.. Unscrew it, clean off the connections with a little sandpaper (or similar) and reconnect.. Even if that doesn't work its ruling out one possibilty.

Give the side stand switch a clean too, a bit of WD 40 in case its sticking.

FatherLen

yeah the downhill part was fine, it was pushing it up the hills that broke me.
Cheers for the help, I will give another look over. I will report back if anything happens but if not, it looks like a visit to the mechanics.

jimboblep

Not sure if its any help but on ny old bandit the spring that held the kickstnd in place was fecked and the kickstand used to fall down about a half inch hitting the kill switch

bladespin

Check your side stand kill switch (depends on the model). Could be battery, just because there's enough juice to run lights etc doesn't guarantee there's enough to push the starter.

Hotblack Desiato

Side stand switch is a possibility all right, clutch switch is another.

Some bikes won't turn over at all if one of these switches is open circuit, others will turn over but with no spark.

Does the headlight remain bright when trying to start the bike - this indicates the starter isn't activating at all.

An old trick is to pull back the rubber covers on the starter solenoid terminals and bridge them with a large coin, if the bike now turns over you have a fault in the starter switch / clutch switch / sidestand switch circuit.

Usually there's a cable (like a clutch or throttle cable) leading from the key cylinder to the seat catch, you might be able to get at this cable from underneath (above the rear wheel) and pull it to open the seat.

SweetCaliber

If the side stand or clutch safety switches aren't working then it won't do anything, if you could bypass them for the time being (find out where they are connected along the harness and bridge a piece of copper in the connector to complete the circuit) and see if she fires.

If not a close to dead battery could also be the problem, my bike (Hyosung, haha) wouldn't even try start nor make any noises if the correct voltage wasn't in the bike.

Check the kill switch too, flick it up and down a couple of times and see if she fires them.

I'm not too familiar with the bandits but perhaps there's a separate fuse for the starter that could have blown?

When it comes to electrics its simply a process of elimination, however try what you can before taking it to a garage, they will charge you, and it might take them a while to find the problem.

Wonda-Boy

Well did ya get her going lad?

hobochris

I used to have a bandit and had similar issues. It's battery or plugs. Check the battery first with a voltmeter. The cold nights we've been having kill batteries.

When was the last time she was serviced I.e plugs changed? If the clearances haven't been done in a while that won't make life any easier.

Bandits are prone to burning a bit of oil which leaves nice black soot on the plugs.so they need changing at regular service intervals.

Peanut2011

Had the same problem a long time ago. It was plugs. Changed them out and worked fine for me.

zubair

Any electrical aftermarket parts/ mods on the bike? Heated grips, etc. If all the cables aren't connected to the battery securely this can cause problems starting; the bike will try to fire when bump starting but will be dead when starting on the stand.

You need to access the battery if you plan to sort it yourself.

FatherLen

ok, nearly sure it's the solenoid. is there much work in replacing it or can i do it myself. Also where would be the best place in dublin to buy a replacement one?

Hotblack Desiato

what testing have you done on the solenoid?

If you connect a wire between the battery + terminal and the small terminal on the solenoid, does it clunk?

FatherLen

checked over the bike with a meter, the battery is fine and i joined the two points on the regulator and the starter started turning. My uncle came over and took a look over it. he knows his fair share about car engines but not so much on bikes. He asked a bike mechanic friend of is and he reckons it's that too. We didn't know how to test the solenoid but I was just going to replace it and hope for the best really.
I also heard that because the bandits run through oil quickly it can also be dirt on the sparks but I don't think thats it because I figure I would hear something when I tried to start it. I listened to see if I could hear the solenoid when starting (dunno if I should be able to or not). How do I go about testing the solenoid?

ENET

I had this same issue with mine a couple weeks ago.
Mine turned out to be the clutch safety switch was corroded.

This is the area its usually in:
http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/8927/imag0459b.jpg

If it is that let me know, I can go through with you, what I did to bypass it.

Best of luck.

rolliepoley

If your getting nothing from the bike i would suspect the battery, the battery would give off power alright but it might not have enough power to start the bike, it needs to be fully charged, are you getting any clicks from the starter relay?
If you are it would be a flat battery and if your not swap the relay out with a known good one to see if you have a any problems in the starter circut. cluch switch, sidestand switch, neutral switch.

doctorchopper

Spark plugs will not have anything to do with your problems, its electrical. You can short out the starter solenoid by jumping the 2 large wires but make sure you use a large wire like a jump lead to do it or it will melt.