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Thread: weird noise on warm startup, VIDEO INSIDE!!!!

  1. #1

    weird noise on warm startup, VIDEO INSIDE!!!!

    I've never had a no start situation, just FYI. The battery is about a year and a half old, starter, I have no idea. I have 2 questions:

    1. sometimes on a warm start it almost sounds like the starter is skipping a tooth on the flywheel, the engine will fire but for a moment or two it's idled down before the computer puts it back where it should be. It only does this on a warm restart, NEVER on a cold start. So basically gas stations, 50/50 chance it will make this grind noise and then slow start. I would like to point out that this bike has done this for the entire 14 months of ownership, even back when the battery was only a few months old.

    2. With or without that grind noise, the bike almost always is a slow start. A few times it will spin up really easy, but most of the time when you hit the starter it rotates, pauses a second like it's building up steam, and then finishes rotating the motor until it fires. I know that this is because it's overcoming the high compression of the engine, but I was wondering why I see a lot of buell XBs on youtube that don't have this issue? It's never caused a no-start situation and it's done this since the day I bought it, I was more or less curious than worried about it. The video features this long pause, and actually the pause was a moment longer than usual here. Usually it's just a quick moment of pause before the starter spins again.



  2. #2
    Mine is exactly the same.
    Changed battery but it made no different.

  3. #3
    Senior Member 34nineteen's Avatar
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    Sounds like a weak battery, or you may need to clean your battery terminals, and ground points.

  4. #4
    Senior Member 34nineteen's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jdaniels View Post
    Mine is exactly the same.
    Changed battery but it made no different.
    But did you change your battery with a high quality model that puts out at least 220CCA? Also, did you check ALL of your connections, including grounds? Electricity needs to make a complete circuit for a device to function correctly. If there is a bottleneck anywhere (such as a bad/poor connection) that will limit the amount of current going through that circuit. Since the starter requires the most current, all connection points need to be clean and solid.

  5. #5
    I have removed the grounds and sanded them down. Sanded down their mating surfaces, checked the terminals for looseness. The battery is fine. I have an on board voltmeter and it's always hanging at 14 volts while riding. It measures 12.7 volts after sitting overnight, which is a very good standing voltage. Like I said, newer battery.

  6. #6
    Senior Member 34nineteen's Avatar
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    It is a good voltage reading, but it sounds like the issue is amperage.

    You may want to clamp a jumper cable from the negative terminal on the battery to a point on the engine to take that equation out of the picture. Find a nondescript place, as this can sometime cause an arc and a burned spot. If this solves your issue, you have a grounding issue. If not, you know its likely not the grounds.

    I'd still recommend taking the battery to a battery shop to have it load tested. It wouldnt be the first time a newer battery died a quick death. And as our resident Buell whisperer LF would say, "Buells are hell on batteries". If your battery passes the load testing, then you know you are working from a good foundation. If not, you have just been saved a bunch of diagnosis time.

    You also may want to check the contacts behind the starter button. I'm going to guess this isnt the issue.
    You may also want to check (or replace) the starter relay.

    Sometimes a component that is still working, but on its way out can be very difficult to identify.
    Last edited by 34nineteen; 05-25-2020 at 09:43 PM.

  7. #7
    I'll have it load tested then. Any ideas what that grind is though? Warm starts only.

  8. #8
    Senior Member 34nineteen's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by young scooter View Post
    I'll have it load tested then. Any ideas what that grind is though? Warm starts only.

    I didn’t hear a grind. However , it may be a small buzz from the starter from running out of current, and releasing the starter and trying to re-engage.

    To me it sounds like the starter isn’t receiving enough current. That battery may be newish but is it up to the task of turning over a 1203cc twin? It may have no issues with a 650. I’m not knocking you, just my $0.02 to help you from chasing your tail.



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