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Norge Starter Issue

C

CCMcC

Just got it firing!
Joined
Nov 22, 2008
Messages
17
Gentlemen,

The starter on the Norge sounds like its locked. There is a click and then the three-second start routine but nothing turns. The battery is good and charged. Even tried it with a boost. Same non-event took place. The engine is not seized as it can be turned with the rear wheel.

Any ideas on what's happening here? Anyone else had a similar problem? Bad starter or starter relay?

Its January and too cold to ride so I'm not going anywhere anyway.

Thanks,

Caleb
 
Here's a few ideas:
1)Kill switch activated. Sounds dumb, but it happens all too often. Check it, costs you nothing.
2) Not in neutral. Also sounds dumb, but it happens. Bike will not start in gear if clutch not pulled in.
3)Computer thinks bike is in neutral-even though it is not. Has happened to a few, including me & a Griso riding buddy. Neutral light is on, but somehow computer still thinks bike is in gear. Pull in clutch, shift in to 1st so neutral light goes out, then snick it back to neutral so neutral light goes back on. If that was the problem, it will now start right up. Worked once for me after a couple of maddening hours, also 2-3 times for my bud on his Griso.

If not the above, probably some kind of other "safety" lock out.

Or, could be battery connections. Check both pos & neg leads at battery, & battery ground near starter, behind starter cover. Do be sure the ground is snug, but don't over do it, as it is not that difficult to strip that thing out.
 
Thanks GuzziBob,

Those were all good suggestions. The obvious is often hardest to see (especially when you're frustrated).

I went down your list and came up with the same click but no cranking.

I don't see any posts suggesting starters go bad...or do they?

Thanks,

Caleb
 
You get a single click, then the dash dies and then comes back on with the usual startup routine?

It does that when your battery voltage gets under 10.5V or so. What does the dash say about the battery voltage, and what does a voltmeter on the terminals tell you?

Don't try to boost-start, or if you do, put the positive on the starter's + terminal, and the negative on the engine. You might fry your ECU otherwise — and it will likely not even work. I tried, in the end got a VERY stressing weird read-out on my LCD (not C:> but probably something similar), and was VERY relieved when 2 on/off cycles later I got the normal lights show again.
 
RJVB:

Thanks for the info. That is very helpful. I just went out and checked.

The display reads 11.9 volts. There is a click and then all goes dark and then gages reset, but do not go through the start up routine.

Caleb
 
Sounds like a dud or flat battery to me. But it might just be the battery connections. Give them a good clean, and make sure the terminals are tight. Charge the battery while you're at it.

You should get more than 11.9v, and the display should not disappear. This is a sign of a high impedance between the battery and the load (including the display).
 
11.9V sounds fine to me, at least I know that mine will start even at a display read-out of 11.6V (which is often the case after I leave the bike sitting in temps like we're having right now).

There's about 0.5V difference between what the display says and what a voltmeter will read from the battery terminals.

Have you taken the battery out to get it load-tested somewhere? Repair places often do that for free, but if you have another bike you could try that. Batteries like ours supposedly can die without too much forewarning signs and I guess that a correct voltage at rest but incapability to supply the juice necessary to start can indicate the battery has to be replaced.

The other explanation would have to be a leak somewhere in the starter circuit, which causes the voltage to drop under the cut-off limit. That could be a bad starter motor (internal short or something), but if that happened frequently others would already have forwarded that hypothesis.
 
A fully charged, properly functioning battery should have a voltage of close to 13 volts.
I've seen 12 volts listed as a "replace immediately - no longer serviceable" limit in several sources.

Charge the battery and measure the voltage directly from the terminals using a multi meter. Check against above numbers.

If you have jumper cables hook up a car battery and see if it starts then? (Disconnect the bike's battery, car not running).
 
Have you tired lightly tapping it with a hammer..

Perhaps the windings are binding on the case.

You could Pull the starter.. Not too hard to do, and then spin it with a car battery.

you can also activiate the solidnoid with a car battery...

That will verify that the motor is working and the solinoid is being thrown.

If they work then it is wiring.. Loose ground, or hot side.. is all that is left.
 
Thanks for all the helpful replies.

I was convinced I had a bad battery. As it happens, I took the battery to a technician. He tested it (12v) and load tested it (amps within spec).

By the way, where is the starter located on these bikes?

Thanks,

Caleb
 
Your battery only gives 12V outside the bike, when fully charged? That's way too low, and it's surprising even that your dashboard reads 11.9V in that case!

Is there no one with another modern 1100+ Guzzi in your area?

How old is your battery? Under a year, I'd try to get it changed under warranty, and if I understand correctly, the 2y bike warranty covers the original battery too in the US. THose things are too expensive not to try to get a new one that way...!
 
On the starter location: a picture is worth a thousand words. Thanks. And thanks for the advice on warranty coverage for the battery. I think its time to get it to the shop. Hopefully I'll find out that it will just be the battery.
 
Back from the shop.

Good news: battery is just fine.

Embarrassing news: :blush: The battery terminals were corroded. I have a Garmin Quest caddy and a battery tender squeezed into the mix, which may account for the corrosion.

So, folks, moral of the story: break out that old toothbrush and baking soda and save yourselves some long green.

Caleb

p.s. Brrrr...it was 32F/0C out there today. Still, I felt the love as that beautiful v-twin throbbed me down the road. Amazing ride, praise be. Heated grips worked just fine too.
 
Need an opinion...My '07 Norge won't start and I'm going to charge the battery with a 1 amp slow charger. I will connect the leads to the terminals with quick connects that can remain on the battery. Looking through past posts about Norge battery issues, I've seen some notes about pulling the battery out of the bike to charge it to avoid "dash" issues. What's the down side of pulling the battery? Will I lose any needed info or settings like odometer? I know the trip info and clock will reset but am concerned with losing any vitals if the battery is out for a day or two. Certainly would be easier to charge in place and the quick connects will allow me to periodically charge up in the winter when I'm only riding once a week or two.
BTW, I've already cleaned the terminals, checked all the grounds, safety switches and fuses to confirm that the battery is the issue. Voltmeter reads 11.2 even after cleaning terms. First time with this problem for the Norge. Thanks for your suggestions- Rob
 
Rob, you've checked the voltage at the terminals with everything connected and the engine running, to check if you're actually charging the battery?

There's no need to pull the battery if you're using an appropriate Optimate or Battery Tender or similar charging system that goes to trickle charge once the battery is charged. You could even charge through the accessory (cig lighter) connector.

You won't lose any vital info when you remove the battery. Note how the manual talks about disconnecting the battery for longer storage without making an mention about special procedures like re-associating your keys afterwards...
In any case I kept mine without battery for about a week, IIRC, and she started right up when I reconnected it.
 
I charged it today in place after installing the quick connects for the tender/charger. After a few hours, she started right up and is charging on the engine. Merci Rene!
Weather has improved to where I'll be commuting on her every day, so shouldn't need to charge again this season. I will keep a closer eye on the voltage, just not used to having a bike with electronics. I have only had the Norge since October.
Rob
 
My pleasure, Rob.

One more thought: how long is your commute? As a rule of thumb, a bike's battery won't charge under 20ºC (a higher alternator voltage would be required). Of course the battery will get at that temperature eventually, but depending on the weather and the distance you commute, it may be wise to keep the bike on the tender anyway, if that's feasible for you.
 
My commute is 40 miles each way which takes about 50 minutes, including a nice windy stretch though the Brushy Mountains. It has been unusually cold here this winter so I haven't ridden much in the last 4-5 weeks. I do plan to check the voltmeter more often and will hook up the tender whenever I don't ride for a few days. Weather this morning in western North Carolina is very nice but windy, about 15C. Thanks for the info, I was not aware the charging temp threshhold was that high.
 
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