Tired Starter?

[jamman18]

I noticed recently that no matter if I run a tricle charger on my battery and top off the water, it still seems to be slow in turning over; kick starter works fine......bad battery or starter?

[TOOLS1]

Motorcycle battery's are not known for longevity. And a draw test  is not a very efficient test on them. You can test voltage with an ohm meter. Does it crank better with a battery charger attached, or by jumping from another battery (you can jump from a car battery)? If it cranks faster then it is the battery. If not it is the starter, or cables.
TOOLS

[jamman18]

Cool! Thanks; I'll check it out!

[LukeM]

My new acquisition (84 VT700C) could be push started, but absolutely would not start using the battery.  It would turn for maybe 2-3 seconds before the battery just died.  This is with a brand new 16 amp battery.  I took the starter motor out, and connected it to my son's car with jumper cables.  The case got hot in my hand, and it ground and growled like a big ole bear.  So, I took it apart slowly, and found the wires holding the brushes were all burnt and bare.  Seems there was a good sized short somewhere inside, and this was pulling the battery down.

I found a used starter on EBay, and tested it on my son's car.  What a difference!  Good torque, no complaining sounds, all good.  Bolted it into the bike, got a new gasket for the side cover, and hit the key after the battery was trickle charged overnight.  Vroom!  Started on the first try, after about 3 seconds of cranking.

I think the starter was about $55 including shipping.  Rebuild kits for these starters usually include the brush plate and assembly, new bearings, O rings, and instructions.  Cost is about $25 + shipping.

I'm sure the FSM covers how to rebuild the starter.  Check it out.
Luke M

[jamman18]

Well, I've got 12v at the battery; kick starter still working ok.....

[sgtslag]

Try starting the engine, and watch the headlight as you roll the throttle on, in neutral.  You do not want to rev above 4,000 RPM, but you do want to see if the headlight brightens as the RPM's increase:  this indicates that the alternator is charging the battery.  This simple test will help verify your charging system/battery are working normally.  By the way, your battery voltage, resting/bike has been off for a couple of hours, without a charger connected, should read around 12.6 Volts, if it is healthy.

If the charging system is working, and the battery is in good condition, then it has to be your starter motor.  An overhaul, or a replacement, would be in order.  Cheers!

[jamman18]

The charging part of the system works but found out that it's a good idea to check the battery for water since it was dry.  Good part is that it still charged and is ok now!

[sgtslag]

Chances are very good that your battery's plates are sulphated, which means its life is short.  You have a couple of options:  buy some anti-sulphating additive for your battery (chemical that removes sulphation from the plates); buy an anti-sulphating trickle charger (do NOT buy a car model, 10-amp, anti-sulphating charger!...); or wait for it to die (hopefully not in a dire situation/bad location...), and then replace it.  I cannot say which is the best option, other than the replacement choice.

Anti-sulphating trickle chargers are relatively new.  They send high frequency pulses into the battery, which electro-chemically remove the sulphate deposits on the plates.  They supposedly do the job, but they cost more than a typical smart trickle charger.  No experience with the chemical additives, but they should cost much less than a new battery.

If/when you decide to replace the battery, check into AGM batteries:  maintenance free; sealed; reported to last 5+ years; resistant to vibration; can be left in the bike over the Winter, with virtually no internal losses -- won't discharge unless the bike drains it with a clock, or a computer of some sort.  The AGM's cost more, but they pay for themselves over the long haul.  Cheers!

[Re-run]

The vf700c seems to go through starters apparently. I just picked an 84 up last friday. Needs work of course but more or less runs, needs carbs cleaned.
When you hook up the car battery to jump, make sure the car is NOT running or bad things will happen to your bikes electrical system.
4 years seems to be about average in these older bikes for battery lifespan.
One test you can try is to charge it with the battery charger, put it in the bike and then turn the key on. See what your voltage drops to. It should stay above 12, if it does not, the battery is going out.