No Crank, No Start.

[dsmracer]

Hey guys, i'm fairly new to bikes, so this may seem a bit rediculous.

i have a 2000 kat 600, just bought, 2100 miles. hasnt been ridden in about a year.

when i picked it up, had a dead battery, and was told that the starter went on it. i bought an ebay starter, which may or may not be good. replaced the battery, replaced the starter with ebay starter, no crank no start. i have 12 down to starter, so i know that there is plenty of power. i notice there is no ground from the starter, so i assume it is case. is there anything i can do to be positive that my starter is at fault before i spend near $300 on one, and find out that is not my problem?

are there any more common causes for this symptom?
i just want to cover all bases before i start dropping alot of money.

thanks in advance guys

[kiba]

Re: No Crank, No Start.

i have 12 down to starter

Where are you measuring this? The cable going in to the starter? If so, then it should only have 12v when the buton is pressed...

Otherwise, there are several interlocks than need to be engaged before the starter will turn. The clutch must be held in, and either the kickstand must be up or the bike must be in neutral. I would say one or more of these switches, or even the starter relay, would be more likely to go out then the starter itself.

The first thing to check though would be the battery. The battery being even a little low / undercharged has been known to cause 'mysterious' problems. You did charge it before you put it in, right? The stock battery does not come pre-charged unless your dealer did it for you.

/kiba

[The CyberPoet]

Kiba is generally right on the starter interlocks.
On the 98+ model Katana's, the clutch must be pulled in (engaging a contact switch at the base of the clutch lever) even if the bike is in neutral to engage the starter.
There is also a switch at the side-stand that must be engaged if the bike isn't actively reporting it is in neutral (i.e. - only if the green neutral light on the dash lights up is the sidestand switch ignored).
The starter button in the control pod can also be a source of issues, and I would suggest disassembling the control pod and cleaning out the starter switch with an electronics cleaner thoroughly.

Q: What happens if you jump the starter solenoid directly with a screwdriver or other metal object? (Please make sure your grip on this item is fully insulated before trying it!).

Also: Expect to have to drain all the fuel in the carbs & gas tank and replace it with new fuel. The fuel that is in there will be so old and broken down that it almost assuredly won't ignite.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[dsmracer]

i am measuring 12v at the starter cable with Start button held. relay clicks, and thats it. I'm going to have to play around with it today, thank for the info guys.
when i try to start the bike, it is in neutral, clutch in, side stand up, but i do have the bike sitting on the center stand, does this matter? thanks for the help guys,

sam

[steves]

Is the kill switch disconnected?

[The CyberPoet]

i do have the bike sitting on the center stand, does this matter?

No, it doesn't matter. Bike is ignorant of the centerstand and doesn't care.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[trinc]

a good auto shop should be able to load test the starter.

tim

[steves]

AutoZone/Advanced Auto etc will say "We don't have a program for that kind of starter."