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June 23, 2015
KTM Electrical Issue - Continued...
So, I've been driving the bike now every day since i last charged my battery on Monday 6/8/2015.
I always try changing things to rationalize what's going on with the bike. My latest trick was to run the headlight on low (instead of High), and to always turn off the switch on the handlebars. Every day, it starts right up, and is not an issue. Then, just when I think I've got the world by the tail, I get on the bike yesterday (Monday morning 6/22/15), and hit the starter, and it goes "click" and we're done.
So, I figure that, after 2 weeks, the battery is just dead again. Take the truck into work. Come home, pull the motorcycle battery, put it on the trickle charger Monday after work. The battery charger shows "Yellow" light, then changes to "green" by morning. Put the battery back on the bike, get all set up to ride, push the button, and "click". Everything dies.
So, this really throws me. I've convinced myself that recharging the battery solves my issues, and now the battery won't start the bike.
I do notice also, for the first time really, that once I try to start the bike, and get the dreaded "click" sound, the bike is basically shut down. Nothing will work. Not the headlight. Not the instrument cluster. Not the starter. Not the horn. Nothing.
So, this is an interesting observation. It's like there's some sort of relay that's getting thrown. Unhooking the battery leads solves the problem. It "resets" the relay/switch so that the headlight works again, etc.
At this point, I'm thoroughly confused as to what the problem is, but I pulled the battery and put it back on the trickle charger when I got home from work to day. It showed "Yellow" as opposed to "Green", so, it does appear as though the battery is not fully charged, somehow.
I'll try to charge the battery again tonight and try to start the bike again in the morning. Sigh.
(Monday 6/8/2015)
Posted by Rob Kiser on June 23, 2015 at 10:21 PM
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