Two days ago whilst riding to work, my daily grind which I enjoy immensely, I pressed right to turn right and the dash indicated left. I cancelled it and pressed right again and the dash lit up both indicators. I made a mental note that it had happened, thought about the battery's charge level, about the turn indicator relay, a loose connection(?). A brief flash in the nether recesses of my head suggested that the starter hadn't been attended to in a long while, then I enjoyed the next fifteen kilometres of winding, two lane country roads, no turn signals necessary.

After a busy day I donned my gear and pulled on my helmet, surveying the otherwise blue sky to the East for a bit of rain cloud the weather bureau's radar site suggested I might encounter on my ride home. I twisted a glove onto my hand then swung a leg over, hit the starter button and got a whir, but no K-Bike whine. I pulled in the clutch lever and hit the button again...whir, click, click. Off I got from the saddle and with a quick tug at the side covers I could see the battery connections were tight and the dash lights bright. Click, click. I snicked the bike up into top gear and gave the rear wheel a coupla gentle whacks backwards in case the clutch sprag had an attitude, switched on the key and hit the starter button. The olde faithful fired and settled into a steady idle. But the headlight didn't light, the indicators didn't flash, and the bike idled eagerly along. I climbed back on and rode home in an inquisitive mood, puzzling over the many possibilities in my head until I had satisfied myself I'd settled on the heart of it. The battery was at 12.5 volts at rest upon my arrival home after a twenty K ride.

A dog's age ago I had pulled the tiny but powerful starter out when it suddenly didn't turn the solid lump of a motor over. The diminutive orbiting moon wasn't pulling the larger planet's tide as expected and required. I'd discovered a mass of accumulated carbon from the brushes had clogged up the works. I hosed it down with contact cleaner and carefully reassembled it, making a note to order a brush set from my regular spares supplier who's overseas in a galaxy far, far away. Then I rode many kilometres to me heart's content. The brushes arrived with a load of other parts later on. I shelved them and continued on in rider's bliss.

Tonight, under the warm glow of a brilliant Southern Cross full moon (you've all gotta see one of those in your lifetime) I slid the box of electrical spares down from the high shelf and found the ND brush set where I'd stashed it. I'm good at stashing things. I've got bits 'n' pieces right where and when I need 'em. Up went the seat, out came the ECU and the excellent 20amp sealed Yuasa battery (Damn, I'm missing two of those rubber gunbarrel mounting bushes and don't have any spares. Doh!), and off came the coil cover. I extracted the starter, quite hot to the touch, and twisted out the long phillips head screws. The pieces came apart in my greasy hands and I laid them out on the workbench. Yes! One of the brushes was down to the limit, and a fair bit of dusty carbon was drifting down to the floor as I shook the motor. After a clean up and fiddly re-fit of those blasted brushes (has anyone noticed the caged brush holders are now backwards from original leaving the brushes to fight against an easy re-installation due to their openings now facing the copper surface of the starter's windings?). I need a Guinness. Are multiple chocolate-thick Guinness then referred to as Guinni? I digress.

With some sweet music from Paul Kelly pushing through speakers and the satisfaction of an empty glass behind me I refitted the components and made sure all connections were tight and any errant wires tucked up out of the way. Oh, and I pulled the alternator's brush pack out just to clean it up a bit and have a squiz at their overall condition.....less than halfway to go, so time for a new set. I jotted down the Bosch number since I work in the automotive bidness and might possibly be able to source a less expensive replacement from the local parts shop tomorrow. With a snug on the battery leads and a twist of the key, the dash lit up, the headlight glowed, and the indicators showed me some amber sunshine. I hit the button and a most familiar and resounding thrum occurred as the Mighty-K settled into an even idle. I turned it off and re-tested it several times. Lights, action, success!

Now I've now got the Yuasa SmartShot 900 gently tickling the battery alive for the night. It's time to go inside. There's another half to my life that also needs some gentle attention. I'll wash me hands first. All's right in my little world. Good night.

Sniff, sniff.

Such a lovely story. It was as if I was there with you.
Full of suspense, wonderment, awe...does he have the spare parts? Will it start? Ooh, I hope so!

I laughed, I cried. You saw the whole of the moon.

Thank you TWB for sharing that with us.

Yes a lovely piece of prose. Yet, I wonder why worn brushes on the starter caused your indicators and headlight to malfunction?

Nice History, reminds me something...
Regarding club_C wonders, the starter grounds a few circuits thru it (take a look at the detailed wiring drawings)
Best regards
JAP

club_c wrote:Yes a lovely piece of prose. Yet, I wonder why worn brushes on the starter caused your indicators and headlight to malfunction?

Because one of the main ground point passes through the starter.
As this is very important, I am posting the schematic again.

Bert have you no poetry in that crazy amphibian heart. TWB gives us heartfelt prose and you respond and give us a wiring diagram!
With all the best to you both.
BTB

Oh yes i appreciated the prose. I even called my wife to read it.
Maybe something is wrong on the diagram (a cut somewhere) and this is why the fingers couldn't type the big smile that I had on my face when reading TWB post.

Yes, sometimes there is more in the telling than the story.

Well done TWB both for the diagnosis and the fix but also for the post to encourage all of us to think and then tackle the problem. The good point made is to have the spares on the shelf ready to use since if one has to order in it means delay and the one thing sure as death and taxes is that the brushes in the starter will give trouble in time and with just the symptoms TWB describes and the alternator regulator brushes will need the same or a new regulator. Both are normal wear items.
Regards,
K-BIKE

club_c wrote:Yes a lovely piece of prose. Yet, I wonder why worn brushes on the starter caused your indicators and headlight to malfunction?

The crazy thing is that the strange electrical behavior is totally random without any logic. When it happened to me I though that gremlins have invaded the electronics.

That reminds me ... I overtook an RS in town and when I looked in the review mirror all of his lights were blinking like they were driven by the hazard light circuits. The traffic was too thick to stop him and have a chat

Today I had full use of my indicators, my headlight and the bike started first press each time. But can anyone answer my important Guinness question?

No help here, but once on a solo tour to the Emerald Isle on a Suzuki 750GT, going feral for a bit and sleeping where ever the mood took me I decided to find the source of the Liffy River from whence the Dublin brewery takes its fabled waters. (oh PLEASE do forgive the spelling).
Once found, a tiny ditch in the middle of a muddy field was my final choice, I pissed in it.
I could be taken out tomorrow at dawn and shot for such sacrilage to the sacred place. Mind you, I was full of a breakfast pint or three and the need to pee was huge.
Best BTB

I've never been keen on stout and now even less so on Guiness although it does explain a few things......

and TWB the nickname of Tolstoy would not go astray but a good read nonetheless, perhaps you have missed your calling.

Regards,

Phil

Guinnesses
Regards,
K-BIKE

It called "Getting in a round" down my boozer.

Your shout then?