1986 VFR750 Starter Question

I am in the process of getting my '86 750 back on the road after being in storage for the last 6+ years. I've got a new battery in it and when you hit the start button, it does turn the motor over ever so slightly, then the relay switch just clicks (as it's supposed to according to the shop manual).

When I put this bike in storage back in '04 or '05, the motor spun freely and the starter worked just fine. It seems that right now, the motor is able to spin, but the starter gives up on it. Is it possible that this is a problem caused by sitting for so long as opposed to something going bad? I'm thinking about pulling it and disassembling it to see if I can free it up or see something obvious.

Has anybody dealt with this before or have any suggestions on how to proceed? I'd rather not take it apart if I don't need to.

 

Is the battery fully charged?

 

Before digging any bike out of long-term storage it's best to remove sparkplugs and pour about 1/2 oz of engine oil into each cylinder--which you should also do BEFORE storage--and turn it over a bit with plugs out using the starter motor.

If the starter worked OK before, it should be OK now as they don't tend to freeze up.

You can check whether you've developed a sticky engine ( suspect rusty rings/cylinders) by pulling the small inspection cover off the clutch cover and trying to turn the engine by hand using a 17mm socket on the end of the crankshaft. If you feel lots of resistance, let the engine soak with oil or kero in the cylinders for a couple days.

 

Dukiedook - the battery is brand new and fully charged.

squirrelman - that is a great idea. I'll give that a shot and let you know what happens.

 

With plugs out the engine should require very little effort to turn by hand.

 

The engine spins with no problems at all. This is definitely a relief. I then went through the toubleshooting guide in the shop manual for checking switches, fuses, etc. and everything passed. I then pulled the starter and manually spun the shaft hoping to "free" it up if it is truly sticking. With the starter out of the bike, I then grounded it to the frame with a jumper cable, hit the start button and the starter spun very forcefully - which too is good. At this point, I don't think I need to crack the starter open since everything appers to be in working order. I hope to reassemble things tomorrow and see if the starter will turn the motor over the way it is supposed to. I'll let you know how it goes. I'm anxious to get this bike back on the road ............

 

Put the starter back on and jump it at the starter, if it turns over normally the problem could be starter solenoid or a ground or main power wire or connection in the large wires between batt solenoid and starter.

 

So I put it all back together, hit the starter button and nothing. I pulled the inspection cover on the side case (as squirrel suggested) and noticed that when I hit the button, you can see that the starter is turning the engine over very slowly - you just can't hear it. I'm starting to second guess how good the battery really is.

 

Your not getting enough amperage, batt or connections.

 

I've got a new battery on order. While I'm waiting for it, I'm turning my attention to getting the 500 out of moth balls. I think that it hasn't been out in 3+ years, so hopefully I won't have any problems ..........

 

The new battery just came in this past Tuesday. I charged it up last night, put it in the bike this morning and it cranks over like crazy. So obviously, it was a bad battery. Now that new battery I said that was already in the bike, well it is new in the sense that it has never been used. I checked my receipts and come to find out, it was not as new as I thought it was. The brand new one I just purchased over the winter was for the 1000R. The 750 battery was bought new prior to that. At least I have a solid explanation now for what happened and it all makes sense. It sucks that I wasted a lot of time for something I should have known. At least it wasn't something big though. I plan to pull the 750 out next week after I put a couple hundred more miles on the 500.

 

Well, I'm making progress. I pulled the 750 out this morning, put gas in it and it fired up. For not running in 6+ years, it sounded great. It was good to hear those gear driven cams again. Unfortunately, after a few minutes, I noticed fuel dripping from the bike. It looks like it is coming from carb #3. It is a steady drip and is collecting at the base of the carb, so it's coming from somewhere above. So, it looks like my next step is to pull the carbs to inspect further. I have the shop manual and will use that for reference, but does anyone have any suggestions on what to check first?

 

It could be the O rings... a little dry let them sit for a bit they will swell and seal up ( well mine did) it is the o rings that are in between the carbs you know.. the plastic tubes.... good luck

 

+1 ^^^^

If you're lucky, this is one problem that may fix itself !!

Needs to sit with fresh fuel for about a day.

 

crusty / squirrel - you guys were right on the money. I was ready to pull the carbs yesterday, but after seeing your replies, I waited. I went out this morning, fired it up and everything is perfect. I ran the bike for 15-20 minutes since it has been a while and the problem is now fixed. This bike has been stored dry for almost 7 years and I am surprised that the o-ring can cause that much fuel to leak through because of it. For now on, I do plan to pull it out every summer and get a few hundred miles on it just to keep things moving. Hopefully 11 months of sitting isn't enough time for this to happen again, but now I know how to deal with it. You guys saved me a ton of time. Thanks again for the great advice.