TA won't start
 

I have an '04 TA. Last week I dropped it (grr argh to Edinburgh council who think putting bike parks in sloping corners off cobbled cambered streets is a good idea). It has engine guards, and the only visible damage was a broken indicator, which I've now replaced (new set works fine).

After picking the bike up again I rode home no worries.

However 2 days later when I went to fix the indicator I found a patch of oil on the ground. No obvious source, and lots of oil in corners so I cleaned everything up and left it another day, to see if I could spot where it was coming from, and also to make sure it wasn't just scottoiler stuff that had ended up in the wrong place after the drop, and slowly dripped its way back out.

No luck, it's still leaking (though not very much, and still not sure where from). Tried to fire it up to move it to somewhere I could get a better look and...it wouldn't start. First just a bit reluctant, and it's cold, so I used the choke. Which caused it to stop making any sort of bike-starting noise, and instead make a really nasty clicking/jarring sort of noise, not like anything I've heard before. Further attempts yielded either the same noise or nothing at all. The brake light flickers in time with the clicking... I haven't checked the battery yet (although it's been less than a week since it was last used, and I haven't had any issues with it before), but when my GPZ battery died the bike just failed to start, no weird noises!

Anyone have any suggestions, either about failure to start or about the possible source of the oil leak? Closest I can get for the latter is somewhere just in front of the oil filter, but not the filter itself. My big worry is that no oil means when I tried to start it first time everything seized up, but it hasn't leaked that much, and I checked the dipstick beforehand there was still some in there. I don't know much about engines though...

Laura

Sounds like your battery is kaput and the clicking is the solenoid. For the oil leak I would clean the bike up and check all around the usual places; if it has been over and it is a new leak, is the gear shaft lever bent with consequent damaged seal?

Good luck,


Sean

Sean's got it right, IMO.

Thanks for the advice! The oil leak seems to have stopped, so hopefully it was just stuff getting somewhere it shouldn't. Haven't checked the battery yet as the bolts securing the fairing are so knackered the allen key hole is circular not hexagonal... Currently waiting for friend with drill, very dull!!

Laura

Oh dear, do be careful with those frozen/knackered fasteners!!! :eek3:

Hi Laura,

any luck with the battery yet?

Looking at the manual, it should be behind the right hand side panel.

The bolts appear to screw into captive nuts welded to tabs on the frame so be careful when drilling them, it would be easy to take the threads off the nuts which would make refitting a pain.

Good luck with it, let me know if you need any tools (or a look at the manual)...!

All is good, battery now out and charging - a knight in shining armour came and rescued me :-) Doesn't look like I'll need a new one either, just a good charge (that's for the battery, not my rescuer!!) I'd only used it pootling round town for the 2 weeks before it died, so probably a gradual running down. Now all I need is time to get out and ride it again!

laura, wondering what the chances are of safe riding to the north of england in a week's time...

Batteries 101-A
 

News reports here tell of unbelievable cold weather and snow in England.

Batteries 101-A
 

News reports here tell of unbelievable cold weather