[Matt B]

Hi everybody, sorry if this has been done to death but I'm hoping you can help a crappy, noob, wanna-be bike mechanic get my bike running. I went to start my bike after having it sit for a couple months and of course, the battery was super dead and wouldn't take a charge. So I replaced the battery and now when I go to start the bike, it won't even try to start. The lights turn on and the dials do their starting thing where they go full on and come back down. When I flip the switch on, the starter thing makes that noise like it's ready to start. Then I press the ignition button and... nothing. It might make a little click or something but the starter doesn't even try to turn over. I was thinking maybe it might be a fuse? When I had a dead battery I tried putting my charger in the "start" mode to see if I could get the bike fired up. But maybe it was too much amperage for the bike and it blew something? I was looking online and it said these bikes are known to have stators go bad after awhile so I bought one from Amazon. This was the one I bought:

Amazon.com: ElectroSport Stator for 08-12 Suzuki DL650: Automotive

Do my symptoms sound like it could be a stator issue? I got to thinking, maybe a blown fuse would make more sense. Any ideas what fuse would blow in a situation like this?

Thanks in advance, troopers!

 

[twenty]

i don't think you should have put the "start" amperage through the electrical system. that's meant to try and start a car, how many amps was it?

the clicking is usually a sign of a dead battery or bad connection or at least that's where i would start and all the fuses.

 

[Nashcat]

A bad stator won‘t keep it from starting. I’d check fuses first. If you installed a new battery, dI’d you do a full charge, before trying to start the bike. A new battery, out of the box, won’t be fully charged.

 

[BackPacker]

When I flip the switch on, the starter thing makes that noise like it's ready to start.

With "flip the switch" I assume you mean "turn the ignition key" and/or the red engine stop switch? The noise you hear is the fuel pump priming. It has nothing to do with the starter. The starter only gets energised when you press the start button.

Then I press the ignition button and... nothing. It might make a little click or something but the starter doesn't even try to turn over. I was thinking maybe it might be a fuse?

Take the seat off and locate the fuse box. I don't have a DL650 but a DL1000 and on that bike it's a little black box with a lid, just forward of the battery. Probably in the same location, or near to it, on a DL650. Right next to the fuse box is the starter relay - another black box. Doesn't exactly matter which one as the next step is by sound anyway: Turn on the ignition, press the starter button and listen very carefully for any sound coming from the area near the fuse box. If you engage the starter button you should hear a sharp click, and if you let go of the button, another click. That's the sound of a working relay. And that's your first troubleshooting item.

If you do hear the "click" it means that your "main" and your "ignition" fuse are both OK. And the relay is likely to be OK as well. That limits the troubleshooting to just the fat wire from the starter relay to the starter itself, or the ground return (via the engine case). So you'll need to check (with a multimeter) that the starter gets 12V when you press the starter button, and continue troubleshooting from there.

If you don't hear a click, it is most likely the "ignition" fuse. So again, find the fusebox and check all fuses. But in this case it can also be a broken relay. It is not likely to be the "main" fuse, as that would also prevent the dial sweep and fuel pump priming.

Fuse box:

Fuses - Suzuki dl650 Owner's Manual [Page 73] | ManualsLib

www.manualslib.com

I was looking online and it said these bikes are known to have stators go bad after awhile so I bought one from Amazon. This was the one I bought:

Amazon.com: ElectroSport Stator for 08-12 Suzuki DL650: Automotive

Do my symptoms sound like it could be a stator issue? I got to thinking, maybe a blown fuse would make more sense. Any ideas what fuse would blow in a situation like this?

Thanks in advance, troopers!

It is true that DL650 stators go bad more than usual, but your symptoms don't have anything to do with a bad stator. The stator is part of your charging system but you don't have a charging issue. At least, not from the symptoms you describe.

 

[Solarguy]

Do you have a multimeter? If not, go buy one (they're cheap). Even a 12 dollar one from Harbor Freight or Ebay would work. Once you have a voltmeter we can get you sorted out in pretty short order. It can also test your fuses without removing them from the fuse holder. Super handy.

Digital Multimeter AC DC Voltmeter Ammeter Ohmmeter Volt Tester Meter XL830L | eBay

This digital multi-meter has all the functions you will need for electronics testing and electrical work. A wide range of functions cover just about every use case.

www.ebay.com

 

[Matt B]

i don't think you should have put the "start" amperage through the electrical system. that's meant to try and start a car, how many amps was it?

the clicking is usually a sign of a dead battery or bad connection or at least that's where i would start and all the fuses.

Yeah... Looking back, it may not have been the best of ideas. I tried it after I attempted to slow charge my battery over night and could tell it was still dead. It is 50 amps... My charger does 2 amp slow charge, 10 amp "quick charge" and 50 amp "start" charge.

A bad stator won‘t keep it from starting. I’d check fuses first. If you installed a new battery, dI’d you do a full charge, before trying to start the bike. A new battery, out of the box, won’t be fully charged.

Yeah, I charged the battery before installation. It is probably a fuse as you say. Well, I got the stator from Amazon, and it's not opened, so if it turns out to be a fuse I'm sure I can return it. Honestly, I just bought it on a whim and figured I'd start throwing parts at the problem. I bought the online Haynes repair manual last night so hopefully that will help me start trying to educate myself a bit. The bike has been so problem free up until now that I kind of got lazy about trying to learn!

Do you have a multimeter? If not, go buy one (they're cheap). Even a 12 dollar one from Harbor Freight or Ebay would work. Once you have a voltmeter we can get you sorted out in pretty short order. It can also test your fuses without removing them from the fuse holder. Super handy.

Digital Multimeter AC DC Voltmeter Ammeter Ohmmeter Volt Tester Meter XL830L | eBay

This digital multi-meter has all the functions you will need for electronics testing and electrical work. A wide range of functions cover just about every use case.

www.ebay.com

Yes, I have a multimeter but I'll have to admit, I don't really understand electricity much so it's not of much use to me! It's Harbor Freight, but it's not their crappiest model. It's one of those clamp kind where you can clamp around wires to read - but it's got the traditional tips too. I'll look up on Youtube how to test fuses without removing them. I'm a better video watcher than instruction manual reader! (But that doesn't seem too hard, I'm assuming that infinite resistance means bad fuse?)

 

[Matt B]

With "flip the switch" I assume you mean "turn the ignition key" and/or the red engine stop switch? The noise you hear is the fuel pump priming. It has nothing to do with the starter. The starter only gets energised when you press the start button.



Take the seat off and locate the fuse box. I don't have a DL650 but a DL1000 and on that bike it's a little black box with a lid, just forward of the battery. Probably in the same location, or near to it, on a DL650. Right next to the fuse box is the starter relay - another black box. Doesn't exactly matter which one as the next step is by sound anyway: Turn on the ignition, press the starter button and listen very carefully for any sound coming from the area near the fuse box. If you engage the starter button you should hear a sharp click, and if you let go of the button, another click. That's the sound of a working relay. And that's your first troubleshooting item.

If you do hear the "click" it means that your "main" and your "ignition" fuse are both OK. And the relay is likely to be OK as well. That limits the troubleshooting to just the fat wire from the starter relay to the starter itself, or the ground return (via the engine case). So you'll need to check (with a multimeter) that the starter gets 12V when you press the starter button, and continue troubleshooting from there.

If you don't hear a click, it is most likely the "ignition" fuse. So again, find the fusebox and check all fuses. But in this case it can also be a broken relay. It is not likely to be the "main" fuse, as that would also prevent the dial sweep and fuel pump priming.

Fuse box:

Fuses - Suzuki dl650 Owner's Manual [Page 73] | ManualsLib

www.manualslib.com

It is true that DL650 stators go bad more than usual, but your symptoms don't have anything to do with a bad stator. The stator is part of your charging system but you don't have a charging issue. At least, not from the symptoms you describe.

WOW! Thanks so much for your detailed response! I'm on a work stretch at the moment and about to head to sleep. (Work night shifts) When I'm at work tonight and get some down time I'm going to read this more carefully. Again, thanks for the help! In a couple of days, I get a work break and I'm going to try to work on the Vstrom and get it going. I also have two new little Chinese "TT250" dual sports that I got last week from CSC motorcycles in Southern California. I bought two so I can do more dirt riding with friends that don't really ride much. So I'm going to have three bikes to maintain and repair! The Chinese bikes are supposed to be super easy to work on though... We'll see how it goes.

 

[Solarguy]

Yup, set the multimeter to resistance. Each blade fuse has two tiny little windows on the top that is exposed to the conductive bit inside. Just touch one tip to each window and if it stays infinite, it's blown. If it drops to something pretty low, it's good.

We'll just take it one step at a time, then it's not complicated.

The clamp probe measures amps. We'll be more interested in volts at first.

 

[BackPacker]

It's Harbor Freight, but it's not their crappiest model. It's one of those clamp kind where you can clamp around wires to read - but it's got the traditional tips too.

Wish I had one of those. But anyway, the clamp-around-the-wires is only needed/used to measure Amps, or "current flowing". It's useful to have but most troubleshooting will be done measuring Volts or Resistance, and you'll need the traditional tips for those.

Like said, start with the fuses. With the multimeter set to Resistance (Ohms) you can quickly figure out which fuse is bad (my bet is on the "ignition" one).

If you're hesitant about the multimeter, you can also use some pliers to carefully wiggle the fuse from its holder. Look at the fuse from the side: there should be a continuous, curved or z-shaped wire inside the plastic from one end to the next. If there isn't, replace the fuse. And always replace fuses with the same amps rating as the previous - the number is printed on the top. The color coding on fuses is pretty much universal, so if you simply replace a blue fuse with another blue one, you're good as well.

How to Inspect Car Fuses | YourMechanic Advice

A fuse is a low-resistance resistor device that protects a circuit from becoming overloaded. It is a short piece of wire that is designed to melt and break apart when exposed to an excess of electrical current. A fuse is...

www.yourmechanic.com

 

[Rolex]

What happens to your headlights ?
Do they come on with the ignition ?
Do they turn off when you hit the start button ?
Is the neutral light on and the clutch leaver pulled in ?
Do you have CHECK displayed on the dash ?

 

[griffondude]

Hi! You have lots of feedback already so I will keep this short. It's a good idea to go back to basics. I would do the following, in order, just to rule out the easy stuff:

-Check the voltage on the new battery, maybe give it a little charge to be 100%.
-Is the kill switch really in run? (If the fuel pump runs it probably is.)
-Are you in neutral? Are you sure? The side stand switch will kill the engine if youare not in neutral and the side stand is down.
-There is a switch in the clutch lever that senses when the clutch lever is pulled. The starter will not engage if the lever is not pulled or if the switch is disconnected. This is a common fault. You can see the wires go to a connector there. Give that a wiggle and try again.
-This is where I would check fuses...

Hope you figure it out soon!
Let us know how it works out.

 

[RLBranson]

as mr rolex said before, find the 2 large phillips head screws on the start relay and jump or connect them electrically with 2 metal rods or whatever you have. the starter should spin. if not then either a fuse is bad or the battery is bad. if the starter does not spin check the fuses and try again if they are okay. while holding a voltmeter on the batt terminals, jump the start relay again. the batt voltage should go down but not by much and the starter should spin. if the batt voltage goes down much the batt is not good. if no change in voltage then either the starter is bad or a connection to the starter is bad.

let us know what you find.

 

[Mattsrv4]

Check the clutch lever switch as mentioned above. I bumped the connector off removing and reinstalling a hand guard. It is an easy one to check if all the fuses are okay.

 

[Matt B]

-Are you in neutral? Are you sure? The side stand switch will kill the engine if you are not in neutral and the side stand is down.

OK, you guys are all awesome! Thanks so much for taking the time to respond. When I get home tomorrow I'm going to put the battery on the 2amp charger to top it off while I sleep. When I wake up (and get a good cup of coffee!) I'm going to start to try all the stuff you guys are suggesting. I rolled it in to the garage today and took off the seat and tried to start it again just to see if maybe by dumb luck it fixed itself! ...Nope... Griffondude - your suggestion here makes me think a bit. I know the sidestand is down and the bike is in first gear - but I had the clutch lever pulled down? I figured it would start as long as I had the clutch lever pulled? If this is the problem I'm going to feel like a real idiot! I did notice that the fuel pump didn't make that little priming sound when I turned on the red engine kill switch. Basically I turned the key to the on position - lights and gauges came on. Pulled in the clutch, flipped the engine kill switch to the on position, and nothing happened - no fuel pump prime sound. Pressed the starter switch and nothing. No click, no nothing. I will try to sit on the bike in the morning before I go to sleep with it in neutral and the side stand up to make sure that isn't the issue... If it is, feel free to haze me hard... I suspect if this isn't the case it's the ignition fuse. That's the one I'll check first. Then start reading these responses one by one and try to nail this down...

 

[Gert]

If nothing is found after following the advice above in #11, then you should have a look at the Tip Over Sensor (TOS) is the correct way up, Error C23- Tip Over Sensor

 

[Rolex]

Sorry Matt but you will feel like a idiot.

You can't have the bike in gear and the stand deployed no matter the clutch leaver position.

 

[Matt B]

I knew I tried it before and it was a no go! (But still, I wasn't aware that I couldn't have it in gear with the side stand down and start the bike so that is good to know... I probably did know that at some point but unfortunately I have neglected my poor wee for awhile...) Here is a video I recorded today and you guys can see if you can think of anything obvious. Not the greatest footage because I was trying to hold up the bike, start the bike and film at the same time but hopefully you get it. And yes, when I turned the key on the fuel pump automatically primed because I had already turned the red engine kill switch to the "on" position from my previous attempt at starting it. And I don't think I said it specifically in the video but I was holding down the clutch when I pressed the start button. So I think I have eliminated the dumb stuff and now I'm going to have to start looking back at all your comments more carefully to help me track this down... Oh yeah, I did open the little fuse box and pulled out the 10A fuse labeled "ignition" and the 10A fuse labeled "fuel" and they both looked fine visually. I didn't check them with a multi-meter yet but they appear intact.

 

[70bones]

I can't hear your starter relay clicking in. There is a 30 amp "main fuse" beside, not in, the fuse box. Can you find it and see if it's blown?

 

[Matt B]

I can't hear your starter relay clicking in. There is a 30 amp "main fuse" beside, not in, the fuse box. Can you find it and see if it's blown?

Well, there is a clicking noise coming from somewhere up front when I press the starter button. I checked these fuses that say "abs mot" and "abs valve". Both look good. Is the "ABS mot" my main fuse or is it just something else in the ABS system? Also, what's that relay thing next to my fuse box? I still haven't had tons of time to go back to the other comments and investigate yet. Turned out I had some errands to run today when I woke up.

 

[Rolex]

that click sounds like your headlights turning off, that's OK

there are 2 wires going to the switch at your clutch leaver, join those 2 wires together and try again

it could also be the starter button or the big connector on the left side above the radiator

it has also been suggested you bridge the two bolts on the starter relay, that will test your battery and starter as it bypasses all buttons and safety switches

another thing is the flashing light above the key, down here that is not normal or standard I'm not sure about the rest of the world, that could be a immobiliser and causing your problem ?