Beta 2018 430 RRS fails to start occasionally

[sd.chuck]

My beta fails to start sometimes. I turn the key and nothing happens - no fuel pump, lights, starter. If I push the bike forward in gear something triggers and the bike will come to life.

Of course this doesn't happen at home/at the shop where we can track things down.

Other items to note:

• I stop the engine with the key.
• Due to other electrical gremlins I have replaced the front wiring harness and double checked the connectors.
• I have replaced the stator due to it failing.
• I have the antigravity battery with the push button restart and pushing the button doesn't effect the state of the bike. Only a push will do something and will start with the starter.
• I put in a rekluse clutch so pushing the bike requires WAY more effort by adjusting the free play on the trail - not my idea of fun.

I have run out of ideas on what to look for to fix or replace. Is there some "safety" feature that needs to be "fixed"? Any ideas are welcome.

[hawaiidirtrider]

What does your dealer say?

[Jallopy]

Most likely the starter button contacts are corroded.
Pull it apart and file clean the contacts... like we used to do with a set of worn points.

[Deck1]

I'm kind of at a loss. I know I was having similar problem on my '16 Beta, and found a short in grip heater wire that was very intermittent. But mine always reacted when I pushed jumpstart button on the battery. I do know that if battery voltage is not high enough, nothing at all comes on with key. I would look at the ignition relay, I think. I wouldn't bother with start button, as that isn't going to keep your dash and other electrical from coming on at all. At some point, it is likely to become more common, and easier to trace.

I also have a Triumph Tiger 800, starts consistently, even if sat for 2 weeks or more off battery tender and battery installed in 2016. On one ride, I plugged in a Powerlet dual USB charger, the one that has battery voltage display, as well. Well, just that item, plugged in, was enough to keep bike ignition from powering up. As soon as I removed it, turn key on, bike fired right up. Then plug Powerlet charger, no problems. It was hard to believe, and had me thinking that battery CCA was getting close to marginal, but this was 3 months ago, and battery has acted completely normal ever since. It kind of sucks that I can't leave the charger in, and have to lift out of socket everytime I shut bike off, but at least it was easy to figure out. Good luck!!

[sd.chuck]

The dealer had it a couple times and they haven’t found anything. The next weekend after picking up the bike I would be stuck on the trail trying to figure it out with field tools.

Thanks for the idea on low voltage. I am going to put a voltmeter in the backpack along with a jump start pack. With the rekluse I am thinking about getting the Kickstarter so a method to start is always there. I wish the beta had a couple more watts or the option for a larger stator.

Today I was testing the tilt sensor and it doesn’t lock out the dash/lights - so that's not it.

[Dirt ninja]

Check your ground wire and all leads coming from the battery. No power to anything sounds like a connection issue . Take off and clean up all connections from the battery . I've had those issues in vehicles . Many hours of banging my head off things just to realize, though tight, the ground wasn't making a connection .

[Marty Moose]

I had an issue with the main relay behind the airbox cover. Its a grey one cable tied in, remove it and clean the connections or even bridge out the conector. Mine was corroded and the relay failed. If you take it to a dealer it throws a low voltage code.
MM

[webmaster]

Check your ground wire and all leads coming from the battery. No power to anything sounds like a connection issue . Take off and clean up all connections from the battery . I've had those issues in vehicles . Many hours of banging my head off things just to realize, though tight, the ground wasn't making a connection .

For cleaning connections, check out DeOxit D5. They have several varieties of cleaners - so confirm which one is right for your application; Looking at their Q and A, I think this is the one to use...

https://caig.com/product/deoxit-dn5s-6n/

jeff

p.s. Have you thought about checking the key switch? Looking at the wiring diagram I see key switch, start button switch, several connectors and starter relay in that circuit...

[sd.chuck]

Update: I brought it to the dealer and they think they have found it. It was the ground to the frame under tank. The ground to the frame bolt was tight but there was enough slop in the backing plate that the ground wasn't perfect. I hope that makes sense.

So they were able to reproduce what I was seeing (all lights out) once they found that loose in the frame connection. They fixed the backing plate so it is now nice and tight they were not able to reproduce. SWEET!

I will be taking it out for a couple hour spin this weekend in some rough terrain - here's to not being the person who's bike breaks down.

[Deck1]

I have heard that ground can be a problem, but hadn't heard a symptom like yours. I took the bolt out of the frame, early in it's life, cleaned paint off frame at contact point, ran a brass brush on the frame threads (not much there because it is small tubing there) plus all contact surfaces on ground eyelet, and reassembled. I check it for tightness every once in a while, but has stayed snug. I hope this fixes ya up! Electrical gremlins SUCK!