California won't start

[rtbickel]

For the first time in nearly 23 years, my Special Sport won't start for some reason other than a dead battery.  I had not ridden it for a couple of months and although it turned over slowly it started up and I rode it around the neighborhood for a few minutes to get it warmed up and then parked it to go get my gear for a ride.  Tried to start it up and got the rapid-fire solenoid clicking that would indicate a discharged battery.  Put it on the trickle charger and took the V85 out instead.  Next day, same problem so I had the battery tested and it was good.  Pulled the starter and it was operating normally, buttoned it back up and tried to start it again, got a couple of turns out of the engine and then dead battery sounds and a little smoke escaped from the starter area but can't see any damaged wiring (yet).  Putting the bike in gear on the center stand and trying to turn the engine over with the rear wheel seems to run up against a hard stop either forward or backward but I haven't pulled the plugs to explore that further.  Any suggestions?  Wondering if a bolt has backed out of the flywheel and is hanging up inside the bellhousing. 

[guzzisteve]

You have a dead battery. To prove me wrong you need to run a hotwire from batt + terminal strait to spade on solenoid. It should crank if you have a good batt. Otherwise maybe sidestand, neutral, or relay itself on the safety stuff switches.

[kingoffleece]

Mine was a failed relay.

[Alfetta]

Perform your test again with the bike on the center stand and in top gear. remove the spark plugs and give her a spin.  If you cant get multiple rotations with out hitting a hard stop, then you have a serious mechanical problem.  if it spins thought serval rotation OK, then return the plugs and start looking else ware.  "Smoke from the starter" Indicated to me either a very high load ( locked up crank )  of a starter that needs replaced.

[rtbickel]

I finally had a chance to pull the plugs to see if the engine would turn over by spinning the back wheel.  No joy, something is locked up somewhere.  The clutch seems to be working normally and the wheel will spin with the lever pulled in and the transmission will shift through the gears.  Don't know what to think at this point, how could an engine go from running fine, then parked for 5 minutes then locked up when I went to start it back up?

[Tom H]

Try pulling the starter, also test it while it's out. Could be the bendix and ring gear are jammed together. I had this happen on an old truck. Acted frozen, pulled starter and all was fine again until the starter would jam again.

Also check your battery to make sure it's good.

Tom

[rtbickel]

Nope, battery is good and I had the starter out and it works fine. 

[Tom H]

Well that was a thought.

You should be able to pull the alternator cover and there will be a nut in the center of the alternator. IIRR it's 24mm. With the spark plugs out, you should be able to pretty easily turn the engine through. Try forward and backward and see  if it will turn.

You do have oil in it right??

Tom

[John A]

This ^^^ . If it still won’t turn, I’d pull the valve covers and watch things. You may have a problem in the pushrods

[guzzisteve]

Did you run a hotwire to solenoid? It should turn motor unless Batt or starter is no good. If you can't turn motor by hand, disassemble to find out why!

[pressureangle]

Pull your starter and test it. I had similar issues, same battery thing- put new, same problem, tested good, no dice; it turned out to be the starter siezing up, intermittently then eventually completely. I bench tested it and when stalled it drew something like 350 amps- crazy. Even on the bench when it would turn, it drew a hundred or so. No wonder it didn't turn the motor quickly. If you have a spare, throw it on. If you have an amp gauge, check it on the battery positive. I think my new starter while turning the engine only draws 80 initially and 50 or so cranking. IIRC.

[guzzisteve]

Just so you know, it will seem like locked up unless you put it in 4-5th gear to turn motor over w/back wheel & plugs out.
Turning slow to start then no start means a dead batt. Run a hot lead to starter, if no turn your batt is dead.

[Kiwi_Roy]

Could it be Startus Interuptus (too much resistance in the circuit feeding the starter solenoid)?
The solenoid draws nearly 60 Amps until the contacts close then it drops to around 11 Amps while cranking so it needs a really low resistance (<0.1 Ohm) or the Voltage will drop below 8 Volts
Some Guzzi's try to run this heavy current thru the ignition switch, the contacts get dirty and resistance can go to several Ohms.
Run a direct feed to the start relay from battery+ and increase the size of wire from the relay to starter solenoid to at least 18 gauge.

As several owners have said, test the starter by touching a wire from the solenoid spade connector to battery+ or the large Hot terminal of the starter. This eliminates resistance that might be preventing the solenoid from pulling the gear into mesh.