Starter Motor Click but Silverwing wont start.

Hi All
Looking for some advice if possible... Been riding my Honda Silverwing for about 2 years on a daily basis. Put the bike away on Friday (in the garage which is where it is kept every night.) Today I went to use it and it would not start. The battery is working fine and I know the issue is not with the side stand or kill switch (as when I switch these to their off positions the starter motor is not even engaged.) I suspect it is a sticky starter motor but thought I would post here before taking anything apart as someone might know a quick trick to get me up and running...

Sorry to say this...but it sounds like your battery went bad. It happens. To be sure, take your battery out of the scooter and have it tested at the auto parts store to be sure.

I concur with Dennis. It would be helpful to know the year and info on your Silver Wing as well.

Hi all... I don’t think it is the battery as I have tried a different battery and connected it to a battery charger and connected it to a car... All of which gave the same result... Lastly... When I try to start the bike the instrument panel does not reset (which is what happened when the battery did run flat some time ago... Although was to do with leaving the heated grips on, so not related to this issue.)

Honda FJS Silverwing 600
Year: 2006

Could be as simple as a loose connection. Failing that not sure where to look, if the starter has a solenoid relay I would try there first, if not perhaps the starter has gone "around the bend". How many miles on the Wing?

Hello mate,

Fancy you deciding to join a Silver Wing forum when you have a problem with your scooter, are you planning to stick around on here once it's fixed?

About 13,000 miles on it... I have had it since 7,000 miles on the clock..

Just to add a little more info... When I try and start my bike I get one single heavy click but the bike does not start...

From what I have read today it appears that fast clicking is the tail, tail sign of a flat battery, so my situation appears to be a little different.

Just one more thing to check, the Main Fuse (A) under the left side cover. Many have had this fuse fail and had the same symptoms as your scooter. Takes a little time but well worth it.

Too early I believe to check the brushes at the starter motor.Loud click comes from the relay...could your problem be there....or starter motors cable(+) loose.JMO

Meldrew wrote:

Hello mate,

Fancy you deciding to join a Silver Wing forum when you have a problem with your scooter, are you planning to stick around on here once it's fixed?

He came back to answer questions but he had no answer for you. not

I have manually moved the drive shaft by putting a 16m socket on to a socket wrench and it seemed to then enable me to start my bike... However after a couple of successful starts the bike returned to the same fault. Now I am back to square one... (But it would suggest that the issue is not a fuse...??)

PS When you say the main fuse behind the side panel, do you mean the coloured panel just above the pillion foot pegs?

PPS Sorry for not answering the other two comments but both of the comments seem to have been written to provoke some sort of argument which I don’t think is a particularly good introduction to a forum hence I ignored them.

Ukeyes wrote:

I have manually moved the drive shaft by putting a 16m socket on to a socket wrench and it seemed to then enable me to start my bike...

Why wouldn't you just turn the rear wheel with your hand instead of using a 16mm socket?

Manually turning the driveshaft with a socket can only be accomplished if you totally disassembled the driven faces/clutch/rear axle assembly. Even then, the engine will not rotate as the clutch will not engage the drive belt to turn the drive faces.

Unless you actually turned the crankshaft with an 18mm socket to the variator bolt, I smell a rat.

Ukeyes wrote:

I have manually moved the drive shaft by putting a 16m socket on to a socket wrench and it seemed to then enable me to start my bike... However after a couple of successful starts the bike returned to the same fault. Now I am back to square one... (But it would suggest that the issue is not a fuse...??)

PS When you say the main fuse behind the side panel, do you mean the coloured panel just above the pillion foot pegs?

PPS Sorry for not answering the other two comments but both of the comments seem to have been written to provoke some sort of argument which I don’t think is a particularly good introduction to a forum hence I ignored them.

If you mean that you manage to rotate the crank and after that your starter motor worked fine for couple of times ...then must be the brushes inside the starter motor.Same temporary fix can be obtained by vibrating your Sw somehow.....if brushes is your issue

Ukeyes wrote:

PPS Sorry for not answering the other two comments but both of the comments seem to have been written to provoke some sort of argument which I don’t think is a particularly good introduction to a forum hence I ignored them.

A particularly good introduction to a forum is introducing yourself to the members with a few lines about yourself, your location, and your scooter. Of course you ignored my comment, I'm not offering you advice on getting your starting problem sorted.

Hi not sure what SW is in the context of "Same temporary fix can be obtained by vibrating your Sw somehow." Can you let me know? Thanks

Also does anyone have a manual that shows how to remove the starter motor?

Moderator's hat on:

The first section of the Forum is entitled:

Introductions - Please introduce yourself, location, bike, modifications.

I quote UKeyes:

"......which I don’t think is a particularly good introduction to a forum".

Meldrew speaks for many of us who find " Hi there, I have a problem with my Silverwing" an inappropriate First Post by a new member.
The fact that some very tolerant, long-established members saw fit to ignore this and give you the advice for which you asked doesn't change anything.
Compounding your rudeness by your digs in subsequent posts does nothing to strengthen your position.
You can redeem yourself in two ways:
by posting a decent, friendly Introductory Post and apologizing for for your misguided approach.

Then we can start afresh.

This post is not open to discussion or negative criticism.

Ukeyes wrote:

Hi not sure what SW is in the context of "Same temporary fix can be obtained by vibrating your Sw somehow." Can you let me know? Thanks

Also does anyone have a manual that shows how to remove the starter motor?

....Well..If brushes are worn they are not squeezed sufficiently by the foil on to the rotor and there's no contact between them.You can achieve contact by rotating the crank a bit or(would be very easy if there was existed a gear box)... by hitting your engine with a plastic hummer or ....by kicking the engine with your foot or...with a slight hit with your front weel on a wall(beware of the building).All these are temporary solutions and your starter motor must be checked the soonest possible.

MikeO wrote:

Moderator's hat on:

The first section of the Forum is entitled:

Introductions - Please introduce yourself, location, bike, modifications.

I quote UKeyes:

"......which I don’t think is a particularly good introduction to a forum".

Meldrew speaks for many of us who find " Hi there, I have a problem with my Silverwing" an inappropriate First Post by a new member.
The fact that some very tolerant, long-established members saw fit to ignore this and give you the advice for which you asked doesn't change anything.
Compounding your rudeness by your digs in subsequent posts does nothing to strengthen your position.
You can redeem yourself in two ways:
by posting a decent, friendly Introductory Post and apologizing for for your misguided approach.

Then we can start afresh.

This post is not open to discussion or negative criticism.

:not worthy:

MikeO wrote:

Moderator's hat on:

The first section of the Forum is entitled:

Introductions - Please introduce yourself, location, bike, modifications.

I quote UKeyes:

"......which I don’t think is a particularly good introduction to a forum".

Meldrew speaks for many of us who find " Hi there, I have a problem with my Silverwing" an inappropriate First Post by a new member.
The fact that some very tolerant, long-established members saw fit to ignore this and give you the advice for which you asked doesn't change anything.
Compounding your rudeness by your digs in subsequent posts does nothing to strengthen your position.
You can redeem yourself in two ways:
by posting a decent, friendly Introductory Post and apologizing for for your misguided approach.

Then we can start afresh.

This post is not open to discussion or negative criticism.

rare for Mike to have to bust the mod hat but very true. +1!

As newbie on here, I luckily DID introduce myself in here before asking questions. And I thank everyone for kindly responding to my queries.

But motorcycle/scooter forums operate in a variety of ways. One for another model of scooter I have a passion for doesn't ask people to introduce themselves before posting technical questions. Another only makes the requirement if you are going to sell items.

Either way, I'm not sure someone should be cast out into the darkness because they didn't follow etiquette. Politeness involves, among other things, recognising that not everyone is as polite as you are and compensating for this by being even more courteous yourself.

Just my tuppence.

I've only just got my SW so don't know the layout of things, but if you can get to the starter relay, bypass the contacts with a jumper wire, if the starter motor turns the problem is the internal relay contacts. If it 's easier to get access to the starter motor briefly touch a 12V supply onto the appropriate terminal. You should be able to prove wether the starter motor works or not before you start to replace it

Nic23 wrote:

As newbie on here, I luckily DID introduce myself in here before asking questions. And I thank everyone for kindly responding to my queries.

Nic23 it's not a case of 'luckily', it is politeness/courtesy call it what you may.

As a rule I have noticed most posters who simply post a 'bike is knackered - please help'. Tend to not contribute to the forum after the more knowledgable members offer advice and get their beast back on the road.

It doesn't take a minute to give their name, false or otherwise, a location and then post there problem.

Rant over, back to being just plain grumpy!!

Moderator's hat on:

In reply to Nic23's post - indeed, forums operate in different ways so anyone with any 'politeness' reads first as a guest and should be able to see the conventions of the particular forum.

Ours, with its 'Introduction' section and clear sub-heading is quite clear as to what new members should do. If they choose to ignore it they can expect to be challenged.

As for being 'cast into the darkness', he hasn't - you need only to look at the 'Statistics' in his profile to see that he has visited since he made his original posts.
That he chooses not to 'start afresh' is his business; a proper introduction would put all this behind us.

Incidentally, I frequent forums where such a lack of introduction would have provoked far stronger responses from admins, mods and other members, even to the point of the person being banned.

Er, I don't want to make a bigger thing of this than it needs to be, especially as a newbie. But politeness and mugging up about the site's specific etiquette before posting are not necessarily the same thing. It may be commonsense to do so, I accept that 100%, but it has nothing to do with being polite as such.

As for the introductions section, yes it's at the top, but I don't recall reading any requirement to introduce yourself before you begin posting. I followed what made sense to me, but need not always make sense to everyone else. Nor is there anything in the forum FAQ on this.

In terms of whether the person comes back or not and enriches the life of his forum, of course it'd be good if he does. But even if he doesn't, at least people on here have helped keep a Silverwing on the road. Sounds pretty good to me.

Re. banning someone who doesn't introduce himself before asking questions on a forum, I obviously live a sheltered life because I've never come across that one before, despite being registered on more than a dozen geared scooter forums, some with thousands of members. But even if it were the norm - and it isn't - that wouldn't make it right, in my opinion.

My reference to the guy "being cast into darkness" was not meant to be taken literally. I'm glad the feller is being helped by some people. For what it's worth, it sounds like a problem related to the starter motor, possibly corroded wires, poor earth or a dodgy solenoid. Secondhand solenoids generally cost a tenner, a new one about 20 quid or less, that's what I paid for my X9 500. And actually, it strikes me he's asking his questions perfectly "politely", if I may use that word.

Finally, I note my original point - that real politeness is what we show towards people who are no always as polite as us - has not been answered.

Moderator's hat on:

Nor will it be; the offender was downright rude to those long-established members who pointed out the error of his ways.
Far too often these days the guilty party is made out to be the victim.
UKeyes knows he's in the wrong as far as this forum is concerned and has the means to make amends.

If new members don't like the way the forum is run they are not obliged to stay.
The matter is not open to discussion - that's the way it is.

Look, I don't want to go down the "victim/guilty party" route, which I think is way OTT in relation to this discussion. But to describe the brief exchange between UKeyes and one or two other members of this forum as "downright rude", suggests a sensitivity not seen since Pride and Prejudice.

If it's me you refer to with regards to "not being obliged to stay", I hate to disappoint you but I aim to be around for a while, politely asking questions about my Silverwing.

In any forum, this one included I imagine, one is entitled to - courteously - question why certain things are being said by forum members to other forum members. That is all I have done. No raised voices, no swearing, no insults. Just mild disagreement, expressed calmly and reasonably.

And I note that, again, you have not responded to any of the points I made: about it not being made clear that introductions are required, about the FAQs or about politeness. Why is that?

Moderator's hat on:

It is perfectly clear from the Home Page that Introductions are expected.
That it doesn't say one must post one demonstrates the ethos of this forum.
General politeness dictates that someone new entering a club, room forum or whatever introduces himself. UKeyes failed so to do, merely demanded information.

It is impolite to try to change the ethos of a well-established organisation to suit oneself - by joining, one tacitly agrees to conform, at least for an introductory period.

No-one is obliged to stay - the remark was general, not specific.

The moderators act (it's rarely necessary, as it happens) to preserve the friendly, somewhat cosy nature of the forum. Every member has his personality, known to other members, but the over-riding characteristics of this forum are mutual support and respect. To ride roughshod over that is unacceptable and will be dealt with before it gets out of hand.

This thread is on the verge of reaching that point and is forthwith locked.