QuestionRich,
I bought a 1983 Honda550SC Nighthawk a week ago. I brought it home, and it started up after minimal cranking. After the initial ride, it continued to crank more and more before starting, until we finally needed to jump start it to get it going. On my first ride after jump starting, the bike stalled. I pulled off to the side of the road and had a friend come out to try and jump start the bike. It would crank and crank, but no fire. Eventually, it stopped cranking all together, even when the jumper cables were hooked up. The only thing that happened when the start button was pushed is you could hear a little "click" from the starter solenoid firing. I was able to push-start it and drive it home, where it has sat for the past 4 days. I took the battery in to have it checked, and they said it was weak on the draw, so I purchased a new battery and tried to start it again this morning. The first start attempt, it cranked 2 or 3 times, then cut out. When I tried to start it again, all I heard was the "click" from the starter, nothing else. If it helps, whenever the start button was pushed, the headlight dimmed to the point of looking like it was turned off. What do you think the problem could be, or where would you suggest starting to troubleshoot? Thanks in advance!
AnswerJoe, you need to check the charging system. Put a volt ohm meter on the battery and make sure it has 13.5-14.5 volts when the engine is reved up above 3000 rpm. Be sure to fully charge the battery before doing this test.
If the voltage is too low, you need to check the charging system. If you have a manual, it will describe how but I've answered several questions similar to this in the past few months.
Regards
Rich
