Electrical/starting problems with 750 Maxim

(I'm new here, by the way)

Sorry this is long...

Bit of a problem with my newly-acquired 750 Maxim. I just bought this bike about a month ago, and everything on it was running great. It had been sitting since fall, so I went ahead and did general maintenance and replaced some things (battery, spark plugs, etc.) that needed replacing.

I rode it for a week or so, no problems at all until the last day I rode it. When I went to start it up to leave work, the starter button failed to work on the first try (as in, I pushed it and it did absolutely nothing), but I hit it a couple more times and it fired right up with no problem. I brushed it off as a switch that'll eventually need replaced and didn't worry about it for the time being. Came home, parked the bike, got up the next day to ride to work and it was dead. I charged the battery back up to see that when the ignition switch is in the "lock" position, the back taillight comes on? Obviously this isn't normal?

Anyway, I thought at the time it'd be simple. Re-charge the battery, and everything would be fine. Guess not...

Re-charged the battery and tried again to start it. The solenoid did a rapid-fire click like it was working the first two times I hit the button, but nothing after a couple tries. I figured the solenoid was bad so I got a used one from Cycle Recycle right down the street from me. Put it in, and still nothing. Thinking maybe since it was a used solenoid it might not work, I switched it out for a new one. Still nothing.

Put the battery back on the charger that night, and woke up the next morning to the classic rotten-egg smell and the battery half-empty of battery acid. Refilled the battery, recharged it, re-installed everything with the new solenoid and still nothing. Not even a click from the solenoid. This is also when I noticed none of the panel lights work (the neutral light, etc.)

Thinking it might just be a simple bad switch on the starter button, I grounded the two poles of the solenoid out to see if that would get the bike to start, and I could just replace the switch. Ground it out, the start sort of half-ass tried to turn (sounded like it maybe did an eighth of a turn at best) on the first try, and then after that nothing.

Any ideas?

It seems odd to me that the alternator or starter would go out so suddenly and without warning, but I suppose stranger things have happened. At this point I'm assuming it's one of those two, but I figured I'd ask in here before I go tearing into the starter and see if anyone else had any ideas. Would it be worth replacing/re-wiring the ignition (key) switch, or is that not likely the problem?

I checked out the fuse box, and the fuses are very slightly dirty/corroded, but nothing that looked like it would cause them not to function perfectly fine. I'll probably replace those tonight to eliminate them as a possible problem (or keep them from causing a future one) but I highly doubt they've got anything to do with it.

Anything obvious I'm overlooking or that I should do before assuming it's a starter or alternator problem? I'm new to working on bikes... up until now most of my experience has been with Volkswagens...

 

1) There is a position on the ignition switch beyond lock that turns on the taillight (parking light). Very easy to accidentially turn it too far.

2) Battery is cooked. Replace.

3) Fuse problems are notorious. You are probably the only Maxim owner that hasn't replaced the stock holders. Search the forums for "fuse" and you will see lots of posts.

4) Starter switch may also be bad.

 

I agree with MiCarl.

If you're using an automotive battery charger, it's real easy to overcharge and ruin the battery. A smaller, motorcycle style charger like a battery tender jr. might be an idea.

You should probably invest in a multimeter, too, if you don't already have one. That way, you can check and see what kind of charge your battery is at. It doesn't have to be fancy, you can get a ten dollar meter lots of places.

And welcome!

 

I found out about the second lock position by accident also but spoted it before I walked away. A clicking solonoid is usually a sign of a of a shorted or dead cell in the battery. Make sure the connectors for the starter, solonoid, start button and most importantly the battery are clean. If these are not clean it can tremendously increase the current draw and these batteries don't have the 800 to 900 cranking amps available that car batteries do so they are much more sensitive to dirty connections.

 

Good to know about the tail-light position on the ignition... what's the reasoning behind that? (Other than to make new guys like me run down batteries...)


I don't really think it's the battery, but I'll probably replace this one anyway. It's two weeks old, and I took it back to the place I bought it and had them test it for me. They said it should hold a charge just fine. Maybe they were just covering their ass so they didn't have to keep good on the warranty?

Also, I attempted to jump it from my car (positives connected first, car not running, etc. to keep from damaging the charging system), and that still didn't get it to turn over at all. Wouldn't that mean that regardless of the battery in the bike, the car battery would have over-ridden it and gotten something to happen?

I'm positive the connections for the solenoid and battery are clean because they're all brand new. Taking the starter connnections and start button connections apart to clean and double-check is a good idea though for sure.


My battery charger is a smaller one that's got a low-amperage setting and that's what I've been using -- it IS a car battery charger though... should I still invest in a different one?

I've seen other posts on replacing the fuse holder, and that'll probably be my next upgrade for sure. Seems easy enough and I can see how beneficial that would be for sure.

Thanks for all the help... I'll let everyone know what I come up with!

 

Look for a couple of problems that pop-up on these machines with some regularity.

Alternator Brushes need to be 11mm or hey are too short out of specs.

Disconnect the Voltage Regulator multi-pin connector. Look CLOSELY at the the terminal for the Red Wire. Melted? Signs of Overheat? Anything like that?

If so ... the Voltage Regulator might be done-for. Get a Meter on the the Battery Terminals and look for 14.2 (+/- 1) charging current when the engine starts to climb above 1,750 rpm ... and a steady 14.2 above 2,000 rpm.

 

I can't remember the specifics, but there either is or used to be a law somewhere in Europe (Italy? I can't remember...) that when your vehicle is parked, the lights have to be on. Parking lights, just like that setting on cars where you can have just the indicator lights on, but not the headlights.

And your car charger is probably too much for the motorcycle battery, even on the low setting. I was using one like that (1 amp trickle) and it made my batteries boil. That's bad. I couldn't figure out how long to leave it hooked up, so I just bought a battery tender jr. That way, I can just leave it hooked up all the time and not worry about it.

 

So, thanks for all the help. I got a chance to mess with it this morning, and the answer: It was everything, haha.

Replaced the battery. The old one had a dead cell.

Took apart the start button. It was filthy and wasn't making contact right. Cleaned up the contacts and put it back together.

Took apart the ignition switch, and it had the same problem. Cleaned the contacts up and made sure everything was tight and clean, and it works just fine.

As soon as I finished that stuff it started right up with no problems whatsoever. Thanks!



BUT...

...halfway to work I stopped for gas. Started the bike back up and took off, and realized right away that none of my lights at all work. Fortunately, I was almost all the way to work by then and only had 20 minutes or so of the hour and a half drive left. The emergency shut-off that turns the bike off and keeps it from starting when the kickstand is down and you're in gear also doesn't work...

I'm assuming this is a relay somewhere? I checked the fuses, and they're fine (I had also cleaned up the fuse box a bit and replaced all the old fuses... I'll be replacing the whole fuse box soon it sounds like though).

So, thumbs up for the bike running now. Thumbs down for the fact that I'm stuck at work with no working lights...

 

Oh, and I figured I'd add:

If it IS a relay, I'm not sure that I'll be able to get one within walking distance of where I work. BUT, I have my girlfriend's 550 Seca sittiing in the garage here at work that I can rob any parts I need off of to get me home... So is there a relay I can rob off of her Seca that'll get my Maxim home safe tonight?

 

This is turning into a nightmare, haha.

So, swapped out the solenoids. The plug shape is slightly different because the Seca doesn't have as much room for the solenoid where it's tucked under the seat, but I think they're functionally the same? I can't read the numbers on either one of them, so that's no help.

Plugged in the Seca's solenoid, and I've got turn signals, brakelights, etc. and the emergency shutoff works fine. Still no headlights though. Looks like I've got more sorting out to do with this mess...

 

Dont give up .I had some wire problems but got them fix and the care free ride after was the most gradifying thing in the world.

 

Problem solved.

The connections at the fuse box were loose for the headlight. I don't have the time or tools to re-wire the whole fuse box here at work, but I'm wiring in an inline fuse and that'll get me home for the night. (and back and forth to work for a few days until I get time to wire in an entire new fuse box)

Thanks again for all the help!


Completely unrelated, but my fortune cookie last night read "Most problems are related to the ignition switch". Totally f***ing weird. I think someone's watching me.

 

That's a bizarre fortune cookie fortune. I usually get crap like "A change is coming" or "The only direction to go is forward". I'd be happy if I got motorcycle repair advice. 8)

 

Haha, yeah, it was really odd.

The other people eating dinner with us didn't quite understand why I thought it was so hilarious either... I guess it's one of those inside jokes where you're the only person in on it.