Adventure Bike Rider Forum

My old Aprilia Mille Gen 1 has been a reliable starter since I fitted the AP Workshops starter upgrade (battery, leads, and solenoid).

But now it won't start, in spite of fully charged battery...just getting a click from the solenoid and the indicators warning light is illuminated (not flashing). I've changed the solenoid back to the old one, which was working when removed, and things are no better.

I've noticed that the object pictured below with the yellow and black wires gets warm when the ignition is on. It has 250 degrees C written on it...it's not getting that hot.

The bike is fitted with a Datatool alarm immobiliser which sometimes behaves a little erratically. I suspect that this object is associated with it.

Does anyone have any ideas? I've never had a bike with an alarm immobiliser before?

I had an issue on a Honda, where the relay clicked, but no start, it was the brushes in the starter motor were worn out. Voltage was getting to the starter, but it didn't turn. might be something to check for - it's quick to check.

Removing an alarm isn't an easy job if you don't know much about electrics ( that'll be me then ! ) This alarm took an age to remove correctly, it was a bit like open heart surgery. I found the removal sequence online someplace and followed that but it still took an age. The main thing was to tag each wire from where it went into loom for safety sake incase it needed to go back.

There is an outfit in Hemel Hempstead that can remove it for around 80 quid but i didn't have the patience to wait for them !
I do have their details though should you need help.

Two of my favourite bikes you're talking about there. Mille and late Fireblade (I've always liked those colours too).

Alarm/Immobilisers are the work of the devil. A nightmare to remove, always going wrong, draining the battery etc and of little or no use to prevent the bike actually being stolen by a determined thief.

If it's any help, Richard, I used a blanking module to effectively disable the immobiliser on my old TL1000S - cheap and negates the need to trace all the wiring. it just plugs into the box and fools the whole thing into thinking it's switched off - or something like that. Sorry, can't remember now who I bought it form but I found it with a google search so they are out there somewhere (it was a UK supplier).

Otherwise, can't help really with electrical issues - you'd be better off asking for advice on being nice from Priti Patel than asking me about electrics...

RSVR.net might have useful tips. There's loads on there about the famous Mille / Tuono stator mods and such like. Best of luck with it...

Atleast if it's clicking you know the starter button/solenoid etc circuit is ok.
My 1st check would be the starter motor earth by using a direct link to battery negative.
Then it's time to get the multimeter and jump leads out.

Thanks everyone.

First of all, the 'mystery object' is a resistor for the tasteless LED indicators fitted by a PO. They are going!

Secondly, I'm inclined to think that yes, it is the starter motor....which is apparently easy to remove, test and recondition.

I'm going to test it later....doing some KTM stuff first while the battery on the Aprilia charges up.

Might not be an electrical issue.
Is the starter locked/jammed?
Put it in top gear and rock the bike, does it move?

tom

The brush plate on many bike starters relies on being pinched together between the starter body and the end casting to form the internal earth circuit. The problem is that one is steel and the other is ali which causes corrosion and therefore a break in said internal circuit. Initially this shows as a 'lazy' starter before finally just getting a 'click'.
The solution is an 'L' shaped bracket screwed or soldered to the brush plate and then a hole drilled in the starter body so that the other end of bracket can be screwed to body once assembled thereby giving a permanent internal earth.
It might not be your problem but it was on my Vmax and XV750.

Greetings,

Richard from your description perhaps there might be two different system faults or an inter-related common cause.

I presume that the indicators were working before the starter fault occurred, if so then initially I would be tempted to find out why they have stopped working. The heat in the indicator wiring could be a result of a faulty earth system so I would check the main earth connections possibly adding an extra and heavier duty cable direct from the engine up to the battery.

If there is a faulty earth return then that might be the cause of the starter problem too. The starter feed and particularly earth leads are always so small on bikes, at my first garage we used to add an extra earth lead from the engine on all the BMC front wheeled drive cars that we sold, even the new ones.

TTFN

Hugh.

Thanks again all.

Hugh, I think the heat issue was just normal...the winkers had been flashing when the alarm activated, and that made the resistors hot. I'm going to dump the LEDs and resistors and revert back to bulbs.

The earths on Gen 1 Milles are weak, but I've fitted some heavy-duty wires which run direct to the engine, frame and starter motor.

this is the complete kit on my bike, including the big battery and HD solenoid.

https://www.apworkshops.co.uk/copy-of-p ... -gen1.html

I've changed the solenoid over to the old one, but no improvement.