When my 09 'Bolt is cold its starts fine. If its hot and I go to start it within a few minutes(such as stopping for fuel) sometimes the starter makes a horrendous noise and she starts awkwardly. My "trick" to stop this is to hit the starter button for a quick second and then start it on the second try. Can anyone tell me what is going on? Is this a starter issue? I do have the Buell race ECM.
Starting "Problem"
- Thread starter sewerman
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user_deleted
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without actually hearing your "horrendous noise" nobody will be able to determine if you have a starter or starter engagement problem but being a 2009 it is unlikely. i think what you are describing is what's called compression bump. i've described it many times on here. these are big high-compression V-twins which take alot of "oomph" to turn over on start-up phase. you shut your bike off, one piston is coming up on compression stroke, it is holding pressure above it, the motor is stopped, there is NO reciprocating energy, the starter engages and not only has to get the heavy mass spinning but must force that one piston to TDC on compression. the starter struggles to do this, momentarily stops, clicks and rattles and has just barely pushed that piston to TDC. you released the starter button, waited a moment, re-engaged it and the starter now works normally spinning the engine quickly enough to start. in the V-twin world it is what's known as "compression bump". many big-twins do this including sportsters, vulcans, yamaha stars....the list is long.
Mr. Lunatic,
Thank You for your reply, it is appreciated. My second question then is why does this do this when its hot and not cold? This is my first V-Twin, (I have had mostly thumpers thru my life) so I am learning. These Buells sure are fun!
Thank You for your reply, it is appreciated. My second question then is why does this do this when its hot and not cold? This is my first V-Twin, (I have had mostly thumpers thru my life) so I am learning. These Buells sure are fun!
Sewerman, that sounds like the same as what my '05 9s has started doing... except mine will reset the computer (trip counter and clock)... yours?. your solution also sound the same as what I do. I thought it was maybe a battery or starter on the way out, cos that clicking sound is like when your battery is just about dead, but then you try again and it starts up fine
Lunaticfringe – would compression bump want to reset the clocks? Is it something just to get used to or is there something that you could do to help stop it happening
Lunaticfringe – would compression bump want to reset the clocks? Is it something just to get used to or is there something that you could do to help stop it happening
user_deleted
Well-known member
sewerman: in the motorcycle world some bikes especially big V-twins place more strain on the starters and battery when hot than cold. my thinking is that it has to do with engine component expansion, combustion chamber temperatures and pressures when hot vs. cold temps. i don't know all the nuances of it but many a Buell, Sportster and H-D big twins take more cranking amps to start when hot than cold. nature of the beast? it really boils down to where a particular piston stops at last shut-down in relation to that piston's sequence in the 4-stroke cycling.
BDcityX: yes....this will often times cause the clock reset to factory default. a marginal or undersized battery will do it more often than a healthy fully charged battery with alot of cold cranking amps. one way around it that often works is if your bike has been sitting a week or more and you're going to ride....remove the seat and give the battery a 10 amp charge for 1/2 hour or so prior to first start. a battery tender will not accomplish this but does work well for general storage.
BDcityX: yes....this will often times cause the clock reset to factory default. a marginal or undersized battery will do it more often than a healthy fully charged battery with alot of cold cranking amps. one way around it that often works is if your bike has been sitting a week or more and you're going to ride....remove the seat and give the battery a 10 amp charge for 1/2 hour or so prior to first start. a battery tender will not accomplish this but does work well for general storage.
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