Dear Friends,
I have a 63 plate DL650 (AL3) which has an intermittent starting problem. I try to use the bike most days and rely on it for commuting, as well as the fun stuff. The bike is kept outside and, over the last 2 months, has failed to start five times, all first thing in the morning. The symptoms are as follows:
Turn the key, press start, lights dim instantly and completely, no click from the starter motor.
I tried pulling the key in and out of the ignition barrel in case this was to blame and it appeared to work. Then the problem came back a week later and the key jiggling didn't work. My next thought was that the starter motor or solenoid might be sticking, so I put it into gear an tried to jump start. No joy, but the damned thing started on the next attempt.
This is one of those slippery intermittent problems that can be an absolute pig to track down. I've had my battery tested and it's 100% so I'm thinking that one (or maybe more) of the following are the culprits:
Damp in switches (which may tie in with this being an early morning issue)
Poor electrical connections 'somewhere'
Faulty ignition/steering lock barrel
Sticking starter motor
SM solenoid
Any advice and previous experience would be gratefully received!
Thanks, Simon