Strada Struggling to Start (or SSS-Syndrome)

Some of you may remember I took a trip on the TR about a month ago up to Connecticut. Logged about 800 miles a day heading up to CT and back down home.

When I got to Hartford, after the first day of riding, I parked the bike at my buddies house. The next morning when I went to move the bike it wouldn't start. After calling every Husky dealer in Connecticut and having ALL of them tell me that they were unable or unwilling to help me in ANY way, the good people at Eurosport (Lee rocks!) talked me through some troubleshooting. After checking all the electrical connections and the battery, I pulled the starter for the heck of it, banged on it a bit, and viola! However, the bike barely started. But it fired up and didn't give me any more trouble on the trip. It ran rough at first, really rough, but then it smoothed out and seemed normal. However, I am beginning to think that this starter fix was actually a red herring.

Fast forward to today. I go to start her up and it does the same strange click/wheeze and wont start. Here is a video:



What do you guys think might be causing this? Culprits in mind are wiring, starter switch, ECU, and the starter itself. The strange part is that when it does this it struggles to keep running at first. Once you get it to turn over and keep the gas on a bit, the problem disappears, and the bike has fired up several times today without issue since the video above was made.

I just remembered a post about someone having a issue with the kickstand switch. Wasn't there a post on that a while back something about a little piece of metal that would bend and keep the bike from starting? I did a search, but couldn't find it. Hopefully I can sort this myself or get it in to Eurosport early this week and have them look at it. I have a camping trip planned with some buddies next weekend and it would be nice to be able to start the bike reliably

Sounds like a lose or bad connection. One thing I noticed in the video is when the bars were turned, it spun up faster. Intermittent electrical is a tough one. I might start with the kill switch and wires all around the steering head.

I am leaning toward this as well. Though it seems that no amount of wire movement or bar movement changes the ability of the bike to start when it does the click/wheeze. We tried holding the button and moving the bars back and forth, we tried moving all the wiring in hopes that a short might show itself... nothing.

Tomorrow will certainly be a day of troubleshooting. I will do my best to document it and let you guys know what I find. I almost hope it won't start in the morning so that I can experiment with the kick and wiring. Last time it did this the problem disappeared for almost a month.

This isn't going to solve your problem, but I'm pretty sure with an EFI bike you are best off not touching the throttle until it's finished cranking. The computer should give it sufficient juice until it gets going. It definitely sounds like something electrical is going wrong. If it were mine, I'd start by disconnecting the battery, and then unplugging every electrical connector I could find, and checking for any signs of dirt or corrosion in the connectors or anything which might be causing a bad connection and making sure they're all put back in firmly. Also check the connection of the negative battery lead to the frame or engine whichever it earths to. Maybe worth pulling off that right switch block and checking the starter button connection in there is good too.

It really sounds like the starter isn't getting enough juice. If it was the switch, even intermitent you would either hear nothing, or it would work. The high amperage power to the starter & the ground need to be looked at. Personally I'd do the following, check power lines to starter, load test battery, check charging volts, check starter & solenoid, . All easy to do
Could be something as simple as an improperly crimped terminal, or a marginal battery. Could even be a bad wire itself. If the starter was working properly all the time & it still ran terrible, then I would diagnose the FI & ign.

I'm thinking the FI primes the system, goes to choke mode, senses the starter button & squirts in some fuel slightly flooding it, when it does finally start, it takes a few seconds to burn off the excess fuel & then it run good again.

I didn't hear it, but it might have been the video.... when you turned on the key, did the fuel pump prime the fuel rail?

That wouldn't explain what looks to be a connection issue somewhere (inside a component maybe)...but it could be part of the problem

I had that happen once ....same as your first start in video. After I installed a ballistic battery. I think the few short trips at low speeds 35mph or under did not charge it properly... went for 50 mile ride at speed to charge. Had not happen again....100+ starts

But sometimes when I turn engine off the starter will engage at the end. Weird!

I actually thought it might be as simple as a bum battery--here's hoping. I had it tested, but it came back fine (it was a pep boys though, so who knows). I will mess with it tomorrow and report back. I may take it in to Eurosport on Tuesday when they open and see if the dealer can give it a gander.

Blake, it does prime. I found the only way I could get it to start both times this has happened is under heavy throttle, like in the video.


Thanks for the input everyone.

From what I could hear in the video, it just wasn't cranking, so the throttle position really shouldn't play a part I'd think.
Get it to a dealer with Moss and have it checked for error codes.

Is it my imagination or does everyone's TR 650 seem to hesitate just a tiny bit before cranking when you press the starter button?

I'm with Rufus. I was thinking about my truck and a starter issue. First with the key, so I put a button on. That quit working, so I thought it was something else. But no, a crimp went south, and I have no idea how that could happen. It would click a bit, click a bit, then would do nothing. A couple more tries and sometimes it would catch and turn the motor over enough to start, and then no more. Very peculiar. I just start it with the screw driver on the terminals.

I see some new wiring on yours, can you tell us what that is all for?

I just still cannot get past the precise timing of the bar movement and the starting. I know for a fact there are chafing issues up near the yoke with the clutch cable. I also know the wires are packed in there good and the cables and such do rub. I was noticing this while seeing if I might be able to reroute things in a better place.

The rhythmic false starts on some of the tries is puzzling. It is almost like an overheat condition of some part or solenoid. The timing to precise to be random. That is what is really throwing me. I do not know enough about all the components in the system to make the symptoms point to one single thing.

Oh, I have had battery terminals break inside a battery once on a car.

As far as the kick stand deal, easy to test, hold the clutch in. That confounded thing still gets me.

Yep mine does, 1/4 - 1/2 second delay before it starts cranking. Even after 3300km I still think "oh shit... it's not starting,. what's wrong" every time I press the button in that instant before it gets going.

Thanks for the comeback. I think this is normal behavior. I vaguely remember Bill mentioning it when he did the dealer walkthrough. On some of my bikes when you tap that button they start so quick you swear they didn't have a starter. I ask because after I installed the Wuka King Booster, the bike does not crank as much before starting. So I was playing with how quick I could start it and scared myself with exactly the "oh shit" moment you described. Whew!

Yep, mine has done that from new and after the accelerator module the same. Started fine every time in summer but the first cold morning this shit started, 2 -3 goes to get going. These batteries are low rent and only 10AH, 160 cca. my new AGM bigger AH battery works just fine. FYI

So could whatever is causing this this be a piece of the puzzle for whatever is causing the SSS-Syndrome?

The add on wires are for a 12v accessory plug and some heated grips. I pulled them and the starting issues were the same. I also think it could be as simple as a bad battery. Which battery are you guys using when you replace them? I have a meeting in a few minutes, but after that I am hoping to spend some quality time with the bike testing some things.

Hey TE250Guy.. Yes, slight pause when the start button is pressed. Glad it's not just my bike. Thanks for pointing that out. How is your WUKA working out? I just ordered one....

Wuka King working great. It makes a noticeable difference. Faster starts, smoother idle, stumbles gone, smoother ride. Jury still out on MPG. Check the Booster Plug thread and High Fives recent feedback report on advrider. My experience matches his. I will be giving more feedback here on the Booster Plug thread when I have more miles on it.

I too have a Wuka King plug. I pulled it after this started to rule out that it was the culprit. I am heading down to the garage right now to troubleshoot.