HAWK Battery or Starter???

[NickThrash]

Hey guys, Ive had my HAWK for more than a year and would occasionally have issues with the battery starting the bike. Well over time it would get better then sometimes be bad again. Cool thing about the HAWK is it has a kick start also (Which i think is a great feature). So i would use that and sometimes it would go first kick other times 20+ kicks.

So through summer i noticed the starter not working all that great and assumed i should be getting a new battery soon.

Before I was going to order the battery I wanted to be sure my starter was okay. So i Jumped the HAWK by hooking it up to my truck battery and flipped the kill switch to see if the starter would continue to role over AND it did.

So that day i ordered a battery and it came today and as I hooked it up i am having the same issue where the starter wont continue to roll over, it gives me one click and then buzzes or sometimes i just get a clicking sound.

So i am wondering if it is my starter? if so why did it roll over just find when hooked up to my truck and also where would I get a new one? does the TT250 have the same starter?

Or is it something else?

the battery says it comes fully charged and I even plugged it into a charger and the charger said the battery was fully charged. I also kick started the bike with the new battery and rode it around for a bit then turned it off and tried to start it and no change.

Ive never had any issues with the old battery (as in lights not coming on) the only issue was the starter and I just assumed the starter was sucking too much energy from the battery, that wasnt holding as good a charge as it used to. So i thought having a new battery that holds a full charge would give it enough juice and hold enough power to stop the problem.

IDK what the problem is

[Megadan]

Often, I find intermittent issues like what you describe to be caused by corroded or loose connections more often than the battery. Especially ground straps.

[NickThrash]

Originally Posted by Megadan

Often, I find intermittent issues like what you describe to be caused by corroded or loose connections more often than the battery. Especially ground straps.

I've followed most of the wiring and disconnected stuff and reconnected and didnt see anything out of place or have any differences. I used to think it was my starter until I hooked it up to my truck and the starter worked just fine.

Before it was little hiccups getting the bike started now I get next to nothing from the starter.

[Megadan]

That buzzing/clicking you are hearing is the starter relay. It's usually caused by dips and spikes in voltage when trying to start. The power is strong enough to engage the contacts in the relay, but once the starter engages the power drops, disconnects, and repeat over and over. That = the sound you describe.

I dont doubt you are on the right path, but I have also learned to never fully trust a new battery. Just because it shows charged on the charger, doesn't mean it is good. A battery can show 12 or more volts and still be bad.

Take it in to any place that can load test it, and see if it's cranking amps match what it is rated for.

If so, then I would say that the starter may indeed be the issue. If it is grounding out internally or is binding up from a bad bearing it could act like this. However, I have often found that when this is the case, the motor simply won't turn, or turn very slowly and not cause the relay to rapid fire.

[Ariel Red Hunter]

Originally Posted by NickThrash

Hey guys, Ive had my HAWK for more than a year and would occasionally have issues with the battery starting the bike. Well over time it would get better then sometimes be bad again. Cool thing about the HAWK is it has a kick start also (Which i think is a great feature). So i would use that and sometimes it would go first kick other times 20+ kicks.

So through summer i noticed the starter not working all that great and assumed i should be getting a new battery soon.

Before I was going to order the battery I wanted to be sure my starter was okay. So i Jumped the HAWK by hooking it up to my truck battery and flipped the kill switch to see if the starter would continue to role over AND it did.

So that day i ordered a battery and it came today and as I hooked it up i am having the same issue where the starter wont continue to roll over, it gives me one click and then buzzes or sometimes i just get a clicking sound.

So i am wondering if it is my starter? if so why did it roll over just find when hooked up to my truck and also where would I get a new one? does the TT250 have the same starter?

Or is it something else?

the battery says it comes fully charged and I even plugged it into a charger and the charger said the battery was fully charged. I also kick started the bike with the new battery and rode it around for a bit then turned it off and tried to start it and no change.

Ive never had any issues with the old battery (as in lights not coming on) the only issue was the starter and I just assumed the starter was sucking too much energy from the battery, that wasnt holding as good a charge as it used to. So i thought having a new battery that holds a full charge would give it enough juice and hold enough power to stop the problem.

IDK what the problem is

One other guy on here had the same problem. The hot and ground wires are barely big enough to carry the current when the bike is new. The solenoid buzzes when the voltage is too low. 13 volts at the battery and on the always hot side on the solenoid before you energize the solenoid, and a drop of voltage to below 11.5 volts when you push the starter button, can be the problem. If you don't have a multimeter you should get one. I bought an analog meter at wal-mart for ten dollars...ARH

[pcspecialist]

I had the same problem and fixed it by replacing the battery ground wire, the wire between the battery and solenoid, and the wire between the solenoid and the starter. The stock wires are adequate for a 50cc motor, but not 200+cc.

[NickThrash]

Originally Posted by pcspecialist

I had the same problem and fixed it by replacing the battery ground wire, the wire between the battery and solenoid, and the wire between the solenoid and the starter. The stock wires are adequate for a 50cc motor, but not 200+cc.

that sound like a good idea. where did you get the replacement wire?

[JerryHawk250]

Originally Posted by NickThrash

that sound like a good idea. where did you get the replacement wire?

You can go to Lowe's and pick up a set of cable for a riding mower. They usually have to them in stock. Also Advance Auto and AutoZone carry cables

[bogieboy]

I would get a new starter solenoid as well, i have gone thru 4 on my bike.... i use generic small engine ones....

[NickThrash]

Originally Posted by bogieboy

I would get a new starter solenoid as well, i have gone thru 4 on my bike.... i use generic small engine ones....

Damn. That's probably a good idea too. I find electric work very interesting but man, it can stump me sometimes with all the different amount of factors that could be causing the problem lol.

[Ariel Red Hunter]

Originally Posted by NickThrash

Damn. That's probably a good idea too. I find electric work very interesting but man, it can stump me sometimes with all the different amount of factors that could be causing the problem lol.

There are four potential causes of your problem. Inadequate cables, bad solenoid, bad battery ground, bad starter. Easiest way to do this is to start at the cheapest first. Take the battery ground off of the frame and sand the spot on the frame where it attaches. If that doesn't do it, replace all of the power wires with heavier ones, including the battery ground, then the solenoid, then the starter, but my money is on bad ground or bad wires to the solenoid, and from the solenoid to the starter...ARH

[NickThrash]

Originally Posted by Ariel Red Hunter

There are four potential causes of your problem. Inadequate cables, bad solenoid, bad battery ground, bad starter. Easiest way to do this is to start at the cheapest first. Take the battery ground off of the frame and sand the spot on the frame where it attaches. If that doesn't do it, replace all of the power wires with heavier ones, including the battery ground, then the solenoid, then the starter, but my money is on bad ground or bad wires to the solenoid, and from the solenoid to the starter...ARH

Ya thats what im thinking also from what other guys are saying, and hopefully that will be the fix

[NickThrash]

Okay guys i was about to make a trip to the auto store and since my truck is in the shop i was going to take the HAWK and before i was going to go i disconnected the battery, the solenoid, and the ground and gave them a bit of a brushing to see if the starter will go.. and it didnt.

SO then i was going to just kick start it and be on my way, NOW I CANT get the bike to start at all. I know the kick start can be rough on the hawk but I cant even get a little bit of pop... I went through 10 times and checked if everything was connected and even looked up photos of the hawk to see if i swapped anything by accident and i cant find ANYTHING.

Did i disconnect a fail safe or something that wont let the bike start? because ive never had THIS much trouble with the kick start

[BlackBike]

I was that close one time to pulling my carb because it wouldnt start and discovered i still had the fuel off. And i have also done the damm switch thing too

[NickThrash]

Originally Posted by BlackBike

I was that close one time to pulling my carb because it wouldnt start and discovered i still had the fuel off. And i have also done the damm switch thing too

I quadruple checked everything lol. ive been there with the kill switch and even have tried to start with the key not turned hahah.

But I went up and down from the handle bars to the battery to the motor and nothing is out of place. idk what the hell is going on with my bike right now and of course when i need it (my truck is being repaired) for business (Getting to work) oppose for fun, it doesn't want to run