[nofive-0]

Hey guys, just obtained my first Ducati about 3 weeks ago, traded a KTM motard for it. So far I have thoroughly enjoyed it until about a week ago when I started having a few problems. I did some searching and found what I expected but nothing definitive, so I thought I would introduce myself and see if I can get any better idea. I will try to be as clear and concise as possible.

Bike: 1997 Ducati 750
Problem: Bike has developed intermittent to permanent starting "issues".
Symptoms: Ignition turns on lights, clicks ignition relay, and most every other electrical piece works. Turn the kill switch to the "run" position, hit the button, and nothing. Lights don't dim, nothing clicks, nothing..

So the problem is that the bike doesn't start, obviously. I have taken apart the kill switch and cleaned all of the contacts and reassembled to no avail. I have even tried to jump the connections to try to get it to start, nothing. I then removed the STARTER relay, not the IGNITION relay, and put 12 volts to it. It clicks and acts as you would think a relay should.

Basically, I have tried everything except for the dreaded ( dun, dun, dun) broken wire inside the main harness. I can't see this happening, it just seems unlikely. Crazier things have happened. I checked for continuity trough the switch and it did work. Everything seems too clean and nice for it to be broken.

Lastly, the bike ran about a week ago started and worked fine. Came home one day parked in the driveway, turned the bike off, opened the garage door, got back on and tried to pull into the garage. Nothing. I pushed the bike into the garage checked some fuses and looked at it funny a few times, then it starts again. It does it again a few days later. I then decide I am going to get to the bottom of this and now it is uh.... less intermittent.

I know this was a long post, especially for a first one, but I didn't want to leave anything out. Any help you guys can be would be greeeaaatly appreciated.

Thanks ahead of time,
Cody

 

[ducatimike]

Make sure the battery is fully charged. If the battery is old, it may not recharge properly. If the battery is ok, I would check the connection from the starter solenoid to the starter. Remove the wire and check the connection at the starter. Sometimes that connection corrodes and you get a voltage drop at that connection.

Mike

 

[nofive-0]

Make sure the battery is fully charged. If the battery is old, it may not recharge properly. If the battery is ok, I would check the connection from the starter solenoid to the starter. Remove the wire and check the connection at the starter. Sometimes that connection corrodes and you get a voltage drop at that connection.

Mike

If the problem was the connection from the relay to the starter would the relay still not click?

 

[ducatimike]

The operation of the starter relay should be independent of the connection to the starter. I misread your description of the problem. Sounds like something else is going on here. If the kill switch is placed in the run position and then you turn on the key, what happens?

Mike

 

[nofive-0]

If you turn the killswitch to the on position and then turn the key on everything happens as normal. The lights on the dash come on and then the headlight comes on, just like normal. When you hit the starter button nothing happens. I was trying to convey that if the starter was the problem wouldn't the relay click even if the starter was the problem?

 

[nofive-0]

The switch and the relay are okay. Does anyone have a wiring diagram for this thing?

 

[munsta]

Not sure if your model has a security system, but if it does, you only have a small window of time to activate the starter after turning on the ignition. If you don't press the starter in that time period, you must begin the ignition sequence again. Good luck.