[99honda1218]

I have a 1999 440ex that cranks over slowly when using electric start. Will roll start fine and start right up, idle great, and run great. When using electric start (just put a new 175 cca battery in) the engine turns over slowly, not fast enough to start. Do I need a new starter? Ignition box? Wiring messed up? Where do I start?

 

[Here 2 help]

Test the starter with a car battery and some jumper cables - connect the positive jumper to the terminal on the starter motor and connect the negative to a motor mount bolt or an exhaust stud - connect the positive to the battery and touch (jam or clamp) the negative to the negative side of the battery - if it cranks normally, rule out the starter - it is is slow, it's the starter motor - if the starter motor checks out, the problem is wiring connections, solenoid or battery

 

[99honda1218]

Just did this, starter cranked over very fast like it should. How do I fix wiring so that the starter always cranks quickly?

 

[Here 2 help]

First - determine if you have a bad ground connection - use a jumper cable from the negative post on the battery to the engine and see if it cranks normally using the battery in the bike - if that works, you need to repair the ground connections between the battery and the engine - if that does not work, you need to check the voltage drop of the battery - connect a meter across the battery terminals (a fully charged 12v battery has about 13.2 volts) - regardless, the battery voltage should not drop below about 9 or 10 volts when cranking the engine - if the voltage drops excessively, you may have a bad battery or the charging system may be faulty - with the engine running about 2000 rpm and the battery fully charged, voltage across the battery should be at least 13.8 volts - if it does not go above 12.8, there is a problem with the charging system, battery or both