Honda 2002 CBR 954rr - UNKNOWN ISSUE!

[Phily954rr]

Hi All,

I own a 2002 CBR 954.... bought it over 3 years ago and replaced the battery and the rectifier. Now..... here's deal..... (I cannot seem to figure this out...)

About 4 months ago, I was out for a ride, and stopped downtown on King St (Mini dealership) for a smoke (I was riding for about 2 hours straight). So, we pulled over, had a smoke and let the bikes cool down for about 20 minutes. When I went to start it up again, it wouldn't crank, as if the battery was dead. So I sparked another smoke, and started thinking about where I should push start it. I decided to give it one more shot, and BANG, it started.

So, about a month ago, again I was out for a ride, and stopped at a Tims with a buddy for a coffee. When I go to start the bike, nothing! Cluster lit up, but didn't even try to crank! So, we push started it, and we were off. Stopped off at his house (which is about 15 mins away) and it started no problem! We tried starting it 10 times, no problem whatsoever.

So, we took out his voltage tester, and I opened my 954 manual, and did all the tests for the alternator/battery/rectifier. All the results read they were all fine.

Last Thursday, me and my bud were on our way to the Tims at Lakeshore and Leslie, and we stopped off for gas. My bike wouldn't start. So, we push start it again, go to the Tims, and leave there no problem. Cranked first try. We even started talking to a couple of other guys, and he thought it might have been the starter switch, so he turned my bike on about 4-5 times.... and it cranked every time!!

Now, I've been out riding about 4 more times since last Thursday, and it's started perfectly every time...... until tonight. I left my house with a perfect start, had a coffee, and it wouldn't start an hour later when I was leaving.

Now, here are a couple things I have done:

1. Put my battery on my tender and left it for about 14 hours. Put the battery in, started perfectly. Went for a 1 hour ride, stopped the bike for about 5 hours while I was golfing, started the bike fine when leaving the course. 1 hour ride on the way home, stopped the bike at a friends' house, and tried starting it just to see..... wouldn't start (not even a crank). Push started it, rode home (5 mins away), and tested again when I got home.... started perfectly.

2. Removed the fuse from my alarm, thinking that was the issue. Still happens.

Does ANYONE have ANY thoughts?!?! This is driving me insane!! lol...

Phily.....

[BrianZ]

When it fails to start can you hear the starter solenoid clicking? If you can hear a clicking sound and the starter won't crank the engine, you can narrow the problem down to a bad solenoid, starter wiring, or a bad starter motor.

If you don't hear a clicking sound when you press the starter button, then the problem is much more complicated. It could be a kickstand switch, ignition switch, wiring, etc.

[gybeman]

Quit stopping for smokes and coffees so the thing can at least re-charge itself.

[JohnnyP636]

There is a relay on the Hondas thats known to go bad and cause the same speratic non starting issue your having...My friend just dealt with this 2 days ago on a 600RR...The person that told him to check the relay owned a 929 and had the same problem before...On the 600RR it was up by the headlights

[scarface]

post on fireblades.org to see if anyone else had that issue.

[Phily954rr]

When I stop for smokes, it's after riding for 2 hours. I don't stop every 10 minutes to smoke.... lol.

So I think that 2 hours of highway riding is plenty of "charging time".

[gybeman]

When I stop for smokes, it's after riding for 2 hours. I don't stop every 10 minutes to smoke.... lol.
So I think that 2 hours of highway riding is plenty of "charging time".

Just razzin you. Glad you laughed.
Could be a bad battery, could be the starter relay as mentioned. Same symptoms for both, no clicking, lights dimming when starter button is pressed. Check your battery voltage when cold, right after starting, and after a long ride. Much lower than 12.5v is a weak battery and while charging at idle it should be 13V and as high as 14-15V when revving.
If voltage is all over the place then a voltage regulator could cause similar battery probs due to over charging. (one of Honda's more popular replacement parts)

[djltoronto]

If you can, next time it doesn't start, measure the battery voltage at rest, as well as while trying to crank.

This will eliminate a few things, but won't answer the question.
If you have good voltage at the battery while trying to crank, then your issue is with the starter, starter switch, or starter solenoid.

[Phily954rr]

Just razzin you. Glad you laughed.
Could be a bad battery, could be the starter relay as mentioned. Same symptoms for both, no clicking, lights dimming when starter button is pressed. Check your battery voltage when cold, right after starting, and after a long ride. Much lower than 12.5v is a weak battery and while charging at idle it should be 13V and as high as 14-15V when revving.
If voltage is all over the place then a voltage regulator could cause similar battery probs due to over charging. (one of Honda's more popular replacement parts)

Hey, no problem dude. I figured you were joking, or I was going to find a way to set you to an "ignore list".

Cold=12.83, Right after starting=12.75, long ride=12.95, idle charging=12.65, idle revving over 5000=13.84. These are all approx numbers I remember from when I did some tests last week.

Since I've replaced the rectifier/regulator already, and I was having similar issue (but it just burned out on me in a weekend, literally starting smoking from the rear), I thought it could be the issue. But since I did the tests on it that the Service Manual shows you, and the results came back fine, I figured it wasn't. This is so intermittent that maybe I was testing it when it was in its working stage. lol.

A few people mention the kick stand or starter switch. Maybe I should try looking at those.

[Phily954rr]

90% of the time, I will hear the clicking. BUt there have been a few times where I'll try starting it, and there is no clicking. But when I press the starter switch, the lights will dim.