[gimble]

Sorry for what I'm sure is another redundant post for what appears to be a common problem. I read as much as I could on line but am still unsure how to attack the problem.

I've owned the GL1200 for about six months, and was using it as a daily driver (4-5 days per week), riding it whenever there wasn't snow on the road and when high temps were predicted above freezing. Oil and antifreeze were changed in the October timeframe.

Until weather turned bitter cold, no problems at all with the bike. Puff of smoke at startup, but would turn over and start in 1-2 seconds without fail.

When weather turned cold ( highs in the mid-30s ) the bike started having troubles starting... the battery would run down. Putting the battery on a maintenance charge at night seemed to solve the issue nicely and I kept driving the bike.

On one particularly brutal ride home at night (temps in the teens), I accidentally hit the hazard lights with my gloved hands and I can't disengage them any more (pushing the switch won't release them and attempts to pull the switch out have also been failures). Still, I had no problems getting home and put the bike on the charger overnight. I doubt this contributes to the issue but I am trying to be complete.

Since then (mid-December) I have been unable to get the bike to attempt to start. The battery appears to be charged, the radio / lights / etc. seem to work just fine. When I push the start button, the headlight dims (or goes out?) like my NightHawk used to do, but there is no visible or audible reaction to the start button ( no clicks, beeps, buzzes, whirls, etc.).

If someone can point me at a web site with photos on things to look at to diagnose the problem, I would appreciate it. I know very little about auto/motorcycle mechanics, but have a reasonably logical mindset.

 

[detdrbuzzard]

the oil you are using may be too heavy for cold weather riding. i have 20w50 in my 1200 and it was a struggle to get it started at 36/38f. the 1500 wing was ok with 20w50 until mornings were down to 30f. but you may need something like 10w30

 

[Cantankerous]

As far as the hazard switch, spray some contact cleaner in it (available at Radio Shack) and work the switch. Make sure you hold a rag under it to catch the gunk that comes out. My 1200 did the same thing as far as starting and was diagnosed with a weak battery.

 

[Ron Robertson]

I do believe our Esteemed Friend Cantankerous, has given you some very good advice.

 

[trike lady]

How old is the battery?
It may have enough 'Juice' for the radio, lights and horn; but not enough to operate the starter.

 

[Shoehorn]

First I would suggest heating the pan with a room electric room heater or heating pad to see if the oil thing pans out. Next I would add a boost battery or charger for attempting to start. This will determin if your battery is week or your starting system has a problem.
That gives you a starting point and you can figure out which by doing tests from a repair manual. Good luck.

 

[gimble]

Just a follow up, it's been on my to-do list for a while now. Hopefully it will help someone else.

As far as contact cleaner, I went to "Radio Shack" and bought whatever spray stuff they recommended. The results have been mixed: the cleaner did free up the hazard switch (after some work) and the hazard switch is no longer on. In fact, I think it works as well as it ever did, although I try to keep my thumb away from it now.

However, I now have issues with another switch inside the assembly: the right turn switch doesn't always want to disengage. I suspect there's more inside the assembly that is wrong, but that can wait for another day.

As far as starting, the problem ended up being two separate problems:

#1 Battery was nearly dead, when I solved problem #2 it wouldn't turn over the engine even with a full chanrge. A new battery solved this problem.

#2 For whatever reason, despite what I thought, the bike wasn't actually completely in Neutral (I would swear that the light on the panel was on, but I could be mistaken). I only discovered this when I tried to put the bike on the center stand so I could test to see if the starter would fire if the wheel was free-standing. Instead, the bike wouldn't roll as if it were in gear: so I shifted the bike into gear, and then back into neutral again. Suddenly, the starter would click and attempt to fire... so then I found problem #1.

Thanks for the help above.

 

[Ron Robertson]

Ya just gotta like the help you get around here.

 

[Eric]

Thanks for taking the time to do the follow up. Love my 1200 and so far it has behaved itself. So back to riding and it should be nice weather for you coming up. Eric