shitty starting...81 gpz 1100...

I didn't see any wires in there that looked like they werent plugged in either, except one that went to the frame thats not plugged into anything..so, why would it not start properly without this sensor...would it not just make the battery light come on in the guage cluster and that is it??

It doesn't matter a lick if the sensor works or doesn't work. It doesn't matter if the battery has or doesn't have the sensor.

The battery that accomodates a sensor just has an extra hole in one of the cells. You generally push fit the sensor into the hole. If the sensor doesn't go into the hole, there will be an idiot light that says BATTERY that stays on all the time. If you want it to go out, just connect this sensor to a POSITIVE SWITCHED VOLTAGE SOURCE. The sensor will be about 1" long with a wire attached and may not be easy to find since whoever installed the last battery without one probably tucked it away somewhere. Does you dash have a light that says, "BATTERY"? If so, you probably originally were fitted with a battery with the extra little hole.

I have an 88 Voyager XII and it uses the sensor. I bought a battery for it with the sensor hole at a local autoparts store a couple weeks ago. It isn't really necessary to have the idiot light work in the event you can't find the battery type with the extra hole.

okay, thats what i wanted to know!

wiredgeorge wrote:

It doesn't matter a lick if the sensor works or doesn't work. It doesn't matter if the battery has or doesn't have the sensor.

The battery that accomodates a sensor just has an extra hole in one of the cells. You generally push fit the sensor into the hole. If the sensor doesn't go into the hole, there will be an idiot light that says BATTERY that stays on all the time. If you want it to go out, just connect this sensor to a POSITIVE SWITCHED VOLTAGE SOURCE. The sensor will be about 1" long with a wire attached and may not be easy to find since whoever installed the last battery without one probably tucked it away somewhere. Does you dash have a light that says, "BATTERY"? If so, you probably originally were fitted with a battery with the extra little hole.

George, you missed the point of my asking about the sensor...the point was if he had the sensor and the idiot light wasn't flashing, then either the PO had tossed in a different battery (maybe the wrong one, thus accounting for slow starts) and grounded the sensor or had merely temporarily rejuvenated the old (and currently unavailable) battery to sell it.

Mc - I understood your point but I think the guy that started the thread was being confused by the sensor talk. I think he was really wanting to know if the bike's battery REALLY needs this sensor to make the bike start right.

Getting back to the problem, some bikes just don't seem to have a lot of get up and go at the starter. I think it is likely the gearing of the starter itself perhaps.

If I had a bike with just a feeble starter, I would replace the starter and see if that helped. This is after I verified that the battery was OK... then I would check the contact on the wire from the solenoid to the starter... The starter grounds through the case I think so a bad ground isn't likely... Last, if the starter still didn't spin as it should, I would take a look at the shop manual and see if there is a spec on spacing the gear that drives the starter clutch gear. On a 73-80 900/1000, there is a rubber cup that is installed behind the rotor on some models that sets the spacing. If the spacing is wrong, the starter gear on the crank won't drive the starter clutch properly.

To check spacing, I think the easiest way is to pull the rotor and make sure that just the gear is in place (riding the bearings) and stick some clay between the gear and engine and measure the smushed piece of clay.

The earlier KZs had THREE diffent depths of those spacer cups marked with stars... 1 star was the thinnest, two stars the middle thickness and three stars the thickest. I am not sure if the J motor family with its different alterntor type had the same type spacers.

My bike did the same thing, barely turned over after it was hot. Problem was the timing advancer was frozen at max advance. The extra timing made it much more dificult for the starter to turn the engine over. May not be your problem but something to check anyhow.

well he gave me a free starter, so i will change it over winter and let you know.

well he gave me a free starter, so i will change it over winter and let you know.