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[eliross]

My bike has had an electrical gremlin since I bought it. They gave me a new starter when I bought it this spring. Then it started only starting occasionally and I figured out I could only get it running by bridging the gap on the starter relay. Bought a new relay, installed it, started right up! Drove around a block and thought it sounded noisy. Turned off the bike with the key and the starter was continually running. Hit the kill switch. It kept going. Unplugged the  relay from the starter switch and it kept going. Finally after about 1 minute it either killed the battery, the relay died, or the starter died. Any ideas what to replace first, or things to check?

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[spit051261]

I would be checking the starter relay to see if the main contacts are shorted out .
If they are not shorted and are OK , you need to find out where it is getting a feed to the coil from .
What relay did you unplug ?

[eliross]

There's a line that goes from battery to relay, a line that goes from relay to starter motor, and a line(2 wires) that goes from relay to the starter switch. I pulled the line(simple plastic connector) to the starter switch (the other two are attached by nuts). I assume it most have been a bad relay, although it was brand new? There was no short between the two big contacts but I don't know much about electrical.

[spit051261]

Unless you know how to use a multi meter / test light , you are going to have problems working out the fault .

[eliross]

Update, charged the battery, put everything back in and, of course, not able to start. Short the starter relay gap and it starts and runs fine (without the starter motor continually turning over). I have a multi-meter. What should I check? It seems like a simple circuit, the starter switch uses a low current to open the starter relay. That's the "click" you hear when you hit the start switch. What would cause the relay to get stuck open? A stuck starter switch? but I unplugged it so I don't think that's the case. Too high a voltage off the battery? When I test across the battery it's at 13.9v. Do I just have real crap luck and got a bad starter relay to replace a bad starter relay?
 

[spit051261]

Update, charged the battery, put everything back in and, of course, not able to start. Short the starter relay gap and it starts and runs fine (without the starter motor continually turning over). I have a multi-meter. What should I check? It seems like a simple circuit, the starter switch uses a low current to open the starter relay. That's the "click" you hear when you hit the start switch. What would cause the relay to get stuck open? A stuck starter switch? but I unplugged it so I don't think that's the case. Too high a voltage off the battery? When I test across the battery it's at 13.9v. Do I just have real crap luck and got a bad starter relay to replace a bad starter relay?
 

What is the "starter relay gap"?
It is a simple circuit, in fact it's as simple as they come but without Some technical savvy, you could end up in a world of grief.
Because you have no idea what you are doing or able to describe what you are doing that makes sense, I'll have to pass this one over to upside down.
Good luck and hope you get it sorted.

[umop-ǝpisdn]

Stuck closed means the tab has welded itself to the electromagnet landing.

Stuck open means that either the electromagnet is fubar, or it’s not getting power.

Unplug the small connector and test resistance to ground and also voltage when the starter is pressed. I am unsure if the connector has both positive and negative wires, or if they are both ground wires that become continuous when the starter button is pressed.  Test it and see.

My money is on one being positive and one being negative. If so, you should see 12.8V across that pair when you press the start button.

In summary. I think you just had shit luck.

[eliross]

Sorry you're right, I believe my new relay got stuck closed. Thanks for some practical advice, I'll trouble shoot that starter switch. Since parts here are a bit difficult to find (took 5 weeks for the last relay to show up) I think I'll take it into a shop and see if they can't get parts a bit faster. The Fall weather is nice and I'd like to get out in it.  Who needs a starter relay when you have a screwdriver, right?

[umop-ǝpisdn]

Where are you that it takes 5 weeks for a part to arrive??

If you're anywhere in the US, talk to albertinhouston for used parts. If you want new parts, look at whygostock.com

[spit051261]

I would be checking the starter relay to see if the main contacts are shorted out .

You can lead a horse to water