Exciting New Sound!!!

[Back_in_the_Saddle]

No, its not the sound of my motor running, that is still only in my dreams. The bike seems close to starting. I've had it almost start running, which actually, is encouraging. The sound is like gears crunching when I try to crank it over :o.  Its really quite horrible. The other thing i'm getting is backfire, both internal (carb I guess), and external (pipes), not real loud though. Also,  it is "backing off", sometimes delayed, maybe 5-8 seconds after I've tried to start it. Suggestions and berating is welcome.  

[Lucky]

by "backing off" do you mean "kick back"? that produces a horrible sound!

if this is the case then the cause of the kick back (& LOUD backfiring that goes with it) is due to slow cranking. slow cranking is usually either weak charging system or oil in the starter.

why it happens:
the starter clutch is a centrificul clutch. it has rollers that ride on a hardened surface of a gear keyed to the crank.  the rollers are pushed onto the gear by springs.

the clutch has to overcome compression pressure, & if the engine is cranking too slow, compression wins out.  also, if the spark plugs were firing well that would help, but cranking draws a lot of amperage from the battery, and if the TCI doesnt see more than 9.8 volts or so it won't fire the coils.  

a weak charging system compounds the problem by not supplimenting the battery at all.  if the cranking speed/voltage is borderline, there may be sufficent vacumme created to suck fuel into the cylinders, but if the coil doesn't fire then the fuel enters the exhaust unburned.  you let off the start button for a whil;e to try something else and the battery & starter have time to cool & recoup.  you hit the button again and this time have just enough juice to fire the coils and WHAM!! all that fuel ignites.

neither the back fire or kick-back seem to cause any dammage, although they sure sound like they should.

put a volt meter on the battery while cranking & see how low the voltage drops, then check it again with the bike jumped to a car (not running)

--Lucky

[Back_in_the_Saddle]

Thanks Lucky.
The sound I hear happens while I'm cranking it and sounds like metal on metal. Like gear teeth grinding, hard to describe. I am jumping it from a car not running. The battery is charged and 2 months old but I've drained and charged it so much that I use the car as back up. I'll get a new one once this thing is firing.