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Message started by Norwegiandood on 06/30/25 at 08:32:37

Title: Starting issue and speedo not working anymore
Post by Norwegiandood on 06/30/25 at 08:32:37

Hello guys and girls, I have two problems (probably more but these are the ones Savagae-related ;D )

1. When the battery (14 Ah, 185 Amps) is fully charged, my Savage (Ryca modified) starts perfectly with the fuel handle in position PRI. The day after, I am having trouble starting, so I connect a battery booster and the bike starts immediately with no issues… Any suggestions?

1. The speedometer I got delivered (offmarket-Ryca) doesn't work. Do you think this is a cable problem or Speedometer problem? Any suggestion on how to test the cable? Connect it to a drill?

Than you for any response, and for keeping this forum as a great source of info and help.

Norwegiandood

Title: Re: Starting issue and speedo not working anymore
Post by Dave on 06/30/25 at 09:00:52

How old/fresh is the battery? The ignition system needs to have good voltage to create a spark. If the battery is not good it can provide enough power to run the starter - but then not have enough voltage to create a spark. (Put a voltmeter on the battery and see what the voltage drops to while the starter is working.

You should check to see if the speedo cable is turning while the bike is in motion, then confirm the cable is properly engaged into the speedo drive. You might also use a drill to drive the engine end of the cable and see if the speedo moves (be sure to spin the proper way).

Title: Re: Starting issue and speedo not working anymore
Post by Norwegiandood on 06/30/25 at 13:24:30

Thanks a lot,

The battery should be fresh enough, one year old. Actually tried with two different batteries bought last summer. But I'll try to measure the voltage when engaging the starter. You don't think there could be any other issue? Coil? Bad contacts somewhere?

Regarding the speedo cable, clockwise or counter cw?

Title: Re: Starting issue and speedo not working anymore
Post by Dave on 06/30/25 at 13:56:11

4F6E7376646668606F656E6E65010 wrote:

Regarding the speedo cable, clockwise or counter cw?

The cable most likely will need to rotate in the same direction as the needle moves away from the "0" on the speedo face.

Title: Re: Starting issue and speedo not working anymore
Post by Axman88 on 06/30/25 at 14:18:50

16372A2F3D3F3139363C37373C580 wrote:

1. When the battery (14 Ah, 185 Amps) is fully charged, my Savage (Ryca modified) starts perfectly with the fuel handle in position PRI. The day after, I am having trouble starting, so I connect a battery booster and the bike starts immediately with no issues…

Maybe the bike has a parasitic draw that is pulling the battery voltage down during storage? Was any aftermarket electrical added?

You might want to do a test:
1) System (at battery) voltage resting, before starting and at least 3 hours after charging
2) System voltage while cranking to start
3) System voltage while running at around 2500 rpms or more

These three numbers will tell you a lot about your battery and charging system.

All of my machines have an SAE connector attached for charging and connecting accessories. https://www.ebay.com/itm/256406460151

And, I grafted a mating connector onto a cheap voltmeter and hot melt glued a magnet to the back, so I can stick the voltmeter onto the tank, and continuously monitor system voltage while riding any of my machines. https://www.ebay.com/itm/201414947735

Having a light cheap meter that can migrate from one machine to the next seemed a lot more useful, and certainly less expensive, than installing a dedicated voltmeter.