696. Does not want to start.

[almazing]

Ok. So I get out of work this afternoon ready to ride my bike and then go home. I saddle up, get my gear on, turn the bike on, set the fast idle to about halfway and start her up. To my dismay, I hear a "click" noise. The engine doesn't turn over. So I'm like, "What the make the beast with two backs?!?! Are you make the beast with two backsing kidding me?!?!" Now before you guys start making assumptions, no I did not leave the lights on. Yes I did have fuel in the bike. I visually check the fuses and they looked fine. The digital dash works, so do my lights, my signals, my horn, and everything looks fine and dandy. The battery voltage is about 12.2 - 12.5 volts. SO I decide to try several more times. In my head I'm like, "It's a Ducati. Shit like this happens and it'll start up just fine." Well, I sit around for a little bit, looking for anything out of place and the like. Nothing. Looks like new. So my boss comes out to his bike, and I ask for his help. He suggested we jump start it. So we try about 4 times. I place the bike in 2nd gear, he pushes it, I pick up speed, and let the clutch slip and let go. Nope, no go. We try it again. Nope, no go. So we try in 1st gear. Same damn thing. We try it once more... No go. I'm incredibly pissed off and confused. He tells me that he's never seen a bike not start like that before.

Anyone experience a problem like this before? The battery is just fine. The called up the dealership and asked them how many volts it would take to start up the bike. He tells me about 12 volts. I check my plug wires. Looks fine to me. I feel the starter. It's hot. So the starter is working. The engine just does not want to turn over and get started. Does anyone know what the deal is here? I'm taking the bike to the dealer tomorrow and this is going to be covered under the warranty. This is the 2nd time it's going in for a warranty issue. The 1st time was when my shifter peg would get stuck in the down position when I'm downshifting. This is really, really, really irritating. My bike has exactly 2957 miles on it. I just changed the oil and oil filter last week! I've owned the bike for 3 months and this is the 2nd time that it's going in to the shop for a manufacturer issue!

I think I'm going to bite the bullet and trade it in for an 848. Now it's time to write an angry e-mail to Ducati expressing my disdain and anger about the reliability of their product. Brand new bikes should NOT have problems like this!

[ungeheuer]

Since all else electrical seems to be working and especially since you say the starter motor is getting hot but not doing anything meaningful, my guess is that you have either a loose battery terminal/battery cable connection or the other end of the battery ground terminal is loose down where it bolts to the motor, under the cable cover by the L/H side of the front cylinder. 

The battery has juice, but can't deliver it in the quantity required to fire her up coz of a loose/poor connection 

Do I win a prize now? 

[Spicoli]

It might be a dumb or a brilliant question, but did you check to make sure the handlebar kill switch was set to run?

If it won't jump start (usually best to get up to about 15-20 and use 2nd gear) and you don't have the kill switch set wrong then there is some major electrical with your bike... hopefully something simple like a coil pack. But then you would hear the starter try to start. 

If everything works (dash, lights) won't start it won't be a loose connection at the battery.  The fact that it won't jump start and you can't hear the starter try to start it sounds like a kill switch.... or similar.  Hopefully it is not something major.

[almazing]

Yup the kill switch is set to "On". I never turn it to off. Should the kill switch be off, you would not hear the clicking noise of the starter. We'll see tomorrow. I just sent Ducati USA an angry e-mail expressing my disappointment in the reliability of their bikes and saying I'll switch brands(I really wont though ) if my bike isn't fixed in an expedient manner. So hopefully, it isn't anything serious. But if my bike turns out to be a lemon, watch out Ducati! I get free legal service being in the Navy and I will utilize the lemon law to its fullest extent. And then I'll get myself an 848 and hope it wont be a lemon.

[herm]

any chance you turned the key to the "park" position when you shut her down? this will leave the parking light on and can drain the battery rather nicely.

dont ask how i know about this....

and WTF is with a parking light on a motorcycle anyway?

[R2]

I believe I read that you can't push start a slipper clutch. Perhaps some one can chime in with details.

[1313]

My 696 has a problem starting when the engine hasn't been running for a while (cold). I checked my ignition coil wires and they are correct.

The bike has a very specific start up procedure that must be done in order to start up the first time unless the engine is already hot.

Here's what I do and it works every time:

1. Move fast idle switch all the way down
2. Flip kill switch to run
3. Turn on key (let gauge cycle and Monster 696 to finish scrolling)
4. Hit starter button

It starts up like a champ every time and once it's going I start to adjust the idle.

The weird part is that if I try to start the bike first without using the fast idle switch, the bike doesn't want to start at all even if I revert back to the sequence. It just turns and turns.. The sequence I do must be done first.

[almazing]

Well, my bike doesn't even turn. And no, I did not leave it at park.

[ungeheuer]

If everything works (dash, lights) won't start it won't be a loose connection at the battery.

Wanna bet?   

Doesn't take much current to make the lights glow or to get the horn to honk, whereas ye olde starter motor is one juice hungry lil' mutha.

Ungeheuer will eat his shorts if its anything more serious than a loose connection.....  be fixed in 2 seconds... (or 13 hours if its at the battery end since you gotta go on a voyage to the centre of the bike to get to the damn thing - what were they thinking?).

[Spicoli]

I believe I read that you can't push start a slipper clutch. Perhaps some one can chime in with details.

I've push started my 696.  Live at the bottom of the hill... pushed the bike up the hill turned it around got up to 15 and popped 2nd.  I was not able to get up to a fast enough speed in the neighborhood.  My battery was almost completely dead, I now have a Battery Tender.  I have push started it in a parking lot as well, but there was juice, just not enough to quiet kick it over in the cold.

[DucHead]

Wanna bet?   

Doesn't take much current to make the lights glow or to get the horn to honk, whereas ye olde starter motor is one juice hungry lil' mutha.

Ungeheuer will eat his shorts if its anything more serious than a loose connection.....  be fixed in 2 seconds... (or 13 hours if its at the battery end since you gotta go on a voyage to the centre of the bike to get to the damn thing - what were they thinking?).

+1

A loose ground connection is easy to check.  This just happened to me...tightened the ground connection and viola!

And BTW, problems are especially prevalent in new models -- like the 696.  This is not a Ducati-specific phenomenon -- it's true with all marques.

[ungeheuer]

A loose ground connection is easy to check.  This just happened to me...tightened the ground connection and viola!

Yup  ......zactly wot I said right at the start.... 

.....or the other end of the battery ground terminal is loose down where it bolts to the motor, under the cable cover by the L/H side of the front cylinder.

A bolt, nut or screw can vibe loose on any make or model of bike, new or not so new..... just the shit that happens, even to Hondas and Suzukis.

[almazing]

Ok. So I took it to the shop. They said it was a bad started solenoid and it was replaced. From what Grant at GP Motorcycles said, the solenoid wasn't engaging. So there you have it. Another warranty issue. I am glad to have her back though.

I'm telling you, owning a Ducati is like having a girlfriend or a second girlfriend. You want to leave her when she isn't acting right, but when she's doing what a woman(or bike) should do, you're the happiest person in the world. It's a love hate relationship.

[Cuky_Monster]

My 696 has a problem starting when the engine hasn't been running for a while (cold). I checked my ignition coil wires and they are correct.

The bike has a very specific start up procedure that must be done in order to start up the first time unless the engine is already hot.

Here's what I do and it works every time:

1. Move fast idle switch all the way down
2. Flip kill switch to run
3. Turn on key (let gauge cycle and Monster 696 to finish scrolling)
4. Hit starter button

It starts up like a champ every time and once it's goin :-\g I start to adjust the idle.

The weird part is that if I try to start the bike first without using the fast idle switch, the bike doesn't want to start at all even if I revert back to the sequence. It just turns and turns.. The sequence I do must be done first.

+1  Have to do the same sequence or it will not start   

[ungeheuer]

Suddenly, shorts dont seem so appetizing