Need help diagnosing a charging/electrical issue on my 2011 Monster 696

[NahuelCabralARG696]

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping someone has experienced something similar because this issue has become a real mystery.

Here's the full timeline:

* Bought the bike with 15K km on it. No issues at all. Had desmoservice done. A few months later, started seeing acid dropping from the battery. Replaced battery (Yuasa).
* The bike started having intermittent starting problems. When I pressed the starter button, I would only hear repeated "click-click-click" from the starter relay. The dashboard, lights and horn would all work normally, and eventually it cranked and started. Until one day it didn't start anymore.

* If I installed a fully charged battery, the bike would start immediately without hesitation.
* My mechanic diagnosed a faulty voltage regulator and replaced it.
* Since the battery had likely been damaged by the charging issue, I replaced it with a brand-new Yuasa battery.
* After replacing both the regulator and the battery, the bike started perfectly.
* The mechanic kept the bike for three days and it started every time.

When I took the bike out of the mechanic, it started just fine, but the voltage indicator in the dashboard said 12v and tilted. However it started.

Then I left the bike at a dealership because I'm selling it.

For the next 10 days, they started the bike once a day to keep it running, but they did not ride it. As far as I know, they only started it, let it idle for a while, and shut it off.

Yesterday they called me because the bike is doing exactly the same thing again:

* Dashboard powers up normally.
* Lights and horn work.
* Pressing the starter only produces repeated "click-click-click."
* It behaves exactly like a discharged battery.

One thing that may or may not be related:

For a long time I've had an intermittent issue with the right turn signal. There is a damaged connector under the seat. Sometimes the right indicator would stop working, and simply moving that connector would make it work again. I don't know if that connector could indicate a wiring issue elsewhere in the harness.

At this point I'm trying to understand where to look next.

Could this be:

* A faulty stator?
* A parasitic battery drain?
* A wiring or ground issue?
* A bad connector or damaged wiring harness?
* Or could simply starting the bike every day without actually riding it for 10 days have discharged the battery in the winter (I'm in Argentina) no more than 10 °C in the winter.

Tomorrow I'm taking the battery to be tested, and I'll also ask for charging system measurements (battery voltage at rest, charging voltage at idle and around 3,000-4,000 rpm).

Has anyone experienced something similar on a Monster? Any advice on what should be checked before replacing more parts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[Howie]

I suspect high resistance in the starting circuit.

Here is a video how-to:

 https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=c5e5bdd43a03f492bb5869671c5deee387fe11d4644bb4d5f15b0dcebca3e1f2JmltdHM9MTc4Mjk1MDQwMA&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=4&fclid=0f07c652-a119-6e01-2fb9-d3cea0c36fc3&u=a1L3ZpZGVvcy9yaXZlcnZpZXcvcmVsYXRlZHZpZGVvP3E9c3RhcnRpbmcrY2lyY3VpdCtyZXNpc3RhbmNlK2NoZWNrJm1pZD05RDNBN0Q1ODc0Q0NGQzIxM0ZCQTlEM0E3RDU4NzRDQ0ZDMjEzRkJBJmNodXJsPWh0dHBzJTNhJTJmJTJmd3d3LnlvdXR1YmUuY29tJTJmY2hhbm5lbCUyZlVDY0taQmFLdm5tLURDWmNXQ181ek9KQSZGT1JNPVZJUkU&ntb=1

Yes, it is a car, but the method is the same.