The RE service guy said that there were two reasons for my problem.
BHPian satypal recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
I have a problem with my Interceptor 650 which is only three months old (bought it in March 2023). Specifically, the issue is with the ignition of my motorcycle. Two months ago, I went to a friend’s place and when it was time to leave, I put in my key and turned it to switch on the ignition. Doing this turned on the usual lights/indicators in the cockpit and turned on the headlight. However, when I pushed the self-start button, there was a slight clicking noise and the cockpit lights and headlight went off and the engine didn’t start. I pressed the self-start button a couple of times but nothing happened. Then I turned the key to the “off” position and turned it back to the “on” position after a couple of seconds and this time the cockpit lights and headlight didn’t even turn on.
I thought of calling roadside assistance and turned the key again to the off position before making the call. However, a couple of seconds later I thought of giving one last try and turned the key back to on position. This time, the cockpit lights and headlight turned on and pushing the self-start button also started the engine. This was weird.
I came back home and then dropped my bike at the service centre the next day and explained this issue to them. They asked me to leave the bike for a day as they would need time to analyze it. They kept my bike for that day at their service centre and called me up the next day to inform me that white coating had accumulated on the electrical wiring which they had cleaned now. I picked up my bike that day and it was running fine till yesterday when the ignition issue appeared once again but this time turning the key on and off a couple of times did the trick. I am not sure what’s causing this issue.
I should mention that before yesterday, my bike was not used for 2 weeks straight as I was not keeping well and didn’t go out for a ride. Also, I am thinking of getting my bike inspected by my non-RE mechanic but I was thinking if getting the fault (if any) serviced at a non-RE garage voids my warranty.
Here’s what BHPian adrift@life had to say on the matter:
This happened on my 2019 Interceptor. The battery-dropping charge is the culprit here. I use a battery tender since day 1 and only 1 month shy of completing 4 years I have encountered this problem. The bike being idle for only two weeks should not be cause for worry on a 4-month bike with a new battery. Do check the terminal connections and relays.
Any battery shop will check your battery’s fitness and charge them overnight for 100 bucks.
Do keep us informed of your findings.
Here’s what BHPian sandeepmohan had to say on the matter:
Where exactly was this white coating found? I assume that the battery terminal.
If you have a multimeter, check the battery voltage at idle (as in engine off) and even when you crank. As long as the voltage recovers in an instant, you’re all good. Maybe a case of premature battery failure too.
2 weeks of idle time is fine as these bikes are fitted with an AGM battery. They can hold a charge for a couple of months, even without a battery tender attached to them.
I’d use a trickle charger or battery tender only if the bike is left unused for extended periods of time. It’s more to keep the health of the battery in check. That said, a battery tender cannot help a failing or faulty battery.
Observe for some more time. While you’re under warranty, it’s best to stay with the Authorized Dealer.
Here’s what BHPian praveen.ba had to say on the matter:
The problem is with the relays. I had the exact same issue and was resolved with the change of relays, the relay replacement was recommended in the RE system for my bike. One of the issues which the technician pointed out was that the relays were also interchanged between the starting relay and the accessory relay.
BHPian satypal provided an update on the issue with a fix:
I received my bike yesterday and the RE service guy said that there were two reasons for my problem. Firstly, the connection to the battery terminal was loose and secondly, there was rust in the coil inside the spark plug cap due to which the engine was failing to start. He said that because of this, once the key was turned on and after the system check, the bike was failing to start. They also replaced the spark plug cap.
While I understand the issue with the loose connection to the battery terminal, I am not sure if the rusted coil of the spark plug cap was also one of the reasons for the issue with my bike. However, I did ride the bike yesterday night for 4kms roughly while halting at a few places but the issue didn’t crop up again.
The cost of the replaced spark plug was 250/-
Keyword: My new Interceptor 650 fails to start: The issue & how I got it fixed