2003 Tuono won't start. Tick, Tick, Tick......

Hello everybody

I need some help. I have a 2003 Tuono RSV which has never gone wrong in the 12months of my ownership. Until the back end of last year (Oct 13) when it cut out in the works car park and the fuel pump cut out. After a min or so it started up and ran fine again and I rode it home without problems. However, the next day when I turned the ignition on the fuel pump wouldnt prime and I heard a ticking noise from under the seat. I removed the seat to reveal the relays and I could feel that one of relays was clicking, after a short time of clicking the relay energised as it should, the fuel pump fired up and it started and ran fine. I turned it off and the same sequence happened again, Clicking for some time then engaged, fuel pump primed and it started. This led me to think that the fuel pump relay was faulty so I changed it and it didn't cure the problem. After a winter in the garage I have charged the battery to full ( I believe the battery to be good as it has never failed on me and when the relay contacts as it should it turns over and runs perfect) and it has got to the point where the relay now just clicks and hardly ever starts. The relay clicks have also slowed down.

I have read on a few forums that they believe this to be a starter solenoid problem. I couldnt see how that would affect the relay even closing but I replaced my solenoid for the Yamaha 150 ohm one anyway but it still has the problem.
I have a suspicion that the ECU could be causing it, but its hard to tell and an expensive guess if its not.

If anybody could help that would be brilliant and greatly appreciated. I'm itching to get back on it.

Many Thanks
Kris

New battery would be the first & cheapest thing to try.

Thanks. Do you have any recommendations?

Varta TTz14 s-bs it's got 230 cca (cold cranking amps). Be careful of some so called tuono upgrades some with only 90!

I got mine online for £50 delivered. It's a bit smaller than the one I replaced but I packed out the battery compartment with cardboard. A factory recommended mod (not)!

Agree with the other replies,........
Replace the battery.Make sure the bikes charging system is working.
Solenoid has been changed,so it should be ok.
Check the starter motor connection is clean and tight,...they can corrode and cause problems.

Cheers

Sorted. It was the engine stop relay. After a look at the wiring diagrams it shows that the fuel pump relay takes a feed from the engine stop relay ( must be how it stops the engine by cutting the fuel supply) as I already replaced the fuel pump relay I changed the engine stop relay on gut feeling and it started first time. I knew the battery was good so never suspected that. Hopefully my findings will help others if they are unlucky enough to break down in the same way.
1 good thing to come from this is I uprated my starter solenoid to the 150 ohm yamaha one so it should be good for a while now.

Thanks

Hi great to hear you solved the issue, but I had the same symptoms before with my gen 1 tuono and it turned out to be the 3 pin/wire connector under the side panel throttle side of the bike. Turned out to be corroded connection so cut n recrimped connector n hey presto she primed each turn of the key, maybe the damp irish weather teases the tuono abit but hey who doesnt like getting to know their bike

Hi krisshimmin,

Glad to hear that you got it sorted by thinking outside the box.
So many people jump all over a "battery" issue when a T won't start.
A battery is not a cheap option if it doesn't need to be replaced, a starter solenoid or a relay is much cheaper IMO.

Glad it's sorted, well done :thumbup

Gray :clap :beerchug

Can anyone advise when Aprilia upgraded the Starter Solenoid from 50Amp for the Gen 1's?

My 2003 model (with 20k miles on) looks like it hasn't been upgraded in recent times (due to some minor rust on one terminal)... but fires up a treat (so long as the battery is well charged, [or upgraded], as per usual)... so just wondering whether I should source a 150 Amp unit by way of backup...

krisshimmin said:

Sorted. It was the engine stop relay. After a look at the wiring diagrams it shows that the fuel pump relay takes a feed from the engine stop relay ( must be how it stops the engine by cutting the fuel supply) as I already replaced the fuel pump relay I changed the engine stop relay on gut feeling and it started first time. I knew the battery was good so never suspected that. Hopefully my findings will help others if they are unlucky enough to break down in the same way.
1 good thing to come from this is I uprated my starter solenoid to the 150 ohm yamaha one so it should be good for a while now.

Thanks

Click to expand...

Glad you got it sorted, now enjoy it