2016 Honda Forza 300 Starter Motor won't Start

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Cactus
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2016 Honda Forza 300 Starter Motor won't Start

Post by Cactus »

I have a 2016 Honda Forza ABS I just bought, it was still in the shipping crate. Had it for 2 weeks, 2 miles on it.
The dealer off loaded it from a trailer, started fine, then later that morning it would not start, the starter motor would not run.
Everything else seemed normal.
The dealer had installed a battery tender cord, charged the battery to 13V with a battery tender Jr.
Still won't start, going to checked the fuses and the start relay fuse next.
I have the service manual, the start relay has the Kickstand circuit and start circuit (Ignition Sw, Brake Sw, On/Off Sw and Start Sw.
Guess I will have a Honda Cycle dealer pick it up and see what is wrong, what a pain.
Any Ideas...
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Re: 2016 Honda Forza 300 Starter Motor won't Start

Post by Mel46 »

Hmmm... you checked the kickstand wire to make sure it is still connected?
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Re: 2016 Honda Forza 300 Starter Motor won't Start

Post by Cactus »

Hi, yes I checked the Kickstand, made sure it was free, nothing blocking it...
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Re: 2016 Honda Forza 300 Starter Motor won't Start

Post by davenowherejones »

kill switch? key on? has gas? Grab the left brake lever really hard? (crappy switch in brake lever)

Dumb but it happens to the best of us sometimes.
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Re: 2016 Honda Forza 300 Starter Motor won't Start

Post by montliz44 »

+1 on the left brake lever -- On Forzas you have to really grab hold of it, much more than you would to operate the brake.

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Re: 2016 Honda Forza 300 Starter Motor won't Start

Post by E. Foster Salsbury »

Did the dealer give you a walkthrough of how to start the bike? It's not the bike it's you.
Side stand up?
When you squeeze the left brake lever and left lever only, you will hear a tiny click. You have to keep squeezing until you hear another click before the bike will start. Listen for two clicks.
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Re: 2016 Honda Forza 300 Starter Motor won't Start

Post by easyrider »

Do the dash lights momentarily dim when you hit the start switch? Re check battery voltage , jump the kill switch ..
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Re: 2016 Honda Forza 300 Starter Motor won't Start

Post by gn2 »

I would put money on the left brake lever switch.
Its easily bypassed, just bridge the two start detection connectors.
There are four connectors on the switch block, two sets of two.
One set is for the brake light, the other two are the ones you need to connect together.
Disconnect one pair, if the brake light still works, its the other two you need to bridge.
I did it with a piece of wire cut from a paperclip and bent into a small U shape.
Place one leg of the U into the open end of each connector and push the connectors back onto the switch block.
The scooter will now start without pulling on the brake lever.
Four decades on two wheels has taught me nothing, all advice given is guaranteed to be wrong
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Re: 2016 Honda Forza 300 Starter Motor won't Start

Post by Slowinitdown »

Brand new out the crate I'd leave it to the dealership to sort assuming you have warranty? A mate of mine bought a Chinese scooter that arrived in a crate saying minor assembly required. We put the few bits together but after connecting the battery it wouldn't start. All the lights and everything else was on but nothing at the stater. Turns out it wasn't connected. We went over the whole bike and there were many parts that were just nipped up and needed tightening. Hope you get it sorted but if it's out of a crate I recommend checking all the connections.
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Re: 2016 Honda Forza 300 Starter Motor won't Start

Post by Cactus »

I have heard the left brake handle 1 click, so you should also hear a 2nd click, will try it...
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Re: 2016 Honda Forza 300 Starter Motor won't Start

Post by Cactus »

You would think, that there would be a circuit tester, remove the start relay - insert a circuit tester, diode lights would show the good in/out circuits.
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Re: 2016 Honda Forza 300 Starter Motor won't Start

Post by GeorgeSK »

Make a huge noise with the dealer and have them send someone out. Brand new should not give you an issue, and shouldn't require futzing. If the dealer can start it, then you feel sheepish, but at least you will know all is well. If he can't, he can jolly well bring it back and make it work just fine.

My PCX decided not to start one day after four years. I ended up unplugging the connectors at the ECU to test various things, then scratched my head and put it back together when everything tested just fine. I tried starting it, and off it went. My supposition is that one of the connectors just got a bit of corrosion, and plugging and unplugging re-made the contact.
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Re: 2016 Honda Forza 300 Starter Motor won't Start

Post by Cactus »

Has anyone heard 2 Clicks when the left brake lever is squeezed.
Been busy with fall things, had the 2014 Chev Sonic inspected today, get back to the Forza in a few days.
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Re: 2016 Honda Forza 300 Starter Motor won't Start

Post by E. Foster Salsbury »

davenowherejones wrote:...Grab the left brake lever really hard? ...
montliz44 wrote:+1 on the left brake lever -- On Forzas you have to really grab hold of it, much more than you would to operate the brake.
E. Foster Salsbury wrote:When you squeeze the left brake lever and left lever only, you will hear a tiny click. You have to keep squeezing until you hear another click before the bike will start. Listen for two clicks.
gn2 wrote:I would put money on the left brake lever switch. There are four connectors on the switch block, two sets of two. One set is for the brake light, the other two are the ones you need to connect together.
All this and the side stand must be up. Enjoy your first ride!
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Re: 2016 Honda Forza 300 Starter Motor won't Start

Post by Cactus »

I was looking at the Online Parts Fiche, I see the rear brake switch, try again in a few days.
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Re: 2016 Honda Forza 300 Starter Motor won't Start

Post by glencoeman »

When I bought my Forza new in 2014, it had those kind of problems. I had to really pull hard on the rear brake lever at first but it got a lot better quite quickly - seems that the rear brake switch is quite stiff when new. It works perfectly now.
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Re: 2016 Honda Forza 300 Starter Motor won't Start

Post by fish »

I was stuck in the dealer lot...no start. Embarrassing. My family watching. Brought out the salesman....pull FIRMLY on brake lever. Boom. Felt stupid.
Again.
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Re: 2016 Honda Forza 300 Starter Motor won't Start

Post by TheMaverick »

For what it's worth - on the PCX - at some point I got into the habit of holding in the starter button and the starting the bike by pulling in the left brake. Not sure why, but it just seems easier to get the right tension on it.
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Re: 2016 Honda Forza 300 Starter Motor won't Start

Post by davenowherejones »

glencoeman wrote:When I bought my Forza new in 2014, it had those kind of problems. I had to really pull hard on the rear brake lever at first but it got a lot better quite quickly - seems that the rear brake switch is quite stiff when new. It works perfectly now.
I think it was the brake pads bedding in and not the switch. The rear disk probably wore down just a little also.
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Re: 2016 Honda Forza 300 Starter Motor won't Start

Post by aguim »

Cactus wrote:I was looking at the Online Parts Fiche, I see the rear brake switch, try again in a few days.
Here's a copy of the Forza's Starting Syst. Diagram, made as simple as possible.
Current flows from the Battery...to the Relay, passing through all shown switches and fuses.
As easy as that.

On mine, I bypassed the f...ing brake/inhibitor switch, using a 5A mini fuse. That switch
needs an arm and a leg to budge, plus it is totally useless.
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