I have a 1996 California 1100i, it has been stood using a solar trickle charger for a couple of months.
 When she was uncovered she fired up first time but went straight to maximum revs, ive traced cable and oiled all linkages and the throttle now closes, so that problem should be sorted? However, I’ve put everything back and when I turned the ingnition on all ignition lights came on and seemed ok, until I pushed the starter button then all ignition lights went out and nothing happened, I checked the fuses and found one had blown, I replaced it and ignition lights came on again, as soon as the starter button was pushed it blew again?  Does anybody know what the problem could be and how to fix it? All help will be appreciated.
There appears to be a short circut somewhere but where?, you can dismiss the starter motor to battery lead as if it was earthing there against the frame it would blow as soon as you turned the ign key on, could be a lose wire within the right hand side handlebar switch,but that is not a common fault, it looks like a tank off job and losen up clean and then put back all the connector blocks and earth points on the bike, are both battery connections clean and tight?. likewise check the large connections on the starter motor are tight, and if your bike has a ‘Ducati’ reg/rectier at the front of the bike, (by the horns) check that the earth connection on that is clean and tight. good luck.
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northwest
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As above but pay special atention to the areas where you cleaned etc the linkages.
In other words you did something when you sorted the throttle problem ~ what has changed
Â
I presumme the relays are the same as the Cali EV etc, if so just swop them all around, and try again, might make no differenance but it costs nothing and would also let you cross one more thing of your list of possible causes,
some people panic when they have a wiring problem with a motorcycle, but just step back and follow the route of the Ignition circuit cables from the starter button on the right hand side handlebar to the starter motor, and take a good look at all the earth mounting points on the bike, as you have all lights on untill you press the starter button I guess that a lose earth connection is sucking up what power is there, but of course it could just be a naff battery. but that would not be a reason for a fuse to blow every time the button is pressed, you say “all ignition lights” come up to the time you push the starter button, how about the other electrics like the horn or headlight working or not ?.
From perusing the ‘other’ forum Baldrick has sorted it.
:shock. Â Thanks for all replys, I still haven’t got her going, (All I want to do is ride her !) I read on a site that on the Bellagio ( I think that’s right), Â this is a common problem and it was suggested tha this is because 16-18amps are produced on start up, it was mentioned that it is the same on some other models, therefore a change from an 15amp to a 20amp fuse was recomended, one guy said he had done this and had not had any problems since.
Any thoughts, ideas on this ?Â
^^^ Have you investigated this? ^^^
As I said on the other forum the usual suspect is starter motor solenoid not retracting properly, tho a persistant high current draw could be helped by increased fuse rating.
At the mo we’re assuming it started no problem BEFORE you traced and oiled the throttle cables, but now always blows the fuse AFTER. Hence forgive us if we keep suggesting go back in there and look at any wiring around throttle cables areas under tank etc., there may be a trapped wire with its insulation cut thru or a connector off and touching frame (just wild guesses).