Hello, I am looking for help in identifying and hopefully fix the issue before i am left stranded somewhere:)

For the last 3weeks, when i try to start the bike in the mornings - at first nothing, and then after a second or 2, you start hearing a zzz zzz zzz and this zz zz zz gets louder and louder and then clicking and then after a few more seconds, the engine starts turning and it starts up.

When i first heard this - i immediately thought battery probably dying so this weekend, i measured the resting voltage and it was around 12.6 which is ok - i then put the battery on an optimate and left it for 2 days. Resting voltage now at 13.5 but when i tried to start the bike - it still shows the same symptoms.

Ofcourse, it can still be a bad battery - replaced 4 years ago and often charged using optimate, but from the symptoms, i'm beginning to think it could be a starter motor or some other issue? Obviously i don't want to end up stranded somewhere so hopefully someone knows what is causing this and i can fix it:)

Thanks in advance

What is the battery voltage immediately after you press the start button, if voltage falls below 10 volts then battery is suspect.

If battery voltage does not drop by 1-2 volts from resting voltage when starter button is pressed then starter solenoid or starter motor would be suspect.

Locate the starter solenoid. Measure voltage across the two large screw terminals, should be equal to battery voltage. Press starter button, voltage across large screw terminals should fall to less than 2 volts, if not starter solenoid is suspect.

I'll try to measure those tonight see when i get back home.

funny thing is if i stop to fill up - it starts up straight away. Its normally in the mornings and in the evenings on way home after cooling down or something and it becomes difficult to start - really weird one? its almost like its using a really small lithium battery and needs the battery to warm up or something.

Sounds more like a bad connection or bad earth problem?

Battery for sure...probally one cell is dead..enough to show 12 volt.but not enough to turn over when cold..imo

Where's the noise coming from? If it's buzzing and clicking near the seat, it's the solenoid trying to engage, but not enough guts in the system. Usually means the battery is not strong enough to keep the solenoid switched and also power the starter. It's possible that there's an iffy earth somewhere causing the output not to be high enough to turn it over, but if you are finding the bike starts OK after running about a bit, I'd be looking at the battery. Measure the voltage when trying to start the bike, as suggested above. When you have it running, check the charging system as per the usual guidelines. For a time, mine would do the whole click and buzz thing once in a while even after being ridden. Leave it 20 mins and it would start as if nothing was ever wrong. So I attacked the wiring where the connectors were getting corrosion on the pins, and cut out and replaced any nasty looking wire with fresh. I also took the reg/rec output directly to the battery (you must do the positive via a fuse). I gained a full Volt on the output of the charging system, and the issue never cropped up again.