I turn the key (everything is normal) hit the starter button and there's a loud click and everything turns off...  If I mess with the fuses (it worked the first time anyway) the alarm rearms and everything seems fine...at least until I hit the starter button again

I could guess what the problem is, but I thought I'd get other people's best guesses..

 

The bad news is my bike isn't working and I caged it.  The good news is because I caged it I was able to get loaded.  The bad news is I have an early start in the morning.  The good news is right now I don't care and I have beer   And my wife is really pissed off with my behaviour - not sure if that's good or bad.

Sounds like the battery is stuffed.  Enough power for the lights and stuff, but not enough to turn the starter over.

Ouch, bugger. I was thinking the starter relay was fucked, but you guys are trying to make me open my wallet...lol.
When it "dies" (as soon as you click the starter button) everything dies - no more flashing alarm icon, no lights, no nothing - which is why I was thinking fuse/relay. For some reason when I mess with the fuses the alarm starts again, and the lights work again, until you hit the starter.
Good ideas though guys, and when I'm less pissed I'll have a looksee.

Okay, so how do I go about testing the starter motor? I have NFI how to test the relay switch either.... Battery seems fine though.

Bonkerz,
Sounds like the battery to me, I had the same situation with the Sporty, ie lights came on but only a click when the starter button was pessed. I thought at first it couldn't be the battery because the lights were on. It was the battery it only had enough power to run the lights but not the starter. I got a jump start and it fired right up.

I'm beginning to wonder too KC - I suddenly realised testing the battery while not under load tests nothing and since it turns off if I try to add load its gunna be hard to test...

sounds like a loose batt cable(4 possibilities)

Its starting to piss me off... Hook it to the battery fighter and the battery shows green, but I now have nothing... No lights, no alarm, nothing. Maybe it is a loose wire? I put in a new relay and that did jack shit.

A battery can drop a cell, it will still show 12v on a multi meter, will still run lights and shit but will die when trying to turn the starter ..... I have even seen a couple of times they won't even jump start but ya can still get lights, the blown cell will suck all the power, they will still show full charge on a charger and won't take anymore charge either. IMO try jump starting if that don't work, get the battery load tested (out of the bike) or try a different battery, I would try these before going any further with relays or fuses.

still sounds like a loose/faulty batt cable(as in possibly partly fractured near an end, probably the starter motor end, under the rubber boot)

check all of your wiring from the battery esp the earth , as said up ther a bit sporty did same thing was earth strap to chassis

Put a multi meter on the battery terminals, turn the ignition on and check that the voltage in still above 12v. Hit the starter ang observe the battery voltage, if it remains above 11.5v then chances are that you have faulty teminals or a bad chassis earth as aussie pointed out. Next step is to measure voltage between the chassis and positive while pressing the starter, low voltage would indicate bad earth. if that checks out ok then put your meter between earth and the starter terminaland check the voltage, process of elimination.

I haven't been able to touch my bike this weekend due to commitments - party commitments, but commitments none the less since I promised ages ago and the events are important to the people involved.
I'll check out all these leads (and the bike leads)when I get some free time. Which isn't tonight since I'm about to go out the door again...I did stick my head out the back door to look at the bike and sigh... I've discovered I like to ride more than drink beer, though I'd rather ride somewhere to drink beer

Ty guys, I'm off to cure my hangover.

I went out today, pulled down the side cover and just as I put my hand out to touch a wire (hadn't actually touch it) the bike alarm gave a chirp and power came back. I started her up just fine.

I have NFI what is going on, but I took off all the leads and cleaned them up, so hopefully it was just a bad connection.

I get the feeling that the battery fighter terminal may have been interfering somehow. When I've pulled down the side plate its probably moved with it... I still don't think things are 100% since when I went to start it before the indicators started flashing (left, then right) as if the alarm was going off, but no sound... As soon as I turned the key it all went back to normal. Tomorrow I'll pull the battery out and re-seat all the leads/wires and see what's what.
Hopefully it goes away since these days I'm climbing the walls if I don't ride for a few days.