Starter Motor Issues

[stoberto]

Hello again,

I am having starter issues am I am having a hard time feeling confident in my abilities to isolate the problem. My starter has been sluggish for quite some time. My bike runs very well so even though it is sluggish it starts the bike. Kick start works too. It makes a whiny noise and turns slowly, then speeds up.

My old battery held a charge but a load tester said it was bad, so I replaced it with a new AGM battery. Then I took out the starter motor, made sure it would spin with the start button. It did (although it seemed slow, but I don't know how fast a starter motor should spin). Then I took off the side covers, new gasket cut, etc, put everything back together. At first it would spin, but now the solenoid just clicks.

So the battery is good, the solenoid clicks, I tried touching the hot wire of the starter straight to the battery...nothing. That should make it turn over right?

So is it definitely my starter motor or am I missing something? Should I just replace the solenoid also while it is off? The starter button connections look fine when I open it up.

Also I wanted to mention that I wanted to take the starter motor apart while it was off, but it looks like someone stripped a screw on it at some point and I don't think I can.

I am mainly just bummed about having to pay for a starter motor and take everything apart again, but I already cut another gasket assuming for the crank case cover, assuming that I am going to have to do it. This is my only bike, So I can't ride while it is in pieces.

Sorry for the long post, I appreciate any help you can give me!

 

[stoberto]

I should say it "started the bike". It doesn't anymore because it doesn't turn over...

 

[xschris]

If nothing happens with direct power to the starter then it's bad and need rebuild or replacement.

 

[stoberto]

OK, thanks for the reply.

 

[stoberto]

Just a follow up question...how do these starter motors ground, just by being bolted to the engine block? I ask because I took everything apart again today to prepare to put a new starter in, and I found that if I laid the starter on the engine block and then held down the start button for a few seconds it would slowly start to sputter over. But, if I put the starter back where it belonged and bolted it in, I could not get it to turn doing the same thing.

I then tried running a wire from the starter body to the engine block with very spotty results. The only thing that would get it to turn was laying the body of the starter on the engine as stated above.

Just curious if I am missing something as far as the grounding goes.

 

[xschris]

The ground is the block where it mounts to the bike, no wire. If you have a jump pack and with the starter out of the bike hook the ground to one of mounting holes on the starter. Hook the positive to the wire post on the starter if nothing happens or is sluggish it's toast or needs rebuild.

 

[stoberto]

Just for some closure - I bought a remanufactured starter from EMS Global ($40 with free shipping and a one year warranty by the way) and it was definitely the starter motor. Apparently mine has never been right because I am amazed at how instantaneously my bike starts when I hit the button. Thanks for the help.

 

[xschris]

Good to hear it

 

[16VGTIDave]

Thanks for the update!

Note to self: Remove, inspect and service starter motor before it becomes a problem...