Bad Starter or not?????????

[dukhunter]

Came home the other day and cut off bike. Wen to try and tart back up and nothing. All lights, radio and everything went out. Pushed it in. Cut switch back on and finally heard a constant ticking from the Starter relay beside the fuel filter. Replaced it with used one and now the starter solenoid is clicking constantly when I hit the start switch-no starter. Crossed the pos/neg on the solenoid and it sounds like bendix is coming out but no engagement.

 

Has the starter gone out or is it something else?

[Squidley]

Clean all your connections, on the battery, the negative on the frame...all of them. Make sure they are all tight, I have seen this quite a few times where the positive wasn't tight enough or had just a wee bit of corrosion produces the exact problem your describing. The starters rarely fail on these bikes.

[GeorgeS]

Useing a test Voltmeter, check the battery voltage, under NO Load Condx.

ie: Everything turned off !!

 

Whats the voltage?? If below 11.8 Volts, ( which I suspect you will find )

then, " charge the battery at 2 amp rate for about 6 hours "

 

Check the Fluid level in the battery before charging.

 

Clean the Contacts of the " Run-Stop" switch !!

 

Check battery connections, clean, and tighten.

 

Check the Battery Cable connection at the Starter Terminal, Remove and clean

the Pos Stud on the Starter.

 

Check the Negative battery Cable where it connects to the Engine block. ( right fwd corner) remove the bolt, and clean it.

 

However, haveing said all of the Above--- I think you need a New Battery !!!

 

I suggest either an " Odyessy, or Deka, AGM Dry Cell type "

[dukhunter]

I hope it is a battery also. From what I could gather and hear, these starters RARELY go out. I will test this afternoon.

 

Any more hints???????????????

 

Thanks.

[dingy]

I hope it is a battery also. From what I could gather and hear, these starters RARELY go out. I will test this afternoon.

 

Any more hints???????????????

 

Thanks.

 

Depends on how frisky your feeling.

 

From the parts fiche, it looks like the starter is a very close match for a 1st gen. The write up below on a method to improve the internal starter ground should also work on the RSTC's.

 

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=46890

 

Gary

[dukhunter]

If the starter has to come off, I just imagine I will have it rebuilt since it will be such a pain to get to anyway.

[Snaggletooth]

Now.....I just went through this on my '84. Had a starter fail. Yes....for real. My fault. I rebuilt it with cheap brushes a couple of years ago. They were junk. Burned the starter beyond repairing.

 

So......a new starter was installed. I thought I was done and ready to roll. Hit the button and nuttin'. The solenoid hit but nothing else. Drove me nuts for a while chasing the probable issues. I finally hooked a jumper cable from the output side of the solenoid to the stud on the starter. Spun right over and fired.

 

I found the battery cable from the solenoid to the starter (and yes they were two year old upgrades) had a loose terminal end at the starter end. Pulled it off, cut it back and crimped it and soldered it back on. Took care of that! Never expected the cable to fail that soon.

 

But making sure the battery is fully charged and at full power is the best place to start. Connections are the next thing to check for sure.

 

And I got to recommend the DEKA AGM! Skydoc_17 has them listed in the classifieds. If he's unable to help right now check www.bohannonbattery.com. Josh can help ya out. I'm on my second year on mine and it's still preforming like the day I got it.

 

 

Edited May 21, 2010 by Snaggletooth

[dukhunter]

IT was the battery. I put the volt meter on it and it read 12.73. BUT, it would barely make the neutral light come on. Would not crank it at all. I hooked up the battery charger and all lights would come on but the solenoid still "clicked" and no starter engagement. So, I said to hell with it and went to advance and got a battery. After an hour charge, IT FIRED RIGHT UP. So, I guess the battery had a dead cell.

 

Thanks for all the help.

[Squidley]

Glad to hear it was something simple....nice day for a ride