Slipping starter!?

[Ivan]

I just bought an 81 model XS1100 and I am having the same problem, the starter slips. But it only catches on extremely rare occasions, and most of the time it just free wheels. Are there parts that wear normally on this? The bike has 37k on it. Also, I am not sure if it has sat for long or not. The previous owner was indicated it would start right up with a fresh battery, alas it isn't so. Is it possible that one or more of the roller sprags are stuck into the recess and not engaging the shaft, and a good cleaning would help?

Thanks for any advice

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Ivan,

Congrats and welcome to the site.

The starter clutch does have 3 roller pinch pins that move in and out of position to grab the shaft to spin it during starting. It's rare but they can get worn and fail. More likely it's due to the PO, or YOU putting in Synth. oil, which is extra slippery and can also cause them to not grab. If you are using full SYNTH, then you can put in a few ounces of Mystery Marvel oil into the oil, run it for a few minutes without revving hard or driving it...NO LOAD in otherwords, and then drain and replace with other than FULL SYNTH...do a search, read the tech tips, lots of info about oils and what you can use, and then see if this helps the starter problem.

IF it still doesn't grab....and you stated you put on a new battery, then it COULD be the starter clutch.

Now the bad news, you can't access or replace those parts WITHOUT splitting the cases!
T.C.

[petejw]

welcome 2 the site.
my 81 special has been doing the same
thing the past 3 winters since ive owned the bike
we're in winter here now, :-( on the coldest mornings
it can take anywhere up2 15 min to start it, even walking away and coming back 2 it doesnt seem 2 make a difference, as frustrating as it is ive just learnt 2 live with it.
and as Fred said a fully charged battery can help it.

[Ivan]

Is it possible to pull the oil pan off and get a view in there to see if there are any worn parts?

Thanks for the suggestions. I have read several of the posts, and will be changing the oil. Was hoping there was an easier answer, but I will split the case if need be. I dont think it is cold weather causing it, it was over 90ºF here all week.

Thanks again.
Ivan