starter operation

[Robert Haller]

How exactly do our starters engage & disengage? They don't appear to have a solenoid that meshes like a car starter. Is it up to the starter relay to cut off the current when you release the button, or is it the button contact itself that stops the starter?

[dfrooney]

you should have a solenoid.

Looking at my clymer's manual (pg 176) it shows the solenoid under the right side cover, just to the left of the fuse box.

[sidecarKev]

Yep there is a starter relay, I just replaced mine. There is the relay, one of the large posts is connected to the battery and one is connected to the starter. There are then two smaller wires. One is hot and kinda runs a little circuit from the main fuse, up to the kill switch and a few other place then to one of the posts on the relay. The other post on the relay gets connected to the starter button and when you push the button you ground out the relay and this energizes the coil and it makes contact between your battery and starter. Down on the starter there is just a gear on the end that meshes up with the starter gears in the engine. I have a shop manual diagram of this if you need it.

Kevin

[wildbill]

Re: starter operation

Originally posted by Robert Haller
How exactly do our starters engage & disengage? They don't appear to have a solenoid that meshes like a car starter. Is it up to the starter relay to cut off the current when you release the button, or is it the button contact itself that stops the starter?

Did you ever get your starter button figured out?Getting warm weather now.I have to do some rewiring to my bike.Good luck

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Robert,

The starter links with the starter shaft thru gears, there is a three point pinch roller assembly that the starter gets to turn, and the pinch rollers then grab the shaft and spin the crank, when the engine starts, the pinch rollers slide back away from the shaft and it just spins freely. The Solenoid only turns the starter motor on or off, it's engaged with the engine the whole time via the starter shaft/pinch roller assembly.

The starter on car engines utilize a sliding gear that is linked with the solenoid, so that along with turning on the starter motor to get it to spinning, the magnet also slides the toothed gear on the starter shaft up against the engines flywheel allowing it to spin the crank. Once the engine starts, and you release the key, the magnet and gear slide back away from the flywheel disengaging it from the engine.

So...our starter is connected differently than a car's starter!
T.C.

[newmaac]

So, Robert, from those replies, and witnessing your bike's conditition, can you tell if it is your motor that is hanging-up, or does it seem more likely to be the relay?

It doesn't seem real obvious to me.
In response to your earlier question, I DO have another starter motor, and will offer you the same that I offered Kevin.

I AM running out of spares though, so if you can try to confirm that it IS the starter motor first, that would be cool.

[randy]

A quick check of the relay is to use a screwdriver to momentarily short the two large screw terminals, simulating the relay engaging. The starter should crank the engine. CAUTION: THIS TEST WILL CREATE MEGA SPARKS IF THE BATTERY IS GOOD. Make sure you're in a well ventilated area when you do this.

If the starter doesn't crank, other problems are evident. Such as: Battery, Starter motor, bad ground(s). keep checkin' and we'll keep thinkin'.

Randy

[wildbill]

I ran into this on my bike.The starter button quit working on my bike and after I had ruined it,I discovered that the PO had run a ground wire to the front of the bike{handlebars,triple clamps,forks}and the wire had burnt into{bad routeing}.Replaced the ground wire and everything works now.{had to fix my blunderings }Check to see if the switches are grounded.I think a while back you had trouble with the starter running on after you take your finger off the button.Might have gone to far the other way and removed the ground completely.Good luck