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Post by kengross on Dec 9, 2014 17:39:24 GMT -5
I have a 1981 XS650 that I ride to work regularly. Towards the end of summer the starter was turning slower and I was beginning to have to use the kickstarter to get the engine started. Since the battery was a few years old I assumed that was a problem and bought a new one. The starter turned even slower so I took the battery back and had it checked,they charged it overnight and then tested it and declared it ok. I brought it back home and then the started wouldn't turn at all. I have removed the starter and it spins fine outside the motorcycle. the battery I bought spins the starter of my Honda 350 like a champ. I put the starter back in and ran jumper cables from a car battery directly to the starter and it will not turn the engine.It turns over and starts with the kick starter without a problem. So ,is it possible that there is an issue with the starter that it will not turn under load?
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Post by grizld1 on Dec 10, 2014 10:46:14 GMT -5
You know that your engine and your battery are both working fine and results are unchanged when you bypass your switches and wiring harness, so that leaves the starter motor as the source of the trouble. Refer to the factory manual (a free download from http://www.biker.net) and have a look at the starter motor. New brushes and a clean commutator might be all it needs.
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Post by mrriggs on Dec 10, 2014 13:46:20 GMT -5
You said that the starter "spins fine outside the motorcycle." Does this mean that you hooked it up to a battery and it spun, or that you spun it by hand?
If it spins outside of the bike with a battery but not in the bike then it may be a ground issue. When you jumped the starter directly in the bike, where did you hook the negative jumper cable?
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Post by kengross on Dec 10, 2014 16:12:13 GMT -5
I am trying to analyze and am trying to take this a step at a time instead of my normal method of taking things apart and hoping I stumble across the problem. It has been a month or so since I had last messed with it but I think I had hooked the ground to the kickstarter lever.I guess I want to positively eliminate the electrical system before I start pulling engine covers off to check gears. I have zero experience with starters, I usually hand them to a mechanic and ask him to check it out. I secured the starter in a vice and connected a battery to it to make it spin.
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Post by mrriggs on Dec 10, 2014 17:50:18 GMT -5
Try hooking the ground directly to the starter motor. If it still won't turn over the engine then the starter motor is bad.
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Post by kengross on Jan 27, 2015 12:56:11 GMT -5
It seems the problem is in the starter. I ruined one of the long machine screws taking the starter apart. Everything looked fine inside no crud the brushes were still about 50% ,my multitester is just a cheapo so I could not do all the tests. long story short I could not locate another machine screw of proper size so I bought a new starter. I installed it and wonder of wonders it works. Now I have to wait for the snow to go away.
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