Starter clicks but spins ok when off bike

seags

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Hi all,

I haven't run my 1150 GS for several months and tried to start it tonight, The starter tried to turn the motor but now just clicks even with a fully charged car battery connected with jump leads. Took the starter off the bike and spun it up using jump leads and all seems to be ok.

Any thoughts on what it could be and what I need to do?

Cheers
 
I take it that when you test the starter off bike, the solenoid pulls in and throws the gear forward.

I take it you engine is free to rotate?

Pull the plugs and stick it in gear on the centre stand and turn the back wheel. The engine should rotate.

If you can't find anything obvious, then your starter motor could be faulty. When it was on the bike, and you pressed the start button. Did the clock reset?

I've had a starter motor where the internal gear grease plate was shorting the starter windings, causing the motor to short giving your symptoms. Big clunk, no rotation and clock reset. Next press the same, and on third press, engine turns slowly. On fourth press motor spins normally and engine fires up.

Having got the starter to turn on the bench, have you refitted it and tried it again?
 
I've just clocked where you live, if you need to borrow a starter motor, and can't get one locally, then I have a spare you could borrow.
 
Iffy connection to the starter (is it the earth that tends to get bad) in which case it'll perhaps work if you bolt it back on? Is it really spinning OK off the bike - the last one I tested that way (from a Suzuki) jumped across the room when I touched power across it?
 
Kaister said:
Here's the clue...

I haven't run my 1150 GS for several months and tried to start it tonight
Click to expand...

+1 think you need to remove front plastic cover and get a socket on the crank pulley nut, most likely will move all at once then be OK, I recon a piston has stuck over time :beerjug:
 
Update

Hi all and many thanks for all the responses, heres the situation so far:

Engine turns over freely when using socket on crank pulley.

Even with high quality jump leads and jumping from my diesel car the starter solenoid just clicks just like it does from the bike battery so pretty sure its not the battery.

All wiring is in good un-corroded condition and all other electrics work fine.

Am I therefore safe in assuming it's the the starter motor and if so I think my options are:

Fix mine - is it possible?

New one

Reconditioned

Second hand
 
I had a similar problem a couple of months ago. Tried jumping from a fully charged booster pack and bike not starting. I disconnected the battery leads from the battery on the bike and attached booster pack. It started first time.

Back to the shop, who replaced the battery under warantee. They said the battery had been sitting on the shelf a while and replaced it with a brand new one. No problems since. the explanation was the battery was so bad that it was just absorbing the power from the booster pack but not passing it onto the starter motor.

Worth a try:comfort
 
I took the starter motor off the bike again and it appears to be locked solid. New Valeo motor ordered from Woods.

Thanks for all the help.
 
Smelly Old Boots said:
I had a similar problem a couple of months ago. Tried jumping from a fully charged booster pack and bike not starting. I disconnected the battery leads from the battery on the bike and attached booster pack. It started first time.

Back to the shop, who replaced the battery under warantee. They said the battery had been sitting on the shelf a while and replaced it with a brand new one. No problems since. the explanation was the battery was so bad that it was just absorbing the power from the booster pack but not passing it onto the starter motor.

Worth a try:comfort
Click to expand...

Thanks, tried that - no joy, I'm pretty sure the motor is knackered.
 
duckspeed said:
+ I recon a piston has stuck over time :beerjug:
Click to expand...

I've had plenty of bikes stood for years, my old airhead for 13 years in an unheated cold garage without turning the engine over and that didn't have stuck pistons. .
 
Expect you have sorted out a new starter motor by now but if you take the starter apart you may well find that the magnets have come away as on some Valeo ,s they were only glued in place and not held in cages -had the same thing happen on a Guzzi Sport 1100 , got some Epoxy glue and fixed the problem ,prob rather lucky as no other damage to the unit and worked fine much to my surprise-had the bike for another 18 months-the probs with that bike kept me on my toes....
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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