Starter prob.

[SJRoome]

Hi

I recently had exactly this problem on the Valeo in my 1989 R100GS. The solenoid wasn't sticking. The wiring inside the solenoid had shorted so once the starter had been activated it held the solenoid in and the starter continued to turn even if you turned the ignition off.

I chose to replace the starter with a NipponDenso. I then bought a new solenoid, reconditioned the starter and sold it on eBay.

Steve

 

[(RIP) pastyman]

Ive just gone down the cheapo route. went down to the scrappy and bought a starter off a french car. D6ra . the motor was ok but the solenoid knackered hence the price of £5. Worth a try I thought. Easy to dismantle, gave everything a good clean and reassembled with the front cover off my original starter. all bolted up and seems to work ok, will put it on the bike tomorrow and see if it works there.
I took some pics of the whole procedure. will try to post them tomorrow but am not sure how to do them with text in between IYKWIM

 

[bimmerboxer]

Starter problems
Had planned a trip around west Java, and I don't mean coffee. Left on a Thursday morning and took some 4 hours to get out of town traffic in Jakarta. Thoght I settle for a light lunch before ramping around country roads.

The starter cranked once, twice and then clunk. A single 'clunk' like sound was heard every time my right thumb came down on that wonderful human invention, the starter switch.

After a day of trying to fix it, the diagnosis was the starter, or really the magnets that came off the rotor. Strange for I had been running the engine for 4 hours with a charge running into the battery before this.

This happens when we try to start the bike with a less than fully charged battery and is apparently a common fault among airheads. Thus even though the engine had sputtered to life that morning but unknown to me, the magnets were about to fall off at the very next speed hump.

Now I need a new starter and wouldn't trust the battery either if I am planning another trip.

Sharing this for the majority of us who don't ride on a regular (daily basis) and are too lazy to attach the battery tender.

 

[Roger Chatterton]

Starter problems

This happens when we try to start the bike with a less than fully charged battery and is apparently a common fault among airheads. Thus even though the engine had sputtered to life that morning but unknown to me, the magnets were about to fall off at the very next speed hump.

Now I need a new starter and wouldn't trust the battery either if I am planning another trip.

Sharing this for the majority of us who don't ride on a regular (daily basis) and are too lazy to attach the battery tender.

Hi Bimmerboxer,
it is a common fault with all the Valeo starters it seems, and not restricted to airheads. Happened on my 1150GS, which has the same starter motor.
The glue just seems to give up, so doubt the speed bump will have affected it, but who knows. I always try to go around speed bumps