Looking to replace starter motor relay...

[OkamiS]

Has anyone found any acceptable replacement starter relays for the '79 GS750Es?

[Suzukian]

This is the standard starter relay everyone uses for those bikes. They are really simple devices, and if you can take them apart, cleaning and sanding of the contacts will fix them. This particular one is around $15 bucks.

https://www.cyclesrus.net/cru-starter-relay-solenoid-switch-for-suzuki-gs650-81-83-gs750-77-83-gs850-79-83/

[Brendan W]

Have to ask but what is wrong with the old one?

[unfocused]

I run a Cole Hersey 12v continuous duty relay as shown in the picture. I run these because of past experience with them.


It pretty much plug and play.



Resized_20230705_191214.jpg

[Suzukian]

Most of these are plug and play, if you've found a reliable one, then you have done good. I've had the same stock one on my Suzuki for 20 years. Never a problem out of it. Sometimes in production lines, you just get a few that pass through made perfectly.

[OkamiS]

Thank you! My bike sat out in the elements for several years uncovered, and the contacts are extremely rusted over. As much as I'd love to take it apart and tinker with it, I'd rather just get a new one and maybe one day sit down and tinker with the old one and clean it up. Never know.

[Rich82GS750TZ]

The relay is nothing special. You can get it almost anywhere: Hardware store/Lowe's/Home depot in the lawn mower parts isle/ Tractor Supply / Amazon. It just has to have a plate for mounting(this is it's ground, so make it good/clean it up), two posts on top (1 to batt+, one to starter motor lug), and a signal wire to connect to the wire coming from the start button on the right hand control.

https://www.amazon.com/Yerbay-Starter-Solenoid-Polaris-1995-2002/dp/B07TNHSP2V/ref=sr_1_7_sspa?crid=2NEOI2LIPKK0T&keywords=starte r+relay&qid=1691775025&sprefix=starter+relay%2Caps %2C109&sr=8-7-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9tdGY&psc=1

[rphillips]

Great idea Okami, Tare into your old one, learn how it's made, how it works, and see if and how it may be fixed (a lot of time really simple and easy) then keep that knowledge from now on. Before or after getting your bike back going really doesn't matter.

[Rich82GS750TZ]

I like to tinker as much as anyone and figure out what makes things tic, but for a generic $8-15$ brand new relay, I've got better things to do with my time.

[OkamiS]

I like to tinker as much as anyone and figure out what makes things tic, but for a generic $8-15$ brand new relay, I've got better things to do with my time.

I was thinking the exact same thing.

[rphillips]

I never thought about the money, I was thinking more about the knowledge... No clue how to put a $$$ amount on that.

[Suzukian]

I never thought about the money, I was thinking more about the knowledge... No clue how to put a $$$ amount on that.

Especially if you're stuck on the side of the road, or some parking lot, pull out a screw driver, jump the starter and start her right up, rather than sitting there for AAA to show up, or trying to jump start it.

Same thing with Lawn tractors. I had a friend who hadn't mowed his lawn for a few weeks, I don't care about such things, but I asked him if I could look at his mower. He had the battery charged up. When I jumped the solenoid, and it started right up, he thought I was some kind of genius. I won't post what was going through my mind. Two weeks, for not knowing something so simple. This guy would take the decks off of his mower, and fix all kinds of things on it. He just drew a blank when it came to electricity. It's kind of sad really, it's not difficult. The solenoid on his lawn tractor would work on a motorcycle quite easily.

[bwringer]

Yup, I've advised on and installed a few lawn mower solenoids on motorcycles. About $15 and perhaps some light improvisation for mounting and wiring.

Just FYI, one common reason the solenoid on a GS doesn't work is because it's grounded to a metal plate that's rubber mounted on most models. There's a black/white ground wire from the harness to the plate, but over the years this often gets overlooked or damaged.



I once got a free brand-new riding mower thanks to a dead solenoid. The neighbor was moving, and as the last truck was loaded, I saw her pushing a very shiny red riding mower to the curb. Spidey-salvage senses tingling, I positively teleported over there.

The story goes that about four years prior, she bought the mower, had it delivered, and happily mowed for about ten minutes (she had a much larger corner lot). She got off the mower to move some limbs, and the mower would not start again. The mower was pushed to the garage, and her boyfriend showed up with a mower to save the day. Over time, they fell in love and sort of forgot all about the dead brand-new mower lurking in the garage with an expired warranty.

Anyway, fast-forward four years. They were getting married and she was moving to his place in the country, where he had a much better mower. And so the mower was excavated, written off as a slightly painful memory, and pushed to the curb.

I had the decency to wait until the truck was around the corner, but I had it running in under five minutes by draining the float bowl, dumping in some fresh gas, hooking up a spare motorcycle battery, and jumping the solenoid.

A quick trip to Lowes for a new solenoid and fresh battery, and we had a shiny new rider for under $70. We had no need for it, so we ended up donating it to a needy acquaintance.

[Suzukian]

I am addicted at grabbing stuff and fixing it. I have given a lot away too. I gave my neighbor a snowblower, and told him in the Winter, he would have to adjust the air mixture to fatten it up because of the more dense air. He acted like he knew what I was talking about, and this machine was in excellent condition, and a two stage model. First Snowfall, I see him Snow blowing I had finished my yard, and thought he was using the one I gave him. He said he couldn't get it started. Instead of asking me for some help, he brings it to the transfer station and spends $600 bucks on a new one. I asked him why didn't he ask me for help, or at least return it to me, I could have easily got $300 bucks for it. I am very careful who I give stuff too these days. Sometimes you give something to someone for free, and they think it has now value.

[ptegsotic]

he made the calculation
$600 seemed a good deal
there's no rocket science involved