Starter Problems?

[terrylee2u]

First off, right now if I try to start it.. it will just click so that tells me that it is trying to kick in and has power. Before, as in the last couple times I've rode the bike it will fire up cold and run fine. Shut it off and try to restart it and it was sounding the same way an old car sounds when the timing is way fast and the motor is hot.. starter would turn a little then stop, then turn again and stop. But if you waited a while and the bike cooled down it would fire right up. Until tonight. The dash and headlight stay bright, and we push started it in less that 10 feet. Rode home 20 miles, shut it off and hit the starter.. Click.
I have searched and it seems starter or brushes or a bad wire maybe? Any suggestions and any pictures on site I can check out. I'm really not much of a mechanic on bikes and would appreciate any help I can get.. Thanks

[Steve]

The FIRST thing to do is to get out your voltmeter and check the battery voltage.

It sounds like the battery is low, and can not power the starter.

If the battery is low, it's time to go through your charging system, too.

.

[blowerbike]

if the brushes and or armature is worn...
you can get whats known as "heat sink".
this happens when the engine warms and the heat transfers into the starter which normally would not affect it.
thats my story and i'm sticking to it!

[terrylee2u]

Thee bike has almost 16,000 miles on it and I have actually noticed that it would be cranking over fine then it might kick back or is what it sounded like then spin fine and start up.. been doing this for quite a while... just last few days it's gone really bad.

Would the lights stay bright if the battery wasn't charged up enough to turn over the starter?
I will put the battery on charger tomorrow and let it charge up to see if that's it...

[blowerbike]

add starter clutch to your repair list(thats the clunking sound).
get a multi meter and check your voltage like steve said.
steve is the multi meter bad a$$ ninja dude and will tell you what to look for and how to check it.

[terrylee2u]

Ok, I pulled the battery from the bike and put it on my battery tender.. I left it on for over 24 hours..and it was reading fully charged.. I immediately installed it in the bike from charger and hit the starter button... ''click''.

[chuckycheese]

Starter

Ok, I pulled the battery from the bike and put it on my battery tender.. I left it on for over 24 hours..and it was reading fully charged.. I immediately installed it in the bike from charger and hit the starter button... ''click''.

You've now, most likely, got it narrowed down to either the starter or the wire from the solenoid to the starter (unlikely). Remove the starter, take it apart (very easy) and you'll likely find the problem quite easily. When you remove the starter, check to see if it's exactly placed correctly. From what you've described, the starter drive gear could be 'hanging up' (probably not, but possible.)

By the way, I don't know how easy it is to remove your starter. On the 2 GS's I've owned, the Suzuki shop manuels both specified removing the carbs (Ughhhhhh) which is totally unnecessary. I can remove my starter in 5 minutes and I could on the GS750L, too. Hopefully, yours is as easy.

[terrylee2u]

Where is the best and cheapest place to get parts for it Bike Bandit?

[blowerbike]

http://thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=164556

[koolaid_kid]

http://www.babbittsonline.com/pages/parts/viewbybrand/default.aspx

[chuckycheese]

Shipping

Babbitt's is a good outfit and so are a bunch of others but, make no mistake about it, you'll get absolutely screwed on shipping costs if you're not careful. Weigh that aspect carefully before you 'push the button'.

If they don't give the shipping costs until the very end (like Babbitt's and many others), be wary. If you're ordering a lot of stuff, it may be very fair; otherwise, it may not be such a good deal. The individual price of an item means nothing until you find out how much it costs to get it to your dojo.

[atrent]

By the way, I don't know how easy it is to remove your starter. On the 2 GS's I've owned, the Suzuki shop manuels both specified removing the carbs (Ughhhhhh) which is totally unnecessary. I can remove my starter in 5 minutes and I could on the GS750L, too. Hopefully, yours is as easy.[/QUOTE]

My haynes manual for the gs250 says "simply" remove cover plate, starter lead, 2 screws and pull it our. However I believe something has been left out because I can't get it past the cam chain adjuster. Looks impossible and getting the bottom bolt out of the adjuster is also difficult, looks like I will need a modified wrench of some sort. Perhaps a box end will do it and I don't have the proper size so I guess a purchase is in order unless someone has a better idea.
alex