Think I did a nono

[5azzmonkey]

Any idea how old this battery is ? Got good fluid levels ? If its old or has been frozen it might be bad. Take it somewhere to have it load tested. Find a known good battery and try it in the bike. If it does the same thing you (we) can continue to trouble shoot the bike.

Definitely have the battery load tested. A bad battery usually shows good voltage but will not deliver any (minimal) current. If you have a Volt meter you can check and see what the voltage drops to when you try and crank the starter. If not, bring it somewhere to have it tested.

-Dave

[fishfarm]

I strongly agree you should have a voltmeter. Even the cheaper ones will do all you need for this problem.

Here's the write-up from Basscliff's website for performing the diagnostic:

Diagnosing Slow Cranking
Originally posted by Mr. Steve

To help diagnose this problem, you will need a voltmeter and probably a helper. It does not matter if it is analog or digital. Clip the black wire of the meter to the negative terminal of the battery. Touch the red lead to the positive terminal (make sure it's the terminal, not any of the wires that might be connected), note the voltage. Press the starter button (have your helper pull the clutch and push the button while you handle the meter), note the voltage. If it dropped below 10 volts, you need a new battery. Yeah, it may be "charged", but it does not have enough capacity left to handle the starter. You can also prove this by using jumper cables to connect your bike to your car (with the engine not running) and cranking again. If the starter spins now, you know it's your battery. If the voltage did not drop that much, continue.

Now touch the battery terminal on the starter solenoid (again, the terminal, not the wires), note the voltage when you press the starter, it should be the same as the battery terminal voltage. A drop here would indicate bad connections. Clean them and try again. Now touch the red meter lead to the bolt that holds the wire to the starter, do the same tests. Again, you are testing for bad conections.

It is possible, though, that the starter itself is dragging a bit. You will have to remove the starter from the bike and connect jumper cables to it and a good battery to test. Be careful when you make that last connection, though, the starter has quite a bit of torque and will try to jump out of your hands.

Also keep in mind that getting power to the starter is only half the battle. You also need to have reliable ground connections, so make sure the starter is securely bolted to the engine, and that you have a good connection from the engine block to the battery. Most bikes will have a wire (cable) from the engine to the chassis and another from the chassis to the battery, so make sure all the connections are good.

And the link for that and more:

http://members.dslextreme.com/users/storagecliff/images/electrical_odd-n-ends.html#A10

[davegs850]

Crossed the studs on the solenoid with a screwdriver. Got a very small spark and nothing else. Battery is almost brand new and water level is good. Does this tell me it is the solenoid or should i continue testing. Getting 12.8 at the battery. Later it was 12.6. I assume cause i had the lights on. when trying to start it was 12.04 at the bottom post of the solenoid. This is my first time with a multimeter be gentle. When i hit the starter button with the multimeter still attached to bottom post of solenoid it goes down to .7 By the way the bike had been running prior to this but i was having trouble starting it. I am only getting one click from the solenoid. Thanks again for help

[Redman]

Crossed the studs on the solenoid with a screwdriver. Got a very small spark and nothing else. Battery is almost brand new and water level is good. Does this tell me it is the solenoid or should i continue testing. Getting 12.8 at the battery. Later it was 12.6. I assume cause i had the lights on. when trying to start it was 12.04 at the bottom post of the solenoid. This is my first time with a multimeter be gentle. When i hit the starter button with the multimeter still attached to bottom post of solenoid it goes down to .7 By the way the bike had been running prior to this but i was having trouble starting it. I am only getting one click from the solenoid. Thanks again for help

Small spark when jump the solenoid, sounds like the starter motor isnt drawing much current. Even if battery was weak it would still make a big spark.

Battery voltage not dropping much when solenoid pulld isn, soundl like starter motor isnt drawing much current. Like the starter motor isnt a starter motor any more.

I suspect your starter motor. BUt before replace the starter motor, check the battery connections.


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[fishfarm]

Crossed the studs on the solenoid with a screwdriver. Got a very small spark and nothing else. Battery is almost brand new and water level is good. Does this tell me it is the solenoid or should i continue testing. Getting 12.8 at the battery. Later it was 12.6. I assume cause i had the lights on. when trying to start it was 12.04 at the bottom post of the solenoid. This is my first time with a multimeter be gentle. When i hit the starter button with the multimeter still attached to bottom post of solenoid it goes down to .7 By the way the bike had been running prior to this but i was having trouble starting it. I am only getting one click from the solenoid. Thanks again for help

Not sure what you mean here. When you say you hit the starter button the voltage goes down TO 0.7v? Or does it go down BY 0.7v to 12.04v. In the first case, that's a bad battery. Try another battery or jump it from a car battery to see if that makes a difference. In the second case, keep testing for a bad wire or connection, or worst case, a bad starter.

[Redman]

...
... When i hit the starter button with the multimeter still attached to bottom post of solenoid it goes down to .7 .........

I did not notice that before. I queess my brain read it as goes "down by 0.7".

If in fact it gooes down TO 0.7 that is a different story.
You said lower post on the solenoid. I would think that is the one going to the starter, if the one to the starter is going way down and the one to the battery is still the 11 or 12 point whatever, then the problem is the solenoid.
If its the one to the battery is going way down then there is a problem wirth the battery and or the positive battery connection.


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[davegs850]

pulled the starter tonight. when i hook my battery charger to the starter nothing happens. I am not using a tricle charger this time. also tried jumper cables from batterie to starter again nothing. Im really starting to think starter. Also the shaft does not seem to spin real free. not sure how free it should be though

[Big T]

Take the long bolts out of the starter and take it apart

[davegs850]

Thanks bigT and everyone else just took the starter apart and it was black greasy and burnt inside. If what i think was the brushes there was nothing left of them. Ordered a new starter today as there is not much doubt left. Ill keep you posted when i am back to gs happiness. Hope it comes this week.

[davegs850]

putting in new starter now ordered sunday nite came tues from bike bandit.. knocked loose the eighth inch tube that seems to come from a sensor into the bottom of starter box.. I just stuck it back in the hole . Does it attach to something and what is it?? Ill check this thread after starter is in. Back to GS HAPPINESS starter is working bikeseems to be running ok still dont know what that tube is if anyone knows let me know meanwhile its back to the manual for me. THanks everyone for your help. One more gs back on the road!!!!