81 gs450e Battery/Stater Issues

[mark.bailey920]

Hey everyone. First post for help on the forum. I've got an 81 gs450e with some of the usual GS charging problems. I've been keeping a good check on my battery and been able to avoid most trouble, but last night for the first time when I tried to start up nothing would happen. When I turned the key my indicator lights came on and my headlight would work, but the starter button did absolutely nothing. I thought it might be the clutch not engaging so I tried shifting it from 1-N-2 and back several times and rocking the bike. I got it to start once while rocking by the bike for seemingly no reason. Then I could not get a single sound out of the starter. Before the random start the starter wasn't reacting at all, followed by the random start while rocking the bike, and then the bike went right back to not responding at all. Eventually after about an hour and a half of tinkering my battery was totally dead, no indicators, no power at all.

In the past when my battery was low the starter would click, but the bike wouldn't start. This is the first time I have had simply no reaction at all. I ordered a new battery last week, because mine simply won't hold a charge very long anymore. I am hoping it is simply that my battery finally kicked it, but worried I need to replace the starter relay, or that my clutch isn't triggering the starter disconnect switch.

I've checked all the wiring, the main fuse, the regulator, and the alternator. It all checks out.

Any advice on this? Here's hoping its just the battery. Thanks so much.

Mark

[jsandidge]

Check the clutch safety switch too. They go bad all the time, and won't let the starter turn even with a good battery.

[pete]

+1 on the clutch safety switch... and the sidestand switch if you have one.

To check if it's the starter relay, get a big screwdriver and short it across the two terminals of the relay.

If the starter kicks in and fires her up, your relay is toast.

If not, then it's something else.

I've had similar issues and caused by two things in the end.

First was dirty starter button contacts in the right control block. Dismantled carefully so the spring didn't fly out, cleaned with contact cleaner and assembled. All good.

Recently though it was my starter motor. Turned out two of the four magnets that are supposed to be stationary had come loose and moved around. JB Weld fixed that and I cleaned up the commutator etc. while I was in there.

Oh, and welcome! Pic's are always good too

[mark.bailey920]

Thanks so much for this guys! I got the bike running again. It was a combination of the main fuse and the clutch safety switch. Replaced the fuse and rewired the clutch safety switch and she is back to working perfectly.

In your debt.

Mark

[pete]

Glad to hear it.

If your main fuse is still the old glass style, then do yourself a favour and ditch it in favour of a weatherproof inline blade fuse holder. You will find it far more reliable.