Starting Clicking...Sometimes.

[Guest]

Hey all! I have an 81 GS50T. Recently, instead of starting, I just get a clicking noise, but not cranking. If the bike sits awhile, and I try to start it, it usually turns over once and starts. However, when I try to start it again, the starter simply "clicks". I did a bit of research and found that I may just have a worn out starter, but am wondering if it might be a ground problem since it only happens sometimes?
Thanks in advance!
Buck

[rustybronco]

The first thing you want to do is recharge and test the battery.

[GateKeeper]

Make sure car IS NOT running during this test.

get your car, get jumper cables, connect cables to car battery, then to bike and try to start.....

Make sure car IS NOT running during this test.

if bike seems to turn over properly and tries to start or start your ahead of the game..

and as rustybronco say's......test the bike battery, take it to a place that can load test it, preferably after you have fully charged it...

.

[chuck hahn]

Clean cable ends and associated posts and hardware also. Clean and service the ground cable down on the engine as well. Do the other tests as well, but be sure of all the connections is a good thing too. The connection for the hot wire at the starter itself also. Disconnect the battery positive before you do the starter end though so it doesn't arc out.

[knitt31]

I have so far tested the battery and tried to start it hooked up to a car battery. No such luck. The bike ALWAYS turns over the first time, then stops, and just clicks. When it DOES turn over, it is very slow, and makes a bit of a grinding noise. Will try the connections next, but I'm feeling like I'm going to need a new starter?

[exdirtbiker]

+1 for the wires/ connections above.
I replaced the battery, then the starter in my Ranger because of slow / erratic starting.
it was just a bad ground wire to the block.
each time I hit the key, was hit or miss... very frustrating, and expensive lesson.

[qisteve]

The grinding noise you describe makes me think that the permanent magnets within the starter housing may have come unglued. They are (were!) held in place in my GS650's starter with an adhesive which let go after 32 years. I experienced similar symptoms until the starter finally ceased to work at all. The loose magnets had jammed between the armature and starter housing. I'm replacing mine right now, but I did see a post where another member was able to re-glue the magnets in place using epoxy.

[knitt31]

Thanks for the continued wisdom everyone.
Last night I pulled the starter all the way out to bench test. It works just fine. Now, when I reinstalled, everything worked again!

Now, I know that the first thought would be a bad connection. However, after turning the the bike over several times to test it, it at one point made a slow crunching/grinding noise coming from the stator/ starter clutch area. The same noise it would make before.
It only happens once, and now the bike turns over great.
I'm wondering if my starter clutch needs to be rebuilt, and just reorienting the starter was a temporary fix?