My gs450L starter motor does not respond

[tom203]

"When viewing the solenoid as it sits on the bike .... is the green/yellow wire positioned on the right side next to the big terminal?"

Yes, that's the trigger wire to activate solenoid . Apply 12 volt positive to it and solenoid should click in - make sure solenoid frame has good ground. Make sure you're in neutral!
its ok to run jumper cables from a NON running car to boost bikes battery.

[dennco2]

"When viewing the solenoid as it sits on the bike .... is the green/yellow wire positioned on the right side next to the big terminal?"

Yes, that's the trigger wire to activate solenoid . Apply 12 volt positive to it and solenoid should click in - make sure solenoid frame has good ground. Make sure you're in neutral!
its ok to run jumper cables from a NON running car to boost bikes battery.

My spare car battery is dead and won't even light up a test light or run a 12 volt motor ... and yet my cheap HF multi meter shows 12+ volts!!? The green and yellow trigger wire lights up a test light when the ignition is ON and I press the starter button. I cleaned the starter button ... but it did appear to not really need it (again). When I short across the big terminals on the solenoid, it just sparks and no clicking of relay now ... and NOTHING happens and no sounds when I hit the starter button. I have not pulled the solenoid frame off again to check for good ground. but I did that last year. It seems that would be the last potential problem before deciding the starter relay is no good and have to get another?

[Gorminrider]

My spare car battery is dead and won't even light up a test light or run a 12 volt motor ... and yet my cheap HF multi meter shows 12+ volts!!

yes, but test the voltage when the battery is loaded and it'll be a different story....even the crappiest battery can show 12 or more volts when the only "load" is a multimeter!


You could line up a bunch of tiny AAA batteries to get 12volts but that won't start your bike....and that's a pretty good analogy for the condition of the car-battery you are using...You need a decent battery to go forward.

[Steve]

My spare car battery is dead and won't even light up a test light or run a 12 volt motor ... and yet my cheap HF multi meter shows 12+ volts!!?

Not uncommon with a bad battery. It's kind of like having a buch of lazy people. You might have 12 bodies (volts), but they are unable to do any work. You need 12 willing, able bodies. Is this dead motorcycle your only means of personal transportation? If not, park your car near your bike or drag your bike over to your car, use jumper cables to connect your bike to your car, but MAKE SURE THE CAR IS NOT RUNNING. Repeat your tests to see if the starter works. On the other hand, if your only transportation is Uber, Lyft or a bus, you'll have to find a friend with a car.

The green and yellow trigger wire lights up a test light when the ignition is ON and I press the starter button.

Good. That shows that your IGNITION fuse, kill switch, starter button and clutch switch are all working properly.

When I short across the big terminals on the solenoid, it just sparks and no clicking of relay now ...

When you short across the big terminals, there should not be any clicking of the relay. That will only happen if you connect the yellow/green wire to a positive source. Since you see sparks when shorting the big terminals, you KNOW there is a load downstream, which means the starter is connected. However, you don't know at this point whether the starter is locked up physically and is unable to turn or if the power from the battery is insufficient to do anything more than just make sparks.

... and NOTHING happens and no sounds when I hit the starter button.

Just a little bit ago, you said you at least had power on the yellow/green wire when you pushed the starter button. Do you still have it? Move your test light to the big terminal that goes to the starter, push the starter button. You should see it light up, too.

I have not pulled the solenoid frame off again to check for good ground. but I did that last year.

If the solenoid clicks when you apply power to the yellow/green wire, it has a good ground. No need to remove it to verify.

It seems that would be the last potential problem before deciding the starter relay is no good and have to get another?

Repeat the test just above this: apply power to the yellow/green wire, see if the starter terminal on the solenoid lights up. If it does, your solenoid is likely good. If you feel that you still might need a new solenoid, go to Lowe's, Home Depot, Ace Hardware, any place that sells lawn mowers, get one for a riding mower. Brand new, about $15, will bolt right in, using the same mounting holes.

.

[dennco2]

yes, but test the voltage when the battery is loaded and it'll be a different story....even the crappiest battery can show 12 or more volts when the only "load" is a multimeter!


You could line up a bunch of tiny AAA batteries to get 12volts but that won't start your bike....and that's a pretty good analogy for the condition of the car-battery you are using...You need a decent battery to go forward.

Agreed ... that old car battery needs to be thrown out. The battery in my Van is the one to use ... to get extra jump to what I THINK is a good motorcycle battery. But I have not load tested it ... as yet. The poor battery and bike sat for 9 months because it suddenly wouldn't start last fall and I decided to fix it when the weather warmed up again. My other bike is a Honda Nighthawk and has gotten me thru the winter with occasional riding just fine. I enjoy riding the GS450 more than the Honda around town ... for being lighter and more quiet and just a better feel and body position while riding. The Suzuki has also been a big pain in the a** .. due to parts quitting on me at inopportune times. It hasn't been very well taken care of by previous owners.

[Gorminrider]

to get extra jump to what I THINK is a good motorcycle battery

you don't need to "jump it to the motorcycle battery"- just use the car battery. It'll even charge up from the bike's system if the 450's charging system is in good fettle....

The "load test" for a motorcycle battery is starting the bike up, as far as I'm concerned...ideally, with the headlamp on...though disconnecting the "legislated always-on headlamp" might get you over the top someday.

Charge that iffy mc battery up at 1-2 amps overnight and if it then can't do the job, it's thrashed too.

[dennco2]

Previously I had slow-charged the MC battery with a battery maintenance charger and it then showed 13.15 volts but only activated the relay a couple times and no starter motor action. Today, I tried jumping with my good car battery in the van ... and got no favorable action or sounds either! It seemed the relay was just making a "buzzing" sound and the starter motor was making a "creaking noise". I am wondering if by some chance I have a direct short from the positive screw terminal coming out of the case .... but also shorting out by also touching the case? I used the rubber base and rubber O-ring around the protruding brushplate screw to isolate the screw from the grounded case ... but that is all I can think of to explain what's happening?

At this point I think I need a new battery and a new starter relay? Then again, maybe the relay would start to click in again? I will check the positive screw terminal for any potential issues.

[Steve]

Has any of this testing been done with the cover off the starter?

I know, it seems silly, but I had a problem with my wife's bike, where the terminal on the starter that holds the large wire was touching the inside of the cover. Sometimes it would work, other times it would not.

.

[dennco2]

So now I have pulled the MC battery out and currently slow-charging again. I removed the starter motor cover and saw I had a rubber boot over the starter positive terminal ... so no short there. I then removed the attaching nuts and washers and reassembled using a tiny rubber base for a mounting nut that originally was there but not put back on the 1st try. I tried to jump the starter motor without the MC battery in there and using my good car battery in my Van which starts my 3.8 size engine. I attached the other end of the cables to the right side starter relay terminal and the neg to a large nut to the engine. I turned on the ign. switch and pressed the starter button and heard the clicking sound of the relay ... but nothing else. The starter motor was working when off the MC and after putting the new parts on. I have a vaiable volt power supply and the starter motor started to turn before I applied 5 volts and got faster as I headed towards 10 volts. I do remember applying a 12 volt battery power to a different motor years ago and seeing almost jump out of my hand. I stopped testing this motor when I saw it spinning on lower voltage and I hope it is up to par now, but don't know that for a fact.

So all I get for ANY battery connected when attempting to spin the starter motor and start the engine is several clicks ... and the a buzzing sound from the relay and some kind of weird groan from the starter motor. The SM is bolted down well with the 2 mounting screws.

Any more suggestions? My next step may be to buy a new MC battery ... but my big car battery didn't seem to be able to get the job done either??! I might have to take the starter motor out again and do more inspection and testing? Frustration is setting in.

[dennco2]

It just occurred to me that if I had connected the positive jumper cable to the LEFT side of the relay ... and the NEG jumper cable to a grounded part of the bike frame ... wouldn't that drive the starter motor directly and either it would spin OR NOT?

[Steve]

It just occurred to me that if I had connected the positive jumper cable to the LEFT side of the relay ... and the NEG jumper cable to a grounded part of the bike frame ... wouldn't that drive the starter motor directly and either it would spin OR NOT?

Can't tell from here which terminal is which, but the terminal that goes directly to the starter would be the one.

.

[Gorminrider]

if I had connected the positive jumper cable to the LEFT side of the relay ... and the NEG jumper cable to a grounded part of the bike frame ... wouldn't that drive the starter motor directly and either it would spin OR NOT

Yes. as steve says it's one or the other! or just get a screw driver and short across the two posts...but there will be sparks so no gas fumes around .

But I don't understand why you didn't just apply full current the starter before you put it back in ...

I have a vaiable volt power supply and the starter motor started to turn before I applied 5 volts and got faster as I headed towards 10 volts. I do remember applying a 12 volt battery power to a different motor years ago and seeing almost jump out of my hand. I stopped testing this motor when I saw it spinning on lower voltage and I hope it is up to par now, but don't know that for a fact.

you don't have to hold it in your hand if you don't want to...let it roll around on the floor or under a clamp but it's really no worse to hold than an unhappy squirrel...

by not bench testing simply, you've failed to block unnecesary paths of doubt.... knowing it works would mean you only have the next two in the chain..solenoid and starter clutch. Right now, you know it does something when you fiddle with a dial, but you aren't sure it has the all-important instantaneous torque...

[dennco2]

Yes. as steve says it's one or the other! or just get a screw driver and short across the two posts...but there will be sparks so no gas fumes around .

But I don't understand why you didn't just apply full current the starter before you put it back in ... you don't have to hold it in your hand if you don't want to...let it roll around on the floor or under a clamp but it's really no worse to hold than an unhappy squirrel...

by not bench testing simply, you've failed to block unnecesary paths of doubt.... knowing it works would mean you only have the next two in the chain..solenoid and starter clutch. Right now, you know it does something when you fiddle with a dial, but you aren't sure it has the all-important instantaneous torque...

UPDATE: I have delayed working on my starter motor problem ... until yesterday. I pulled the starter motor out of the bike AGAIN ... so I could open it up and inspect. The armature commutator had a damaged partially curled up segment so I filed down the high spot and smooth filed and sanded the whole com as it rotated in a tiny lathe to clean up the black and grungy brush track area. Too big to cut with cutter. Anyway, I also had a brush spring that was slightly deformed and lost 50% of tension .... so I re-bent it as best I could for more tension but got only 75% of the other spring. I then re-assembled the starter motor and tested it on a variable power supply AND the motorcycle battery. As before, it got up to full speed immediately ... but not with the instant torque I have seen in other motors that you can barely hang onto when applying 12 volts. Otherwise, it seems to be running smooth and cool ... but I don't want to bother putting it back in if won't turn the engine over!

I have NO idea how the com got so messed up from my 1st effort to fix. It spun freely with power and then I installed it and my 1st attempt to start it resulted in a small starter movement ... then nothing. When I finally pulled it out again yesterday, the armature could not rotate at all due to the raised com segment problem ... now fixed but not professionally. Any recommendations on what to do here? Buy another motor used or rebuilt ... known to be good? Any for sale here in this group?

[tom203]

Get a used one....here’s a list of bikes that shared this starter motor

• 1983 SUZUKI GS550ES3D - STARTING MOTOR
• 1984 SUZUKI GS5500ES - STARTING MOTOR
• 1985 SUZUKI GS450GAF Automatic - STARTING MOTOR
• 1985 SUZUKI GS450LF - STARTING MOTOR
• 1985 SUZUKI GS550EF -STARTING MOTOR
• 1985 SUZUKI GS550ESF - STARTING MOTOR
• 1985 SUZUKI GS550LF - STARTING MOTOR
• 1986 SUZUKI GS450LG - STARTING MOTOR
• 1986 SUZUKI GS550EG - STARTING MOTOR
• 1986 SUZUKI GS550ESG - STARTING MOTOR
• 1986 SUZUKI GS550LG - STARTING MOTOR
• 1987 SUZUKI GS450LH - STARTING MOTOR
• 1988 SUZUKI GS450LJ - STARTING MOTOR

[dennco2]

Yeah, I am convinced this one is near dead. Good advice to give up on it. I hope I get lucky with another used one with full power.