What would cause bike to start AFTER release starter button+

[Anonymous]

1982 GS 650E

Ever since I've owned my bike it's seemed to want to start after I release the starter button. Does this indicate a future problem? I think it may be the coils, I've allready had to replace one. Allthough it was used, and from a bike around the same age as mine but 100 CC's or so smaller then mine. Ideas?

Also, my bike never seems to find it's sweet spot when attempting to warm it up. Choke half way, and it REVS high as hell as if I had it on full choke. Anything below half choke and it acts as if its not being choked at all. I have cleaned the carbs a number of times, but if ya'll reccamend, I'll give er another go. It may be worth mentioning that the bike runs GREAT though. Often times I dont even bother with attempting to warm it up cause its such a pain, I just start it and ride off slowly. I basicly ride around for a few blocks keeping the RPMs at or below 2 with the throttle, and then the bike runs perfect, never stalls etc. It does surge once it seems to warm up though, like a surge in power, I can be puttering along and then VROOM Im off. I dont think I have an air leak anywhere. My boots are in good condition and so are the rings inside the boots that attach to the manifold.

Thanks as always guys.

[TheBigRed]

Wow, you have some major issues there.. I think you need to give me the bike and pay to have it shipped in here.

Just Kidding..

I'd check the status of your electrical system. The starter motor is going to put a HUGE load on the battery, and once you release the starter button that load dissappears, thus the coils are then able to get the power they need to fire correctly, and the crank has enough force left in it that it is able to turn over enough to fire away.

That is my best guess, and I might say a pretty good one. I'm sure someone will be along shortly to either back it up or totally debunk it.

Amos

[Planecrazy]

Amos is DEAD ON with this! I've had my 1100G for just over a year, and the previous owner told me he had swapped out the starter several times but could never get the bike to turn over at what we'd consider a "normal" speed ... instead it always kind of chugged along, starting under protest but then running great once it was running (just like your bike).

Long story short ... a few weeks ago the bike refused to start the conventional way, but if push started it would fire right up and run great. I pulled the starter and replaced it with another starter that had problems of its own -- bad brushes. After opening THAT starter and reversing and resurfacing the brushes, I reinstalled it hoping that it might work a little better than the original starter.

To my complete amazement, not only does the bike turn over as fast as any NEW bike I've ever heard, but it fires up and starts with only about 1/4 second press of the starter button! Bottom line ... the old starter motor was drawing SO much power away from the rest of the electrical system that there was nothing left to fire the spark plugs with any reasonable power (and yes, I WAS getting spark before -- just not enough).

If your starter turns over properly, try CAREFULLY opening the back cover and re-greasing the brushes and shaft. If your starter seems slow, be prepared to order a new brush kit for it (two different pieces totalling around $60). A new starter, by the way, will cost somewhere between three and four hundred bucks.

Good Luck!!!
Steve 8)

PS You should probably also try "jumping" the starter motor directly from a good 12 volt source to see if it spins any faster than when you press the start button. If it does, you may be losing power through a bad connection. In that case, don't open the starter until you've corrected the electrical connections, because that could be the source of your power draw... I should have mentioned from the start (pardon the pun ) that I checked out the rest of the electical system and even pulled the headlight to make sure proper voltage and amperage was reaching the starter itself before concluding that the problem had to be either with the starter motor itself or with the way it was installed. I thought that if the motor was OK then perhaps the gears were binding, etc...

* Edited for a typo and to clarify an important point

[bwringer]

The previous posters have nailed it. This is a classic case of starter-sucking-up-all-the-electricity-leaving-nothing-for-the-poor-ignition-system.

Potential culprits include just about every electrical connection related to starting and ignition as well as the starter motor itself and even a marginal battery.

I've seen this happen in boats and cars a few times simply because of poor battery connections, so start with the easy stuff. Heck, this just happened last week to two different Lexuses (Lexi?) driven by a coworker and a client. The coworker's Lexus needed a new battery, but the client's Lexus just needed the battery connections tightened.

Nothing like watching a guy in a suit panic for a while then walking up and fixing his $60,000 convertible in about 10 seconds with a 10mm wrench. Heh.

[duaneage]

starters can be had on eBay pretty cheap. Someone on the forum may have one they can part with.

[Anonymous]

Wow, this thread was right on time! I was just wondering what was up with the starter on my GS!

[Anonymous]

Thanks guys I'll keep an eye out for a starter then, well, after I check to see if I have a draw from somewhere like yall said. And then I'll try oiling the shaft. New starter last resort.

Hey Planecrazy how much voltage and amperage should be getting to the starter anyway? I have one thing that is a draw in power and thats a motorcycle alarm. It draws a slight amount of power even if its off. But that is normal right?

Any ideas about the "sweet spot choking" problem? Or should I add that in another thread.

Thanks again guys.

[Anonymous]

BTW,
Ricks has starters for:

60-301
Rebuilt Starter Motor
$165.00

65-301
Starter Solenoid Switches
$40.00

70-101
Starter Motor Brushes
$19.95

70-503
Brush Plate Repair Kit
$40.00

70-502
Brush Plate Repair Kit
$40.00

70-103
Starter Motor Brushes
$19.95

70-102
Starter Motor Brushes
$19.95