Starter Solenoid Problems

[twerth]

I'm getting power to the solenoid when I press the starter button (via the yellow/green wire at the solenoid), but the starter won't spin. The starter works fine when I jump the solenoid poles with a screwdriver. I replaced the solenoid and still have the same problem. Could it be a bad ground?

[tomm]

If you can short across the solenoid and the starter spins, that rules out the starter. And you replaced the solenoid, that should rule out the solenoid as well. Only thing left would be the circuit that activates the solenoid. Most likely is a bad ground from the solenoid back to battery negative. Other possibility, but less likely is a bad connection from battery positive to the solenoid. I assume when you say you have voltage at the solenoid, you mean battery voltage and not something less. (If less, you have a bad connection in the circuit feeding 12V to the solenoid.) Try running a separate wire from the solenoid ground to the battery negative and see if that helps.

[duaneage]

I got stuck in Home Depot's parking lot with this problem. The solenoid benefits from a real ground wire on it.

[twerth]

I have to apologize for not using the search feature first. There's a lot of good information on this subject out there. I've been doing this long enough, I should know better.

However, duaneage and tomm were right on. I added a ground wire from one of the solenoid mounting bolts up to the battery negative and everything works like it should. Apparently the battery boxes not providing a good ground is a common problem with these bikes.

Thanks

[chef1366]

In a way I think you just bypassed the clutch safety switch.