An issue I haven't run in to before.

[nert]

sounds like you are on the right track now. With an alleged good battery, pretty good voltage drop at the battery, it is sounding like the starter. Did you indicate the mileage on the bike.

A really good way to verify starter or engine problem is to measure amp draw. Hand held meters will only do 20 amps at the most. You need access to an induction meter with a probe that fits around your battery cable and display the amps while cranking. The zuki starter requires about 80 amps to crank and start the engine. The yb14la2 battery is rated at about 190 amps CCA.
Something like? it can maintain at least 7.2 volts across the battery, for 30 seconds, with a 190 amp load at 0 degrees F.

My bikes start instantly. I will have to disable the ignition and check battery voltage while cranking.

[marz]

Sounds Like

a bad ground wire just did mine..

[nert]

Tested my 82' 1100GLZ, 2 year old battery minimum, last run on Friday 09-21-07.

Static battery charge before doing anything. Battery = 12.6 vdc.
Key on, lights on, disable ignition and crank. = Battery volts drop to 11.3 vdc.

Your problem still seems like either, (1) low battery charge, (although battery is new and does same thing on charger). (2) bad starter. or (3) engine problem, (you say runs great, etc, etc once started).

Looking like (2), bad starter.

nert

[spchips]

I had this problem one of the permanent magnets had become less permenant inside the starter motor and was loose, stuck to the next one (there should be 4). I epoxied it back in and it started properly again.

[Dark Jedi]

Well, I replaced all the wiring to the starter and battery, just to be sure. might as well while I am in there...

Pulled the starter, took it apart, and nearly wept.... it was FUBAR inside. magnets had broken free and were sliding around.



So I pulled one from my old GS650G engine and examined it. Almost identical, except near pristine inside.
X-refed the parts with my new program, not crossable, but the 650G starter is used in the 1100G and the 1000L as well as a whole range of others (850,750,450,300). So it has the power to do the job. Shaft is identical in every way. The only difference is that the rear plate is not the same, different mount points.


So i swapped the plate from the 1100E's broken starter to the 650G's good one. perfect fit. Starter is a perfect fit in the bike. I will finish the install and wiring tomorrow and let you know how it goes!

As of this moment, it appears that if you swap the rear plate, you can interchange the starters from many bikes!

[Planecrazy]

Well, I replaced all the wiring to the starter and battery, just to be sure. might as well while I am in there...

Pulled the starter, took it apart, and nearly wept.... it was FUBAR inside. magnets had broken free and were sliding around.



So I pulled one from my old GS650G engine and examined it. Almost identical, except near pristine inside.
X-refed the parts with my new program, not crossable, but the 650G starter is used in the 1100G and the 1000L as well as a whole range of others (850,750,450,300). So it has the power to do the job. Shaft is identical in every way. The only difference is that the rear plate is not the same, different mount points.


So i swapped the plate from the 1100E's broken starter to the 650G's good one. perfect fit. Starter is a perfect fit in the bike. I will finish the install and wiring tomorrow and let you know how it goes!

As of this moment, it appears that if you swap the rear plate, you can interchange the starters from many bikes!

Most interesting! Good luck ... sounds like you're gonna be just fine, though!!

Regards,

[nert]

There are other differences in the starters as well. Usually the 1100 starters have 4 brushes in lieu of 2 brushes. The 4 brushes are used to carry the additional starter power required by the larger displacement and higher compression engines.
I am glad your problem as been correctly identified!

[Dark Jedi]

There are other differences in the starters as well. Usually the 1100 starters have 4 brushes in lieu of 2 brushes. The 4 brushes are used to carry the additional starter power required by the larger displacement and higher compression engines.
I am glad your problem as been correctly identified!

The starter that came off the 1100 had 2 brushes, just like the one that came off the 650.
Your post makes sense, anyone with an 1100E starter care to see if I had the wrong starter to start with?

[Planecrazy]

The starter that came off the 1100 had 2 brushes, just like the one that came off the 650.
Your post makes sense, anyone with an 1100E starter care to see if I had the wrong starter to start with?

Can't vouch for an 1100E, but the starter on my 1100G has four brushes.

Regards,

[Dark Jedi]

Can't vouch for an 1100E, but the starter on my 1100G has four brushes.

Regards,

All data is useful.

[Dark Jedi]

Getting a tad irritated.

Replaced all wiring, from the battery to the starter, on positive and negative sides.
No change.

Tried a straight wire from pos to starter, still cranks slow.

Gonna grab a set of starter brushes with 4 brushes and try again. Maybe the P.O. put the wrong brushes in and it has always been a dog to start sometimes. Would explain why he came down from $2200 to $1100.

I WILL win this battle. No GS has defeated me yet! Except that 650 sitting in the garage in pieces... it has put a whuppin on me a couple of times...

[focus frenzy]

Getting a tad irritated.

Replaced all wiring, from the battery to the starter, on positive and negative sides.
No change.

Tried a straight wire from pos to starter, still cranks slow.

Gonna grab a set of starter brushes with 4 brushes and try again. Maybe the P.O. put the wrong brushes in and it has always been a dog to start sometimes. Would explain why he came down from $2200 to $1100.

I WILL win this battle. No GS has defeated me yet! Except that 650 sitting in the garage in pieces... it has put a whuppin on me a couple of times...

A HA!! having a two brush starter will cause your problem as it is a much lower torque starter.

[Dark Jedi]

Y'all ain't gonna believe this.

Primary issue: Apparently a dead rectifier.

Compounded: My charger died. it produces no current, though the gauges say it's doing it's thing. All my "good" charged batteries were dead as a doornail. The new battery started good, cranked well for a bit as reported, then bogged down again.
AARRGGHH!!

New charger, starts fine, recharges fine from charger. Dies when not. The Official GS Resources electrical t-shoot guide points at rectifier. As post # 2, 4 , 8, and 17-23 inclusive suggested.

But the starter swap from the GS650 to the GS1100 has worked without a hitch. I'll call that useful data learned.

[Dark Jedi]

Update: New rectifier fixed it, and it purs like a kitten. A 27 year old air cooled kitten, but a kitten nonetheless.

And the starter swap was flawless. Writing up for tips and tricks today.

[Planecrazy]

Outstanding! Glad to hear you finally solved it ... Don't you just hate when completely unrelated problems mysteriously come together to make what should have been an easy diagnosis damn near impossible?

Regards,