750t won't turn over - just humms

[yasser]

Just out of nowhere the bike will not start. It turned over just a bit and then nothing. The battery is fully charged, I have power to the lights. Holding the starter button results in a humm sound. Does this sound like the starter went bad? Or?

It happened about a month ago and I put it off as a cold weather project.

[chef1366]

Sounds like a bad starter to me. Is it humming from the starter or the selonoid?

[Redman]

Humming?

Well, maybe the starter is turning and that might sound like humming, the mechanical vibration of the motor spinning might sound like humming. When you let off the starter button does the humming sound reduce in frequency as the starter coast to a stop? A starter motor will have momentum and coast to a stop (over 1 second or less).
I suspect the Starter motor is turning but the starter clutch not engaging, so starter turning but not turning over the engine.

I cant think of anything electrically that would humm on a DC system like it might on an AC system.
And Nothing electrical will have momentum and coast to a stop.

.

[yasser]

Sounds like a bad starter to me. Is it humming from the starter or the selonoid?

The starter is not spinning - I took the cover off to confirm. The sound does not appear to be comming from the starter. It makes be nervous to hold the starter button in too long. Selonid then I guess. Time to hit the books and find it.

[chef1366]

If the starter is humming it is not the solenoid. The starter needs cleaned or rebuilt. I even have one laying around if you need one.

[robertbarr]

Just for safety, I'd pull the plugs and see how it turns over by hand before you put a lot of effort into cranking an engine that might be damaged by such efforts.

It's possible (and I've seen an example very recently) that you have a cylinder full of fuel, which of course won't compress at all. In the example I saw (and later purchased), the bike ran great before the episode. You can screw up a connecting rod by forcing the issue (or the crank, in this case).

[Zooks]

Well, we all enjoy a good hummer every now and again don't we?

[yasser]

Well, we all enjoy a good hummer every now and again don't we?

Not if nothing gets started.

[Dave8338]

Just for safety, I'd pull the plugs and see how it turns over by hand before you put a lot of effort into cranking an engine that might be damaged by such efforts.

It's possible (and I've seen an example very recently) that you have a cylinder full of fuel, which of course won't compress at all. In the example I saw (and later purchased), the bike ran great before the episode. You can screw up a connecting rod by forcing the issue (or the crank, in this case).

Thought I'de bump this post, it would be the very next thing I would check as well.

[yasser]

The bike will readily bump start. I'll get a wrench and meter on it soon and let you know what is found.

[yasser]

It was the Starter - as suggested. I found a used one and finally got around to trying it. We are up and going again. What a thirll to hear it come alive.

I may have to take the old starter apart and see what makes it tick (or not in this case).


THANKS guys!

[spchips]

I've seen the outer magnets fall off the outer case, and they will shred and not allow the starter to turn after that. If you're careful you can remove all the bits and epoxy the magnet back in, good as new.

Really though they should be easy to find used, since they don't break in accidents and are not typical wear items.