80 GS1100ET starter just spins

[woodman]

Starter just spins, wont engage flywheel or whatever it engages. Any way to lube that short of removal ? Bike had set 9 years and I was tring to start it. It spun the engine over the first few tries then just quit and makes a spinning noise. Any help would be appreciated. Book say starter & cam adjuster have to come off to remove it. Thats a nightmare

[Nessism]

Book say starter & cam adjuster have to come off to remove it. Thats a nightmare

...it gets worse; starter clutch is inside the stator cover - a common weak point on GS bikes.

Have fun!

[woodman]

Can you work on it from just removing the stator cover ?

[Nessism]

Can you work on it from just removing the stator cover ?

No, the rotor needs to be removed...which requires a special tool. Not a hard job, but not trivial either.

[focus frenzy]

the starter spins a idler gear that spins the starter clutch gear. the starter clutch is a assembly of a housing that has three rollers that are pressed down by springs and pins and they ride in tapered angled slots. engine running the rollers just spin free, but when you hit the starter button to start it they wedge against a flange on the starter clutch gear and this spins over the engine.

the starter clutch is screwed to the back side of the charging system rotor/ fly wheel.

the most common failures to this system is the mounting screws shear off or come loose (just makes spinning noise), the rotor comes loose (normaly makes nasty noise when starter is spun), and the rollers do wear and sometimes can get stuck back and not have enough pressure from the springs to engage. this latter one is a strong possibility as you say it has sat a long time.

I recoment taking the rotor off, motion pro sells the tool needed, and rebuilding the starter clutch with new rollers, pins and springs.

look at the housing and see if there are dimples from the springs in the housing, these will need to be knocked back down carefully. I have done three starter clutches and all three had the dimples and one was big enough to split and make a hole. these come from the rollers being thrown out by the spinning force and the pins the springs sit in hit the outer housing.

[woodman]

Oh well, its got to be done, the bike is like brand new with 17000 miles but the tank is a mess inside and now this. Ill order the tool, thanks a lot for the help, this is my first Suzuki, always wanted one. Be careful what you wish for, you might get it.

[woodman]

Is that the puller with the reverse threads that screws into the rotor and has a bolt that tightens down to remove the rotor? I have a similar Yamaha tool, just wondering if it will work ?

[woodman]

Nope, different number, should have known better