Starting problems.

[Eliseo Monteverde]

This bike is a gs 650g.
Suddenly the motorcycle left crank.
While I am holding the firing button it comes a noise that seems to be a machine gun from the starter solenoid.
Carbs have been cleaned, starter motor and brushes, have been cheked and cleaned.
Battery is in 13.5 volts.
Also I have tried to spin the engine without plugs, but nothing has change.

Could be the problem the solenoid itself?

Thanks in advance!

[Steve]

Maybe not so much the solenoid, but check that the solenoid is well-grounded to the chassis.
It is usually bolted to the battery box, which is rubber-mounted.
It has a wire to ground it, but the connection might be bad, so it is better to run a new wire directly from the solenoid mount to a chassis ground.

.

[Eliseo Monteverde]

Maybe not so much the solenoid, but check that the solenoid is well-grounded to the chassis.
It is usually bolted to the battery box, which is rubber-mounted.
It has a wire to ground it, but the connection might be bad, so it is better to run a new wire directly from the solenoid mount to a chassis ground.

.

Thank you for your quick reply,!
Actually the solenoid is bolted as you suggested me.
Also I have tried to add a direct wire from the negative battery to the solenoid case....but nothing has change...

[850 Combat]

Try to short accross the solenoid wire from the battery and the one to the starter, which is what the soneoid should be doing inside. If it cranks, the solenoid is bad. T

he machine gun noise you describe sounds a bit line lowbattery noise, but at 13 .5 volts, it could be bad battery connections. Clean and reconnect the bolted connections.

[Steve]

... but at 13 .5 volts, it could be bad battery connections. Clean and reconnect the bolted connections.

It is possible for a battery to put out 13.5 volts with no load, but have internal problems that prevent it from maintaining that when a load is applied.

Eliseo, do you have another battery you can try? One way to check, before purchasing a new battery, is to use jumper cables connected to your car's battery, but do NOT have the car running when you try this.

.

[Eliseo Monteverde]

Try to short accross the solenoid wire from the battery and the one to the starter, which is what the soneoid should be doing inside. If it cranks, the solenoid is bad. T

he machine gun noise you describe sounds a bit line lowbattery noise, but at 13 .5 volts, it could be bad battery connections. Clean and reconnect the bolted connections.

Well, I will review connections to ground and sand them with a #220 emery paper. Thank you.

[Eliseo Monteverde]

It is possible for a battery to put out 13.5 volts with no load, but have internal problems that prevent it from maintaining that when a load is applied.

Eliseo, do you have another battery you can try? One way to check, before purchasing a new battery, is to use jumper cables connected to your car's battery, but do NOT have the car running when you try this.

.

Yes, at the moment I have a 55 amps. car battery charging. Thank you.

[terrylee]

Sorry, to bust into this thread, but I having a starter problem too on the $80. swap meet 81 450t. I cleaned every contact,wire, put on a new starter switch (new one I didn't use for a car). I can get voltage everywhere (bypassed clutch switch), all the way to the yellow/green wire on the starter switch,but no voltage to the large black starter wire on the switch when I push the start button. If I jump the two large bolts on the starter switch with a screwdriver it starts right up.(YEAH!) I also put a ground wire on the plate which holds the starter switch. I even tried touching the yell/green wire to the large black starter wire, but did nothing. I can only think there is a problem with the large starter wire, but if so why can I start it with a screwdriver? Any ideas greatly appreciated

[posplayr]

Sorry, to bust into this thread, but I having a starter problem too on the $80. swap meet 81 450t. I cleaned every contact,wire, put on a new starter switch (new one I didn't use for a car). I can get voltage everywhere (bypassed clutch switch), all the way to the yellow/green wire on the starter switch,but no voltage to the large black starter wire on the switch when I push the start button. If I jump the two large bolts on the starter switch with a screwdriver it starts right up.(YEAH!) I also put a ground wire on the plate which holds the starter switch. I even tried touching the yell/green wire to the large black starter wire, but did nothing. I can only think there is a problem with the large starter wire, but if so why can I start it with a screwdriver? Any ideas greatly appreciated

Sound Like:

The solenoid coil return is through it's case; when mounted in rubber it can loose a ground back to the battery negative. Run a wire from solenoid mount to the negative side of the battery.

[terrylee]

I did ground a wire from the starter switch base to the main grounds in the wiring harness, but still nothing. thanks for the response. terrylee.

[posplayr]

I did ground a wire from the starter switch base to the main grounds in the wiring harness, but still nothing. thanks for the response. terrylee.

Terry,
You have written "starter switch", so I'm wondering which you mean or are you referring to the "starter solenoid"? The switch is on the handlebar, the solenoid is the one with the big battery leads.

If the solenoid is in fact grounded you should be able to measure 12V from the control wire (when starter button is depressed) to anywhere on the solenoid housing (i.e. the mounting bolts). If not then it is not grounded and will not switch the internal bar.

If the above checks out and still no joy, it sounds like the solenoid is open which you can verify using an ohm meter; the coil should be something like 4-5 ohms (a guess) and you will see open which means it needs replacing. Suggest removing the battery ground when doing this test.

Jim

[Eliseo Monteverde]

Finally works!

Ok, problem was solved, and hope that works for other guys.

First of all, I have dismantled the starter solenoid and found that the copper contacts were melted, so I could fix them with a bastard file and finish with a second cut. (you can also rotate the copper pieces on it self)
Thereafter,comprobe using jumper cables connected to my car's battery, and notice that the machine gun noise has desappeared and instead sounds a pleasant and single "clap" when I pushed the starter button, and when I leave leave the button is heard another "clap".
But, the starter motor still was dead
After that dismantled the starter and found that a brush insulator was "touching" the plate where is placed, i have replaced the brushes taking special care at the ensamble moment, and inspect the starter motor in a a bench vice putting the negative pole in the bench vice and te possitive in the starter screw.
Then it works.
After this, was mounted on the bike and also works.

I hope this could help.

For more details write me a few words.
...and excuse my bad English please.

[Big T]

Congradulations Eliseo!

You found both problems, which are common on old bikes, and solved them with a bit of clean up

And you English is better than some people on the forums that claim to be from the USA!

[Eliseo Monteverde]

Congradulations Eliseo!

You found both problems, which are common on old bikes, and solved them with a bit of clean up

And you English is better than some people on the forums that claim to be from the USA!

Thank you Big T.

I am a machinist, not a motorbikes mechanic or electrician , but I have learnt many things here, thanks to all the people at the GSR forum.

Thank you to you too

[terrylee]

Terry,
You have written "starter switch", so I'm wondering which you mean or are you referring to the "starter solenoid"? The switch is on the handlebar, the solenoid is the one with the big battery leads.

If the solenoid is in fact grounded you should be able to measure 12V from the control wire (when starter button is depressed) to anywhere on the solenoid housing (i.e. the mounting bolts). If not then it is not grounded and will not switch the internal bar.

If the above checks out and still no joy, it sounds like the solenoid is open which you can verify using an ohm meter; the coil should be something like 4-5 ohms (a guess) and you will see open which means it needs replacing. Suggest removing the battery ground when doing this test.

Jim

Jim thanks I guess I'm calling it by the wrong name, I did mean the solenoid. I will do the test when I get home tonight. Thanks. terrylee