New Kind of Starter issue..

[MotoPhreke]

Ok guys, here's a new one. I've been searching and reading a fair amount this morning and haven't happened upon anything. Even the manual doesn't seem to have a scenario for this.

I went out for a long weekend of riding about 400 miles away. Halfway through the first day the bike was running great I was living the dream.

I stopped to get something to drink and when I came back to start my bike. It just make a big ka-chunk, my dash panel freaked out and the only light that was lit up was the high beam beam light. Cycling the ignition a couple times had no effect what-so-ever. I looked at all my fuses they were all fine. I pulled the seat and looked at the main system fuse, it too looked fine.

I proceeded to disconnect the battery cables let it sit for few minutes and reconnected them. I turned the ignition on and everything powered up normally. I hit the starter button again again same thing, a big click out of the starter and the system went dead. This time I hit the button a couple times and heard the relay clicking so I think that's fine.

I had to remove the battery cables again to reset the whole system. I could then pop start the bike and continue riding it. But the caveat was I could not hit that starter button at all or it would trip the whole electronic system..

When I got to where I was going I was able to get a new battery, I installed the battery ran my tests and the scenario was the same.

I'm wondering if the solenoid is stuck or maybe the brushes wore so thin that they fell into the rotor assembly and are actually shorting out the starter itself.

I'm 90 percent sure I need a starter, but I'd hater to pull the trigger on one and find out it's not that.

Has anyone known or heard of this happening before?

Sadly, I had to pop the bike for the next three days to complete my trip of over 1800 miles..

Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[OldGeezer]

Hey MotoPhreke it sounds as though your starter is seized or has a dead short. I think your solenoid is probably OK, or at least stuck in the in position. I think you need to remove the starter motor and solenoid and bench test them and the replace as necessary.

Good luck

 

[MotoPhreke]

Thanks Geezer, I've got a re manufactured one on the way.. Just thought it was odd that it freaked out the electrical system without actually blowing the fuse.. I'll update the post when I've fixed it just so anyone else that might have this happen will know..

 

[Iamarchangel]

Long shot.

Heavy green wire under the relay box (from relay to starter) had a lot of insulation worn off on the 9R. I put electrical tape on it just in case.

Doesn't quite fit your situation but close. Easy enough to check.

 

[anrkizm95]

had this same problem bought a starter got my old one off and decided to take the solenoid apart found corrosion on the internal conntacts cleaned reinstalled and have had no problems for 6 months

 

[MotoPhreke]

Thanks Anrkizm.. I'll check it out when I pull it off.. I have another XB as well so it'll be nice to have a spare anyhow.. I'm ripping it apart tonight so maybe I could even thwart the replacement before it arrives.. Either way it sounds like I'll be back in business by the weekend.. Got another nice one coming up.. [up]