Starter motor really fits out right side of bike???

[Lakota]

Have owned my 2008 XB12XT for a year now. So far have had to resolder grounds for headlights, replace front and rear brake rotors and pads, clutch cable, new battery, voltage regulator, and spoon on a front tire and two rear tires. When I bought it last fall it was already indicating that a starter was in my future. Last Monday it fully died. Tuesday, my car transmission pack it in. Not a good week. No idea when I can get car back on road as it needs the transmission control module replaced. As it turns out, GM parts distribution centers are on strike in the USA, so no idea when I can get that back on the road. I assumed bike would not be as bad, but starting to question that. So, October 02 I ordered a Rareelectrical starter out of the US and a starter gasket, primary gasket, shifter seal, and a starter clutch to rebuild the original starter that crapped the bed, out of the Netherlands. So far I have only the Rareelectrical starter out of Florida and size of it is freaking me out.



how on earth do we move these short little wires to allow the monstruous starter motor out?

***********edit********Rareelectrical starter motor for Buell XB12 from Amazon is too long to fit stock oil vent line********

 

[Cooter]

Yes, it absolutely comes out the right side. You can re-use the primary gasket without issue.

If you want to skip removing the whole clutch basket entirely, take out the allen you can get too (top one), and then use a long ball end allen to loosen the other one (bottom one) and that bolt will stay in the hole as the starter backs out. With the new one, careful to install the bottom allen first to not jam its head into the back of the clutch basket.

Just take the breather off the case and the oil lines off and out of your way. Removing only the engine side oil line connections is enough. The CLIPS FFS, not the hex...

CAUTION:
Rare Electrical e-bay stuff has an issue. The application guide has been wrong for years and they will supply you a starter for a Sportster. That will dump primary oil all over the engine while riding. The difference is a vented starter nose cone bearing or not. (Buells are NOT).

Otherwise they are the same. Check it by removing the nose cone and put a couple ounces of oil in it. It will either stay in it (good) or drain quickly (don't use). If you still want to use that RE starter, you can. You can just swap on your OE nose cone and bearing.

I hope you got the big kW option one. The cheaper one sucks and eats batteries with its struggle to crank over that motor.

 

[Lakota]

It is the 1.4kw one I ordered. Actually the one linked in this thread.

Read first page of thread before leaving for work and used the Amazon link on that thread. Then I got home read the rest of the pages in the thread and panicked but, had already paid for the Rareelectric starter.

Must work tomorrow, then my attention will turn onto this project Thursday.

 

[Lakota]

The difference is a vented starter nose cone bearing or not. (Buells are NOT).

Otherwise they are the same. Check it by removing the nose cone and put a couple ounces of oil in it. It will either stay in it (good) or drain quickly (don't use). If you still want to use that RE starter, you can. You can just swap on your OE nose cone and bearing.

So it does fit out the right side of bike with about a quarter of a millimeter to spare.

View attachment 17181

Do I have to remove nose cone on the RareE starter to do oil test, or can I just pour some in where the blue pen is pointing to see if it has a proper seal?

View attachment 17182

 

[Cooter]

Your pics didn't post, but you can see the differences on the other thread you linked. It's worth taking the bolts out, unless you really enjoyed that job and want to maybe have to do it again?

:black_eyed:

 

[Lakota]

Your pics didn't post, but you can see the differences on the other thread you linked. It's worth taking the bolts out, unless you really enjoyed that job and want to maybe have to do it again?

:black_eyed:

Don't care to ever do this particular job again. Am I doing this test right? Filled top with room temperature Formula+ primary fluid and checked after 10 minutes, none has leaked through.

 

[Cooter]

I did it from the backside, but seems to me an effective test either way. The vent hole (if there is one) is pretty large and should be an obvious leak. If the fluid is staying in that section by the pinion (the part that ends up inside the primary), it makes sense theres no vent hole and OK to install as-is:eagerness:

 

[Lakota]

To be thorough, filled other side with oil and no leak after 3 hours.



Then figured since my Netherlands order was arriving today, I would just wait for the OEM starter clutch and rebuild and use the original.



Big box is from Rareelectrical, small box is a new starter clutch from Twin Motorcycles. I guess you end up with a Rare starter no mater what route you go. The actual company is Wai Components.

So, I might as well put the full new starter in so I have all new brushes etc.

 

[Barrett]

So you're going to "rebuild the OEM starter and use the original"....but "might as well put the full new starter in so I have all new brushes etc"????
Makes perfect sense to me.

 

[Lakota]

So you're going to "rebuild the OEM starter and use the original"....but "might as well put the full new starter in so I have all new brushes etc"????
Makes perfect sense to me.

Thought buying a starter clutch from Twin Motorcycle was going to be the OEM part. Turns out it is same part, from same company, that Rareelectric sells. So I have a full brand new Wai starter, and a 15 year old OEM starter that will only get a new Wai starter clutch. Which part of that makes me foolish in your eyes?

------------------------------------------------------

Current dilemma is top oil line fit.



Have starter torqued to spec.





backing on starter motor sticks out a bit too far to slide oil line back into pump without rotating the line bend upward on starter motor casing. Not liking this, so stewing for now.

 

[Cooter]

You're going to definitely want to bend that oil line so it doesn't touch anything and also so it doesn't have any lateral pressure on the fitting (O-ring). It's OK to give it a tweak but support the fitting end when you do.

I'm surprised that Twin sent you that RE part without indicating it was or wasn't OE but I'm sure it's ok to use as long as you do the same test. I haven't had any issue with the RE unit, just the wrong application way back when TPEHAK and I had that same issue. You're going to like the 1.4kW motor.

 

[Lakota]

Shall be an interesting day tomorrow I am sure Cooter. Took a bus for the first time in my adult life to get a proper tube bender. Won't mess with it until tomorrow morning. Having "a" bourbon while I try to learn how to properly use the tube bending pliers at moment.

 

[Cooter]

Oh no! Haha. You'll be fine. Support the fitting end of the line with your hand and just pull the part thats touching away from the back of the starter. Won't take much.

You shouldn't be bending anything nearly far enough to worry about kinking. Those pliers would be OK to make a line from scratch, but I don't think they will help you do what you need to do. Enjoy that bourbons though:very_drunk:!

 

[Lakota]

So. You cannot undo the 2 45* bends in the oil vent line with the tool that makes them. likewise, cannot bend it out of the way enough. Pulled the new starter motor back out, only to find it is longer than original. Also noticed all weep holes on the starter motor from Rare Electric are on the top when installed, OEM starter has them on the bottom when installed as one would expect.





Old starter now has new starter clutch from Twin Motorcycles installed, and is going back into the bike.

 

[Lakota]

Buttoned up.

 

[Cooter]

Ya, theres no real way of un-doing bends cleanly in a pre made pipe like that. Glad you got it sorted:up:

 

[Pei guy]

I just did the same job on my bike only to find after it was back together, no power to starter…. Cleaned up grounds, replaced relays still nothing. The relay clicks but no power to starter…. It’s a miserable job, would be easier on a lift.

 

[Cooter]

Do you have voltage at the little solenoid wire (Green IIRC?) while attempting to crank?