Not sure what's wrong with your starter, but it can be tested without removing it.
If it needs to be replaced, the front mounting fasteners can be a bitch to access, that's why sometimes it's better to remove the diode board and go from front to access them. Depends on the model. and your dexterity.
With a test light.... the small black wire on the solenoid should have power when you press the starter button.
Want a test that is independent of the actual bike? A test that will rule out ALL wiring, battery, switch or relay (possible) issues, and just confirm beyond a shadow of a doubt if your actual starter is working correctly?
1 - Disconnect the small black wire from spade terminal on the solenoid.
2 - Get your car and some booster cables.
3 - Hook up the positive from the car to the main power wire (the big one on top) on your starter.
4 - Negative from car goes to a solid ground on engine case close to starter.
Not necessary to have car running
Now, jumping the power (with a screwdriver or similar implement) from that 'main wire' to the 'solenoid spade terminal' will activate the starter (if it is good).
Mechanic from Hell "I remember every raging second of it...
My bike was on fire, the road was on fire, and I was on fire.
It was the best ride ever!"
Thanx C! Would the intermittent nature of my problem be exposed, while testing with the starter in the bike?
GSPD suggested a method to test just the starter, isolated from the from the bike, while still installed, boosting from another battery.
The intermittent ability to start normally is very confusing.
Removing the starter is not going to be easy from the looks of it:(
I replaced the starter relay with no change.
I have a new power cable that goes from the positive battery terminal to the solenoid. I'll replace that as part of this process. I don't see any problem (corrosion) with the old one.
This is my initial post:
"So most of the time bike starts right up.
Once in a while all I get is a single loud click and no cranking.
I'll try it a few more times and then it starts normally.
Works fine all day, then I get home and try it , and just get a click.
Starts fine with kick starter.
Had battery tested and is cranking above it's rating. Battery good."
I replaced the starter relay with no change. Have bought a load tester and battery checks out.
Rob generously posted a list of 5 things to test. But a lot of that will require removal.
1. Check the starter mounting bolts. If these are slightly loose the starter can jam intermittently. The motor earth (ground) is also through the motor/casing interface so a loose bolt may mean the motor earth is suspect,
2. Are the big contacts on the rear of the starter solenoid tight, is the main lead to the battery sound, is the braid from the solenoid into the starter in good condition. Any of these could lead to a bad connection.
3. The contacts inside the solenoid can become eroded and burnt. The solenoid can be dismantled (needless to say, with the starter off the bike) and the contacts can be cleaned up if they're pitted or distorted. That being said, you can never restore eroded metal to the contacts so you may wish to consider replacing the solenoid.
4. Are the starter brushes moving freely and not worn excessively? A stuck or worn brush can fail to make contact intermittently. Dismantle and clean... replace brushes if worn.
5. Check the commutator of the starter. do this with a multimeter or test light checking that there is continuity between adjacent segments. Don't worry about the electrical resistance (unless there is some), it is so low as to be effectively unmeasurable with normal instruments. A commutator segment that doesn't show continuity is defective and will stop the starter from running if it happens to come to a stop with that segment under a brush. The only practical remedy is a replacement commutator (in reality, a replacement starter).
At this stage it's time to take the motor out and at least give it a good going over. There is a strong probability that the fault will be with the rotor or with the solenoid and you aren't going to be able to find out which with the motor in the bike. It is possible to get it out without removing the diode board but it's an unbelievable faff and I would always remove the board now. It's only four nuts and a few wiring connections... if you're worried about the wiring take notes and/or attach labels to each wire. There are, of course, other possibilities but, if the solenoid is activating, which it appears to be, then the chance that you are going to find/fix the problem without removing the motor are vanishingly small.
No, the starter lifts straight out of the bike. You need to remove the diode board to get access to a bolt that secures a steel plate support for the rear of the motor. Once that bolt is removed (and everything else is disconnected), you can simply lift the starter out of the top of then engine. One of the benefits of the later Valeo motor is that, being lighter, it doesn't use the support at the rear of the motor so the issue doesn't arise. Probably fortunate given the unreliability of the early Valeo starters .
I was able to access the M6 (10mm hex head) screw that holds that steel plate to the engine case through a hole in the engine case after moving the wires from the alternator just a bit out of the way. This was on both a /6 and a /7. Your results may vary.
I don't see any way to get to both nuts that hold the starter to that steel plate other than maybe a ratcheting crow's foot distributor style bent wrench.
Call me Mel. Some years ago- never mind how long precisely- having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me at home, I thought I would ride about a little and see the other parts of the world.
melville wrote: ↑Sun Jan 31, 2021 12:05 pm
I don't see any way to get to both nuts that hold the starter to that steel plate other than maybe a ratcheting crow's foot distributor style bent wrench.
You don't really need to... once the bolt into the crankcase is removed, the starter will lift out with the bracket attached. The biggest nuisance is trying to retrieve the bolt when it inevitably drops out as you remove it...
Rob
Last edited by Rob Frankham on Fri Feb 05, 2021 6:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
melville wrote: ↑Sun Jan 31, 2021 12:05 pm
I don't see any way to get to both nuts that hold the starter to that steel plate other than maybe a ratcheting crow's foot distributor style bent wrench.
You ndon't really need to... once the bolt into the crankcase is removed, the starter will lift out with the bracket attached. The biggest nuisance is trying to retrieve the bolt when it inevitably drops out as you remove it...
Rob
Indeed, I wasn't clear. Just the one M6 screw to remove and the bracket comes out with the starter. The two little nuts are obvious but aren't coming out with the starter in place with any normal tools.
Call me Mel. Some years ago- never mind how long precisely- having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me at home, I thought I would ride about a little and see the other parts of the world.
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