After running three XS650s to reasonably high sorts of milages, I ended up either disconecting the electric starter, or removing it altogether.
The best run I ever had with a working starter was about six months, after fitting a new bendix pinion gear, and even then I used the kickstart most of the time.
So now I've adopted a ruthless policy of completely removing the electric foot from my bikes.
I've found that a 46mm automotive core plug makes the best and cheapest filler for the starter motor aperture.
I've also found that the bendix gear shaft, which is pressed into the lower crankcase, will just drop out (if you remove the retaining screw, obviously) once the cases are heated to around 200°C.
Obviously, I've removed the soleniod switch etc, and even replaced the R/H handlebar switch with a hybrid RD item with no starter push button.
I'm not actually sure how much weight I've managed to lose, but at least I know that I won't be shedding loads of hardened steel fragments from that bendix pinion every time I use the e-start.
My only nagging doubt is that getting rid of that problematic starter motor will have lowered the resale value of my bikes.
So am I massively ruining my resale prospects ?
TBH, if I go to look at an XS that's up for sale, I either expect the stater to work poorly, or not at all.
The best run I ever had with a working starter was about six months, after fitting a new bendix pinion gear, and even then I used the kickstart most of the time.
So now I've adopted a ruthless policy of completely removing the electric foot from my bikes.
I've found that a 46mm automotive core plug makes the best and cheapest filler for the starter motor aperture.
I've also found that the bendix gear shaft, which is pressed into the lower crankcase, will just drop out (if you remove the retaining screw, obviously) once the cases are heated to around 200°C.
Obviously, I've removed the soleniod switch etc, and even replaced the R/H handlebar switch with a hybrid RD item with no starter push button.
I'm not actually sure how much weight I've managed to lose, but at least I know that I won't be shedding loads of hardened steel fragments from that bendix pinion every time I use the e-start.
My only nagging doubt is that getting rid of that problematic starter motor will have lowered the resale value of my bikes.
So am I massively ruining my resale prospects ?
TBH, if I go to look at an XS that's up for sale, I either expect the stater to work poorly, or not at all.