Starter weirdness

[1974jh5]

Okay, I call myself officially stumped.

My 1980 XS650G street tracker starts just fine with the kickstarter but since I'm lazy I'd like to have the electric starter working. When you hit the button, it just goes 'click' and doesn't turn the engine. So I have: swapped batteries, tried jumpstarting it, and put another newsed starter on it, all with the same results. I can't see a damn thing wrong with the gears in either the reduction side or in the engagement side. They seem to move freely. Both starters spin like mad when you put power to them off the bike. If I apply power directly to the starter positive post when it's on the engine, it still just goes 'click'.

So am I missing something?

 

[kvanderploeg]

So, have you checked the starter solenoid? Do you get 12V to the starter side of the solenoid when you hit the starter button?

Kent

 

[gggGary]

He jumpered the solenoid. How is the ground strap? Jumper that. Did you pull the clutch cover and look at the starter gears? This is kinda out there but the shock springs on the back of the clutch break and pieces can fall in funny spots, the starter gears are right there.

 

[retiredgentleman]

Is your cable from the battery negative, to the frame, in good condition? They can become frayed and have high resistance. Does this cable connect to bare metal on the frame?

 

[1974jh5]

I added a no kidding 8 ga. ground cable which goes to one of the case bolts and the other end is under the same bolt as the battery ground cable. When I hit the starter button, the solenoid clicks and I get +12V at the battery, if I jumper the starter solenoid with a screwdriver the screwdriver gets hot REAL quick which tells me the starter's drawing a heap of power.

The clutch basket looks good, but ya never know... I think I'll pull that cover and check again. From what I can tell, the shaft which goes from the reduction housing on the left side of the bike to the back side of the clutch is nothing more than an idler shaft, right?

 

[jamesgs4]

hook a battery directly to the starter and that will let you know which component is not working properly. If the starter spins and engages, then the starting circuit is bad, if the starter does not spin, then the starter or the gears are bad.

 

[Dakota_Lew]

Yea if it goes "click click" that is the solenoid engaging and disengaging, james suggestion above is the route i would go to trouble shoot it.