Starter motor won't turn on bike - bench tests ok

[Sci85]

My subject line says it all. On the bike, the solenoid clicks but the starter motor won't turn. Battery is fully charged at is a 220 CCA AGM that I use on my 4 cylinder Zook. So i took it off the bike and bench tested it and it spins fine.

Where do I investigate next?

Thanks,

Sci85

 

[5twins]

I would jump the solenoid (short between the two large cable connections). If the starter spins, the solenoid is probably bad.

 

[XSLeo]

It might be your starter relay is bad. Or solenoid, Same thing.
I would reinstall the starter, leave the cable coming up from the starter loose from the relay. Jump from battery positive to the cable from the starter.
Another thing, the starter grounds to the engine, the engine grounds to the frame, frame to battery. On the rear engine mount, the one that is two kinda triangular pieces and three bolts. Remove it, clean the contact points on the two mount pieces where they touch the frame. Clean the places on the frame the mount pieces touch. Clean bare metal to clean bare metal. This will help correct a weak ground. I would also do the top mount. All four pieces and the bolts that hold the pieces together.
Front mount too.
A thin coat of grease on all these contact points will help prevent corrosion that will stop the ground.
Oh one more ground point, when you reinstall the starter clean off the contact points where the starter touches the engine. Clean bare metal to clean bare metal. Where the battery ground strap hooks to the frame, another place for clean bare metal to clean bare metal.
With the starter off, clean the cable ends, the stud the cable hooks too.
All electricity travels in a circle. All your power side can be good but without good grounds stuff don't work well.
If the starter spins the engine buy doing the jump thing then your starter relay is probably bad.
Leo

 

[Sci85]

Solenoid is good. It clicks when I hit the start button so I'm assuming it's working. Haven't checked out the ground though. I'll do that before I put it back on.

 

[XSLeo]

The solenoid may click, this closes the contacts, the contacts may be burnt up. Burnt contacts = no power gets through to starter.
Leo

 

[gggGary]

Do the lights dim when you press the start button \ie is something keeping the motor from turning or is it not getting current. +1 short across the solenoid terminals with a big ole screwdriver. Never wear your wedding ring when messing with electrical....

 

[MrYeats]

I would jump the solenoid (short between the two large cable connections). If the starter spins, the solenoid is probably bad.

I used a pair of pliers back in the day, to start my 66 Mustang...

 

[Sci85]

I'll try shorting the relay when I get back to town but something tells me it might be ground related as I am in the process of creating a wiring harness...

Thanks for all the input.

 

[payaso13]

I have a 78 that im having issue with...im curious of what you use to jump starter cable to positive battery post in leos post above. Its night here so gonna troubleshoot tomorrow. With key on switch on run..push starter button only a click noise from solenoid area...i see where leo said might still click but burnt contacts inside. with key on and in run i put big screwdriver across big post and just get little sparks..engine doesn't turn..first time doing that so im not sure if thats how you test. Battery is charged ..tail and healights on...ill check starter grounds and other grounds tomorrow...any other comments to help id appreciate

 

[retiredgentleman]

Everyone says their battery is charged, but it may not have the capacity i.e can't provide the 80 to 100 amps needed. I suggest you remove the battery and install another battery as a test. You could also use some jumper cables from your car or truck.

If you think your battery is fully charged, try this. Connect your digital VOM to the 2 battery terminals, set to read volts on 20 volt scale.
Watch the VOM meter as you push the starter button.. If you see the volt reading drops below 10 volts, your battery must be replaced.

 

[weaselbeak]

Bench testing is subjective. There is spinning, and then there is spinning. A starter may spin, but without much oomph. It should try to jump out of your hand with a hard hit urgency. If it just spins, it's weak.

 

[gggGary]

Yup big ole screw driver across the two big terminals. It needs to be kind of a forceful push to make solid contact. But if the solenoid is clicking it's probably fine. Remove clean and check your ground strap from battery to frame, they are often rotted. Bad weak starters can happen. If an oil seal leaks they get filled with kludge and it kind of floats the brushes off the armature not the most common failure on an XS650. On an old virago it's nearly a given. If you use jumpers, other vehicle is not running.

 

[member3480]

I have had starter spin out of bike but not in bike and it was a bad or weak starter. One I even grabbed then end while spinning and it stopped. a strong starter should jump all over if full power on bench not just sit there and turn.

 

[5twins]

Check the heavy cable connection on the starter motor itself. That's what was wrong with mine when I got it. That connection was all rusty.

 

[kshansen]

Everyone says their battery is charged, but it may not have the capacity i.e can't provide the 80 to 100 amps needed. I suggest you remove the battery and install another battery as a test. You could also use some jumper cables from your car or truck.

If you think your battery is fully charged, try this. Connect your digital VOM to the 2 battery terminals, set to read volts on 20 volt scale.
Watch the VOM meter as you push the starter button.. If you see the volt reading drops below 10 volts, your battery must be replaced.

Very true, I wanted to try starting the engine I just assembled and put in my 1982 XS650, did not have a batter so I pulled the one out of my 1978 XS400. It would try to crank but only get about one crank. Left on trickle charger over night, same thing. Checked voltage with key off and it was well over 12 volts fresh off the charger. Hit starter button and it drops down to low single digits!

Guess any test running of the XS650 will in kick start mode for now! It does kick start pretty good right now, or did till I noticed the carb leaking on the right side!

 

[payaso13]

Thank you for the replies ill start with battery and go from there...just heading out to garage to troubleshoot

 

[payaso13]

Also to add the issue was i started bike no problem for work..idled fine for warm up..went 2 blocks and stubbled and died. Head light,tail lights on ...tried button to start..nothing...kicked but wouldnt start...few more times started but stubbled for a block and that was it...pushed it home

 

[payaso13]

Ok with multimeter battery is at 16...push starter button goes to 4???

 

[5twins]

I'd say your battery shit the bed. Is it the sealed type? If so, that's how they die, no warning, good one minute, gone bad the next. I've had two fail on me so far and both did it just like yours, while I was riding down the road.

 

[retiredgentleman]

Very true, I wanted to try starting the engine I just assembled and put in my 1982 XS650, did not have a batter so I pulled the one out of my 1978 XS400. It would try to crank but only get about one crank. Left on trickle charger over night, same thing. Checked voltage with key off and it was well over 12 volts fresh off the charger. Hit starter button and it drops down to low single digits!

Guess any test running of the XS650 will in kick start mode for now! It does kick start pretty good right now, or did till I noticed the carb leaking on the right side!

Yes, the voltage reading of 12 volts or even 12.5 volts means nothing. You have to do a load test, and the starter motor is a good load tester. Low single digits = dead battery.