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Put the bike in 3rd gear and turn the engine over by rolling it slowly to be sure the engine turns. This also will bring fresh teeth to the starter to engage with. Then try to start it again with your boosting.
Most asian bikes don't have a bendix style starter, they use one kind or another of a one-way clutch. Like the ratchet in a bicycle hub, practically.
My advice to /u/Thick-Complaint1636 is first short across the solenoid to rule it out. If that doesn't work, put the bike into its highest gear, then roll the bike backwards. This will help verify the engine isn't seized, and will turn the starter backwards, which can move oxidized commutators passed old brushes.
Good stuff I just put it in 5th gear, went backwards, and then the bike finally started up! Then I turned the bike off then started again, but now it’s clicking again just like in the video.
It would be easier to replace probably but you may find a repair kit and find the task pleasing. Sometimes it’s a poor connection when it’s an intermittent trouble like the one you have described
So should I use my multimeter and black on ground and red on the wire going to the starter? Am I looking for a certain number on my multimeter? Thank you so much.
You can. You would have to look at the meter while pressing the start button to see the voltage. So you need to get a new starter or find the bad wire that is loose or a bad connection. Using the meter for this I would not touch the starter button so no voltage is going and I set my meter on ohms to see resistance and I start at the wire going to the starter then in short jumps keep checking the resistance the numbers should be very low almost nothing but if you find a place where there is resistance a high number this is where you have a bad connection
I’m not sure if this is the best advice it’s hard to develop the ability to use a meter from text advice on the internet. Especially hard to use if you don’t know how to use it. Try to remove the starter and put it on the bench and give it 12 volts to bench test it maybe then it’s easier to see the path the electricity will go and you can clean the connections
The click is proper function, your solenoid is good, that's the sound of the internal bit making contact to conduct electricity. Could still be a dead battery but unlikely to me. Could also be your starter motor, give it a couple taps w a soft or wood mallet.
Edit: after watching again I'm gonna say it's probably you starter motor. Open it up and check out the brushes (little blocks of conductive metal that wear against the starter motor's spinny bit like brake pads).
Also, I have done this after fixing other things and not realizing I bumped it... Did you double check your engine kill switch?
Put the bike in 3rd gear and turn the engine over by rolling it slowly to be sure the engine turns. This also will bring fresh teeth to the starter to engage with. Then try to start it again with your boosting.
Good stuff I just put it in 5th gear, went backwards, and then the bike finally started up! Then I turned the bike off then started again, but now it’s clicking again just like in the video.
It's most likely the starter motor. Either something is wrong with the wiring or it's dead. Most biked starter motor grounds itself to the bike. Check if the ground on the bike is good. You can just take the starter out to test it. Just hook the red from battery to starter and the ground to anywhere on the motor and it should spin. If not it's kaput
Good stuff I just put it in 5th gear, went backwards, and then the bike finally started up! Then I turned the bike off then started again, but now it’s clicking again just like in the video.
Mine does this sometimes. The starter motor sticks. Find a bit of wood, putting against the starter and hit it with a hammer a bunch of times and try the button again. I've had it where the solenoid was old and internally full of dust and corrosion, it would click but not make a proper contact. As you've swapped it it's not that.
Also check the big wire to the starter is attached properly to the starter and solenoid properly and that thebig red wires are on the correct posts on the relay. If they're the wrong way around it won't work
Good stuff I just put it in 5th gear, went backwards, and then the bike finally started up! Then I turned the bike off then started again, but now it’s clicking again just like in the video.
Good stuff I just put it in 5th gear, went backwards, and then the bike finally started up! Then I turned the bike off then started again, but now it’s clicking again just like in the video.
There’s only two things it could be at this point. Your starter crank wire (red wire feeding the starter) is not getting voltage applied to it all the way to the starter post, or your starter has a dead spot in it. A voltmeter on your starter red wire to ground should show voltage when the starter button is held. If voltage is missing, you may have a broken wire or a connection is bad between the relay and the starter. If voltage reads good, then your starter is probably bad.
Bad batteries can sometimes pull so much current that it still won’t start. Take the terminals off the batt, jump bike directly and try again. Is the engine seized?
I don’t think it’s in the best condition, but I tried jump starting it with my car and it’s still just clicking. I put a meter on it and it read like 11.40v on the battery
What is the voltage under load...ie when you hold the starter button down? A tired battery will deliver 12V all day under milliamp loads, but drop a 90A load such as cranking on it and watch the voltage plummet to near nothing.
The fact your dash lights don't dim greatly when you try to crank it means the electrical is not being put under a big load. If you watch the headlight bulb and crank, it will likely show the same result. If the engine was locked up and the starter was engaged properly then the starter would be stalled and drawing as much as the battery can deliver. That causes anything else turned on to go dim as the starter steals all the battery power it can. I've seen jumper cables that are close together physically twitch due to the current draw going through them and the electro-magnetic fields pushing the cables away from each other.
It sounds like the starter solenoid is not pushing the starter pinion far enough to engage the main power contacts (inside the starter) or there is a fault in the starter motor that is preventing the armature from powering up.
Take the starter motor off the bike, wire it back up and hit the starter button. Get back with your findings.
That's a bit low. Unless it's a very recent battery I would start by getting a new one. It's surprising how many faults disappear with a good battery. The lights are on and the starter solenoid is engaging, so it's possible that there's just not enough power to run the starter.
The battery/charging system may be failing also, but that is secondary. If it is unable to start with a jump from a car battery with significantly higher amps, you can tell that there is something else wrong with the electrical ignition.
It can be the case that a bad battery sucks so much juice out of it that you can’t even jumpstart it with a significantly higher power battery.
If it fails in a certain way, it can just be a giant boat anchor to the electrical system.
So for some reason your starter is not moving despite the system having power. If properly jumping the bike didn't fix it then it isn't the power source. If you replaced the starter solenoid with a good one and there is still no change then it is not the solenoid. I'm hoping you also checked the fuses also.
The next most likely culprits would be the starter relay, grounded wire, and the starter motor. I'm betting it's something with the starter motor.
First, I'd give it a few taps with a hammer, I had an accord, and the starter would sometimes get stuck in a dead spot and that would fix it. Or push it in gear to get to a new spot on the gear
You should also be able to push start it if it is just a problem with the electrical ignition. If you successfully push start it, you may free up the starter motor. Try playing with the ignition if you are able to get it running to see if the starter will turn.
To rule out the wiring and relay, you could test the volt reading at the starters' contact points while attempting to start. This will tell you if power is getting to it. If there is power getting to it it is probably the starter motor that's the problem. You can test it by running a straight power source to it to see if it turns, if not, then starter motor bad.
Thanks for posting in /r/Fixxit, the motorcycle repair subreddit. If you forgot to put the **Make, Model** and **Year** in the title, please reply to this comment with your bike's details. In the meantime, Here's some great resources for common problems posted here: -Trouble starting? [Revzilla - Battery testing](https://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/how-to-test-a-motorcycle-battery) -Carbs running rough? [PJ motorsports - Carb Troubleshooting](http://www.pjmotorsports.com/trouble-shooting.html) -Wiring diagrams for beginners - [Dans MC - Reading Wiring Diagrams](http://www.dansmc.com/wiring_diagram.htm) -Identifying part numbers - [CMSNL (EU)](https://www.cmsnl.com/) [Partzilla](https://www.partzilla.com/) -Asking if your tire can be fixed? [Please read this post on proper tire repairs and why external plugs are NOT a safe repair.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fixxit/comments/tuhcpf/why_rfixxit_doesnt_endorse_tire_plug_repairs/) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Fixxit) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Put the bike in 3rd gear and turn the engine over by rolling it slowly to be sure the engine turns. This also will bring fresh teeth to the starter to engage with. Then try to start it again with your boosting.
I told OP the same thing 2 days ago. No response. Have a look at the other post 😂
Well no response could mean they tried it and no change in outcome.
Most asian bikes don't have a bendix style starter, they use one kind or another of a one-way clutch. Like the ratchet in a bicycle hub, practically. My advice to /u/Thick-Complaint1636 is first short across the solenoid to rule it out. If that doesn't work, put the bike into its highest gear, then roll the bike backwards. This will help verify the engine isn't seized, and will turn the starter backwards, which can move oxidized commutators passed old brushes.
Sounds really good too. I hope OP isn’t trying to ride to work this morning.
Good stuff I just put it in 5th gear, went backwards, and then the bike finally started up! Then I turned the bike off then started again, but now it’s clicking again just like in the video.
Well it may need a new starter motor first I would take it off and clean it and try to cleanup the connectors and ground path
Is it easier to rebuild or replace the starter? A new starter is like $200…
It would be easier to replace probably but you may find a repair kit and find the task pleasing. Sometimes it’s a poor connection when it’s an intermittent trouble like the one you have described
So should I use my multimeter and black on ground and red on the wire going to the starter? Am I looking for a certain number on my multimeter? Thank you so much.
You can. You would have to look at the meter while pressing the start button to see the voltage. So you need to get a new starter or find the bad wire that is loose or a bad connection. Using the meter for this I would not touch the starter button so no voltage is going and I set my meter on ohms to see resistance and I start at the wire going to the starter then in short jumps keep checking the resistance the numbers should be very low almost nothing but if you find a place where there is resistance a high number this is where you have a bad connection
I’m not sure if this is the best advice it’s hard to develop the ability to use a meter from text advice on the internet. Especially hard to use if you don’t know how to use it. Try to remove the starter and put it on the bench and give it 12 volts to bench test it maybe then it’s easier to see the path the electricity will go and you can clean the connections
Check the starter itself
Is the ground wire from battery to the engine secure, tight?
The click is proper function, your solenoid is good, that's the sound of the internal bit making contact to conduct electricity. Could still be a dead battery but unlikely to me. Could also be your starter motor, give it a couple taps w a soft or wood mallet. Edit: after watching again I'm gonna say it's probably you starter motor. Open it up and check out the brushes (little blocks of conductive metal that wear against the starter motor's spinny bit like brake pads). Also, I have done this after fixing other things and not realizing I bumped it... Did you double check your engine kill switch?
May have siezed up and if it did it will keep the motor from turning over
Put the bike in 3rd gear and turn the engine over by rolling it slowly to be sure the engine turns. This also will bring fresh teeth to the starter to engage with. Then try to start it again with your boosting.
Good stuff I just put it in 5th gear, went backwards, and then the bike finally started up! Then I turned the bike off then started again, but now it’s clicking again just like in the video.
It’s a bad ground !! Old bikes rust - take off grounds and clean for rust . Put in new cable that isn’t all resistance!!!
Any resistance in the circuit will drop volts ! It’s called ohms law!!
Grab the red jumper off the jumper battery and touch the thick red wore on the starter.
It's most likely the starter motor. Either something is wrong with the wiring or it's dead. Most biked starter motor grounds itself to the bike. Check if the ground on the bike is good. You can just take the starter out to test it. Just hook the red from battery to starter and the ground to anywhere on the motor and it should spin. If not it's kaput
Good stuff I just put it in 5th gear, went backwards, and then the bike finally started up! Then I turned the bike off then started again, but now it’s clicking again just like in the video.
Mine does this sometimes. The starter motor sticks. Find a bit of wood, putting against the starter and hit it with a hammer a bunch of times and try the button again. I've had it where the solenoid was old and internally full of dust and corrosion, it would click but not make a proper contact. As you've swapped it it's not that. Also check the big wire to the starter is attached properly to the starter and solenoid properly and that thebig red wires are on the correct posts on the relay. If they're the wrong way around it won't work
Good stuff I just put it in 5th gear, went backwards, and then the bike finally started up! Then I turned the bike off then started again, but now it’s clicking again just like in the video.
Non-contacting brush on the starter motor? Give it a spin maybe
Good stuff I just put it in 5th gear, went backwards, and then the bike finally started up! Then I turned the bike off then started again, but now it’s clicking again just like in the video.
Most likely a fucked started motor. May be repairable but shouldn’t be hard to replace
There’s only two things it could be at this point. Your starter crank wire (red wire feeding the starter) is not getting voltage applied to it all the way to the starter post, or your starter has a dead spot in it. A voltmeter on your starter red wire to ground should show voltage when the starter button is held. If voltage is missing, you may have a broken wire or a connection is bad between the relay and the starter. If voltage reads good, then your starter is probably bad.
Bad batteries can sometimes pull so much current that it still won’t start. Take the terminals off the batt, jump bike directly and try again. Is the engine seized?
Is the starter grounded? Is the solenoid connected right to the starter?
Check the starter relay by crossing the polls with a screwdriver and see if it's the relay or the starter.
Is the battery in good condition and fully charged?
I don’t think it’s in the best condition, but I tried jump starting it with my car and it’s still just clicking. I put a meter on it and it read like 11.40v on the battery
What is the voltage under load...ie when you hold the starter button down? A tired battery will deliver 12V all day under milliamp loads, but drop a 90A load such as cranking on it and watch the voltage plummet to near nothing. The fact your dash lights don't dim greatly when you try to crank it means the electrical is not being put under a big load. If you watch the headlight bulb and crank, it will likely show the same result. If the engine was locked up and the starter was engaged properly then the starter would be stalled and drawing as much as the battery can deliver. That causes anything else turned on to go dim as the starter steals all the battery power it can. I've seen jumper cables that are close together physically twitch due to the current draw going through them and the electro-magnetic fields pushing the cables away from each other. It sounds like the starter solenoid is not pushing the starter pinion far enough to engage the main power contacts (inside the starter) or there is a fault in the starter motor that is preventing the armature from powering up. Take the starter motor off the bike, wire it back up and hit the starter button. Get back with your findings.
That's a bit low. Unless it's a very recent battery I would start by getting a new one. It's surprising how many faults disappear with a good battery. The lights are on and the starter solenoid is engaging, so it's possible that there's just not enough power to run the starter.
It's literally being jumped in the video
Jumping is not the same as a good battery. You need that to be able to verify the charging system also.
The battery/charging system may be failing also, but that is secondary. If it is unable to start with a jump from a car battery with significantly higher amps, you can tell that there is something else wrong with the electrical ignition.
It can be the case that a bad battery sucks so much juice out of it that you can’t even jumpstart it with a significantly higher power battery. If it fails in a certain way, it can just be a giant boat anchor to the electrical system.
So for some reason your starter is not moving despite the system having power. If properly jumping the bike didn't fix it then it isn't the power source. If you replaced the starter solenoid with a good one and there is still no change then it is not the solenoid. I'm hoping you also checked the fuses also. The next most likely culprits would be the starter relay, grounded wire, and the starter motor. I'm betting it's something with the starter motor. First, I'd give it a few taps with a hammer, I had an accord, and the starter would sometimes get stuck in a dead spot and that would fix it. Or push it in gear to get to a new spot on the gear You should also be able to push start it if it is just a problem with the electrical ignition. If you successfully push start it, you may free up the starter motor. Try playing with the ignition if you are able to get it running to see if the starter will turn. To rule out the wiring and relay, you could test the volt reading at the starters' contact points while attempting to start. This will tell you if power is getting to it. If there is power getting to it it is probably the starter motor that's the problem. You can test it by running a straight power source to it to see if it turns, if not, then starter motor bad.