Hi all,

Heres my problem over the last few days when pressing the starter button it has now and again started to make a nasty clunk/ bang and not turn the engine over efectivly jamming, I guess its sticking and stays meshed i know this because if i rock the bike in gear you can hear the starter is meshed it will then release eventualy when rocking a bit more , i have just removed the starter motor to find the teeth in good condition along with the ring gear teeth all ok, when inspecting the teeth on the ring gear i found it moves on the shaft when i rotate it with a screwdriver as if it floats ? so i am asking if the ring gear should slide & anybody has first hand experiance of this when attempting to start and what was the fix.

I guess the easiest thing would be to try a a new starter motor ........anybody any pointers ...

Update, taken the right hand engine cover of and all looks fine no wear on anything no missing teeth so reasembled now looking for a starter motor and solenoid................. anybody got the bits i need............ price and partuculars please.

Did you disassemble the starter clutch, your ring gear? It has a sprag clutch with rollers and springs that can be damaged.

Hi Magg,

You are the man i have spoken to a supplier today and orderd up a good used starter motor, a solenoid and a starter clutch unit as you rightly sugguest, it does tie in with an intermittent bang when i press the starter button so fingers crossed these parts will fix the bugger.

Thanks.

Well received and fitted the second hand compoents today starter, starter clutch built all the bike up and hit the starter button over 15 times at tea time all ok, went out for an hour (not on the bike i will add) come back hit the starter button to try before i put my head on the pillow and would you believe it the f'*cking banging noise is back like metal to metal when i hit the starter button, the only things i am unsure of is would a brand new but low battery cause this and while i had the casing off the engine i could rock the clutch basket slightly ? i have never heard anything like it its not a clicking noise from the solenoid but a metalic bang fron the engine as the starter attempts to spin..... all teeth on starter , starter clutch & basket look good no visual wear.

Sick as a ...t

what dya think.

When you say you hit the button 15 times, did you rotate the engine or simply release the button once the starter clutch engaged?

Have you disassembled the original starter clutch, if you identify it as the cause of the initial banging noise, David Silver until recently still listed the internal parts of the starter clutch as available, so you could build up a "new" one.

Hi Magg,

Thanks for your time, after reasembly i started the engine around 15 or so times all seamed fine, I have had the new battery on the charger over night and the initial press of the button this morning sounded engaged the solenoid but nothing as if the starter was jammed so i changed the solenoid with a 2nd hand one and 2nd or 3rd press and the engine rotated as normal and started ok this really had me baffled because when this problem occurs its inside the engine that something appears to lock up.....

Thanks one again for your interest.

With the latest attempt at starting, did you get the metallic clunk/lockup or only the solenoid clunk and no rotation.
Is it possible that the starter motor is rotating, when you press the start button, but initially not driving the engine and then suddenly engaging, which is the metallic clunk noise you hear.

Hi Magg,

Update, i have tried the starter button many times tonight upto a running engine stage and also just turning it over with the kill switch off just engaging the starter motor into turning over the engine with no fault occuring, i drained the oil ( only done 250 miles ) in a clean container and scraped around the bottom with a clean strong magnet to pick up any metalic fragments but nothing found which is a good sign i guess , i have gave it a run locally to warm it up thoroughly and the fault has not shown up. i just wonder if the new part was not 100 % lubed.

I have my fingers crossed lets wait and see, the fault is clearly with the starting of the engine with the initial torque being transfered through the stater motor to starter clutch and then to clutch basket it definatley locked on accasions with nasty metalic a clater, i dont think there is any issue with the motor when it is running i did notice ther is a little slogger on the clutch basket maybe 1-2 mm i dont know if that is normal ?

I have a worry that the engine might lock up on me on the road which could be very dangerous, i propose to keep it steady and monitor things i will keep you posted, i understand these engines are generally bullet proof if looked after my oil has been changed every 3000 miles i will checking the starting again in the morning !!

Thanks once again.

Update,

charged battery overnight showing 13.05 volts , I pressed starter button the starter moved into life but engine was locked, continued to press the stater button on and off fast and it made the clatter noise and turned over and the fired up, after this it starts as normal.

When i think about it this problem has only started since the carbs have been of the bike , they were taken off turned upside down, float bowls taken off floats and float valves removed and cleaned, all jets removed cleaned and refitted i can smell fuel could it be hydraulicing with fuel i drained the oil the other night and though i could smell fuel in the also.

The bike will starts and rev but does not want to tick over i have tried adjusting the tickover but it doesnt like it it just peters out an dies slowly.

What should i be checking