Starter motor intermittent

[thxcuz]

I recently replaced the starter motor on an 86 spree. I finally got the wiring correct and when I mash the start button the starter motor spins. Sometimes. My searches lead me to a weak battery but the frequency of its spinning puzzles me.
It will spin then after a few times the solonoid just clicks. After an hour of it sitting it will work again.
I'm sure it's simple but I'm stumped at the moment

[gsx600racer]

I am leaning towards the solenoid. The contacts could be bad inside. If you have the scooter opened up and its just clicking, hold the start button and tap the solenoid with something. If the started kicks in, you have found the problem.

[oakleyscoot]

May 19, 2017 12:03:12 GMT -5 thxcuz said:

It will spin then after a few times the solenoid just clicks.

After an hour of it sitting it will work again.


This may very well point to a battery on the weak side.

When sitting ( after trying to start ) the battery will try and "recover" ( try and recharge its self ) and to some extent it does

thus, when you try the starter again it may very well spin it a few times until the voltage drops too much and at that point

the starter may just spin and not engage the starter drive.

While the starter relay may indeed have pitted or have less than desirable contacts, they usually do not start working again
after sitting a bit.

I would check the battery first.

Place your volt meter (correct range for 12v DC) and see what the static ( key off) voltage is. It should be 12.6 - 12.8v dc

While you have the meter probes on the battery, watch the voltage and see what happens to it when you hit the starter.

If the voltage heads south of 10vdc then one of two things, you battery is not fully charged or the battery is headed to the battery graveyard .

My .02¢

[thxcuz]

This doesn't match the wiring diagram


I think the thicker green wire goes to the battery, the smaller 2 are for the rear turn signals and the black one looks like it could be from the battery to the frame.

[thxcuz]

Theres a guy I work with who isn't a scooter expert but can fix anything. He collects and restores television and film equipment...he has a 70's era television studio and control room in his home. He also has a 60's era recording studio. Did I mention he lives in an old school? Did I also mention he's only 26?
I may have....anyhoo, he thinks it's my starter motor.

[2stroked]

I would like to meet that dude.
Could be brushes or even weak insulation on the windings in the starter motor. The thin shelac will get hot, and allow a short? Then cool and not allow a short?

[thxcuz]

that's what he thought too. It's a work in progress.

My coworker is pretty much what you picture when you think electronics whiz. When things fall apart at the station he is the guy we call first instead of some of the old timers. He doesn't need to troubleshoot anything, he just looks at it. Says "ah, that's whats wrong" and fixes it. it's quite impressive.