I've been having starting issues and I don't know why. I have posted on the starting issues thread started by someone else. But I've narrowed down what the problem is, but I don't know why it's happening.
I've gone through 3 solenoids in the past month. I bench tested the last one before installing it, installed it, same thing happened which was exactly NOTHING. Pulled it off, bench tested it, and now the pull in coil and hold in coil are not doing their jobs. Has anyone ever had this problem before? If so, what is going on?
For the record, the bike started, and ran like a champ a couple months ago, the old starter burned up and now I'm goin through solenoids.

You just gotta keep livin: L-I-V-I-N!

 

Are you sure you hooked the battery and starter to the correct terminal? The battery terminal will have no continuity to the starter button terminal. The starter terminal will have continuity because of the pull in coil.

 

seen this a few times - the bikes ground is weak and it causes an overheat in the soleniod

re do the original ground with a new Heavy duty wire and add a secondary ground, chassis to motor kind of thing

 

@ filthylucre, I'm fairly certain the connections are right, the solenoid is a single bracket type, and the long stud is on the top when mounted. And the way that the depressions on the top of the solenoid kind make it impossible to get the wires crossed.

You just gotta keep livin: L-I-V-I-N!

 

I agree, a bad ground can do funny things in any vehicle.

 

So the solenoid problems started after you replaced or rebuilt the starter? I'd take a good look at the starter and make sure all is OK with it.

You say that after passing the bench tests, "exactly NOTHING" happened after you installed the last solenoid and tried to start the bike. By "exactly NOTHING" do you mean there's no clicks from either the starter relay or the solenoid and the motor doesn't spin at all? Or do you hear some clicks but the motor doesn't turn over?

If you connect a jumper cable from the negative terminal of the battery to a good ground on the engine, and connect the other half of the jumper cable to the battery positive terminal, then touch the other end of the positive jumper cable to the post on the starter, does the starter motor spin? It should if the starter motor is good.

If you're really burning out the pull-in and hold-in coils in the solenoids, it sounds like something's wrong with your wiring or the voltage being applied to the solenoid. You have the large wire from the battery positive terminal connected directly to the long (large) post of the solenoid, right? And the short (large) post of the solenoid connects directly to the post on the starter motor, right? And the small solenoid post has a smaller wire connected to it that comes from the start relay (if you have one) or the starter switch if you don't have a relay?

Do you have a multimeter that can measure voltage? If so, you can measure the voltage from the battery to the ignition switch, to the start switch, to the start relay, to the solenoid, to the starter motor, and find out where the problem is.

 

I'm sorry fellas, I didn't give y'all the whole rundown of what lead up to my current situation.
Here's how it goes: a couple months ago, I was tuning my carb and I guess having to start the bike a couple times in a row was too much for the rebuilt starter, the coils burnt out and locked it up.
About a month ago, I finally got around to replacing the starter with a new unit, all new parts and so on. It was a straight up starter swap, old one out, new one in. Bolted everything up just like it was before, and "BOOF"! Starter engages for a second then spins on without positive engagement. Rebuilt the solenoid thinking that might help. Nope. Replaced the solenoid with another known good solenoid I had in another bike. Same thing. Engages for a split second then nothing. Burned that one up too Bench tested both solenoids according to the vid IronMick posted and the coils weren't doing their job.
Bought a brand new Accel jobber, bench tested it before the install, worked like a champ. Installed it, same thing, engages for a split second, then nada. Tried it without the plugs and the engine will spin freely, but as soon as I put the plugs back in, split second then nada.
And by nada, I mean the solenoid pushes the plunger out to engage the starter for a split second then it releases it yet the starter motor is still going. Pulled the new solenoid off, bench tested it, just like the rest, burned out coils.
The starter is strong and spinning, but the solenoids are getting burned out. Gonna get another one, try hooking a ground cable piggybacked off the main chassis ground and see if that may do the trick.

You just gotta keep livin: L-I-V-I-N!

 

Edit: The solenoid PULLS the plunger IN to engage the starter motor.

Reply: @Yellowstone Kelly- yes, I have the wiring correctly connected on the solenoid. I haven't tested the voltage over the entire system yet just certain parts. I guess I'll have to test the whole thing.

You just gotta keep livin: L-I-V-I-N!

 

the drive gear ( bendix gear ) for the starter that is above the clutch drum is broken internally --

you need to explain it all as guessing is not fun - but helping you with a real issue is easy for the guys in the post -- johnjzjz

 

@johnjzjz, sorry brother, but the bendix gear isn't broken. Everything inside the primary is good to go. No stripped teeth, no bad bearings, and nothing broken. That was my first concern, and the first thing I checked. That's why this whole ordeal is driving me nuts.

You just gotta keep livin: L-I-V-I-N!