My brother just bought a '91 sportster xlh 1200, started and ran fine when he got it, then he decided to change out a sticky throttle cable and after the bike wouldn't crank just the old solenoid "click". I told him to try jumping the solenoid terminal to the hot terminal on the starter and he did and got the same click. So he bought a new starter solenoid combo and installed it. Still having the same problem, since then he brought it over to my place. Fully charged battery, starter switch is getting full voltage and working properly, relay is testing good and I swapped it out with one I had laying around for good measure. Drop voltage test doesn't show anything strange. With a fully charged battery it will try to crank but acts like it doesn't have enough juice. All this was checked out today upped the guage on the primary wire coming from the battery and checked all the circuit breakers to make sure they were making connection....anyway by the end of the day nothing...tried jumping the solenoid terminal to the hot lug on the new starter and just the "click". I've been thinking bad ground at the starter..havn't checked it myself but my brother says it's a clean metal connection when he installed it. Anybody have any other thoughts...also checked voltage at the battery positive and the solenoid hot terminal, same voltage.... help?

 

Not an electrical genius by any means, but I would double check everything switch related on that right hand side. If it started before he messed with that side, and now it doesn't, experience says to double check your work.

 

yeah been there, gonna open it again today and trace the wires but why would'nt the starter crank when jumping it directly to the solenoid? I'm gonna try out another battery on it today and open the primary to check out the mounting on it.

 

Greetings dirtyenginehugger

Have you checked for any DTC Codes?

91 Sporty NO cranky
My brother just bought a '91 sportster xlh 1200, started and ran fine when he got it, then he decided to change out a sticky throttle cable and after the bike wouldn't crank just the old solenoid "click".

We need to verify the components that were changed out if the bike ran fine before the change out of the throttle cable right.

Have you performed a load test on the battery?

 

[quote=wtb3886;10273882]Greetings dirtyenginehugger

Have you checked for any DTC Codes?

quote]

Umm......

 

If you jump the solenoid and the starter motor doesn't engage, or turn:

Perhaps it's a seized up starter motor, jammed starter gear, or even a seized motor issue? Too many variables.

I'd pull the plugs and push the bike in gear to be certain the motor hasn't seized.

You could also test the amperage draw when attempting to power the starter. Possible even check the starter with a volt / ohm meter for winding continuity (shorted or broken).

Hope you figure it out soon, and be certain to come back and clear up the mystery.

 

Got called out to work today so didn't get a chance to get to the bike, in regards to the dtc codes this bike had been thoroughly stripped down, my brother got it for 2k and it looked good and ran strong but the wiring is a rat's nest. All the instruments and indicator lights were removed and swapped out for several coats of flat black spray paint all over the thing . I'll start with a resistance reading between the starter switch and the relay tomorrow and if nothing comes up check out the starter to see if it's jammed. I'm mainly a vintage japanese and brit bike guy...maybe a little german in there with the bmws I've been rebuilding lately. So far can't get my head around why some things are designed the way they are but looking forward to getting to know these motors.

 

If you still have the old starter, it would be a easy thing to bench test it. If it works fine on the bench but didn't on the bike, I would say it has something to do with the engine too. Then I would do like JohnnyC mentions about pulling the plugs and role the bike in gear to see if the motor seized.

 

So, did another voltage drop test and found a little bit of loss between the starter terminal and postitive battery cable, pulled it and cleaned it up and it now cranks but not as easy as it used to. My brother mentioned that he didn't set the tension on the primary belt after putting the new starter in...thinking it might be too tight? gonna check it out when I get a chance away from my own projects and report. Thanks for the help guys.

 

I've got a 1991 that has NOT been hacked, still showroom clean. If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me.

As for DTC codes, me thinks our bikes too old to have diagnostics. The main diagnostic tool resides between your ears.

John