Okay, since I purchased this bike in 2009, I have had multiple issues with the starting system. The first was the starter clutch going out shortly after I got the bike. I replaced it with a heavy duty clutch, but I still kept having intermittent starting issues. Then I replaced the battery. Still no help. Next I replaced the starter relay. That did not work either. The motor is high compression, so I put a Compufire 1084 ring gear setup on. That seemed to help...for a while at least. But the starter began acting up again, and stranded me at work and on a couple of rides. So I put in a Spyke 1.4Kw hi-torque starter. While doing that, I also replaced all of the bushings (inner and outer primary) and the oil seal on the inner primary. After getting it all back together, I found that I had followed the HD service manual instructions on torquing the jackshaft bolt (dumba$$). Thanks to the fine folks on here, I found out that the HD recommended torque settings for the jackshaft are WAY too tight. So I pulled the primary again and backed the jackshaft bolt out, put some blue loctite on the threads, tightened it to just past hand tight, and set the lock tab on the bolt head. Got her all back together, and the problem was solved! Or so I thought...

Fast forward to a couple of months later. Every once in a while, I would have to hold the start button for a few seconds before the starter would engage. At this point, I made SURE to put the battery on the tender every night. The condition worsened and is now to the point that I sometimes have to bang on the solenoid with a dead blow hammer to get the starter to engage. After a second $100 tow bill to get the bike home, I now carry the dead blow hammer in my saddle bags.

I should also add that I have checked, double checked, and triple checked all of the electrical connections. All good, clean, and tight. The only components in the starting system I have not replaced are the battery cables, and the switch on the handlebars.

Hopefully there is someone on here that has run into similar issues with their starting system and has a golden tidbit of knowledge they would like to share with me! At this point, I am ready to get out the .45 and put this biatch out to pasture!

 

Have you checked for power to the starter from the starter switch when tying to crank it.
I am just guessing, Do you have compression releases since it is high compression?

 

Yes, I have checked the voltage from the switch to the starter when cranking. All of the voltage levels are where they should be. No compression releases....yet. The fact that I can get it to start by banging on the end of the solenoid while holding the start switch seems to point to something binding up in either the solenoid or the jackshaft assembly. My gut tells me it is something in the jackshaft. I did notice after I installed the new oil seal on the inner primary that there was quite a lot of resistance getting the starter shaft through the new seal. I am wondering if maybe the seal is the wrong size. It is time for a primary service anyways, so I guess I will grab a new seal and see if that is the fix. I hate throwing parts at a problem tho...

 

Does the bike have bigger cams in it? Sounds like even the bigger starter is being over worked when cranking the bike. A good starter should last far longer than you are describing.

 

I had a high compression S&S shovelhead that ate starters until I added compression releases. It's an investment that costs little and will always have some value.

 

Have you changed out the starter relay?

 

sounds like you need compression releases.....since everything worked good for a while when new, now it has had to work to hard to turn the motor over so its probably lost its umph, i would put comp. releases in and hopefully you wont have to replace that new starter

 

i had to run an extra ground strap , from the battery to the starter....after a while, i rebuilt my solenoid.... all is good for me... for now

 

Take it to a pro.

 

If you have to bang the starter to get it to work, the problem is the starter relay inside the starter. My job is import and export of starters and alternators, we have our own repair service etc. I know pretty much all there is to know on starters, alternators and this issue.

The starter HD uses is OE from a company called Nippon Denso, the way it works is that normally, the voltage of the battery with the cable from the starter switch should cause the mobile plunger inside the relay to move so that the power of the battery moves trough and starts rotation of the armature trough magnetic force. if the starter doesn't do anything untill you tap it, it means that the mobile plunger doesn't move, once you tap it, this sends out a small vibration that helps the movement. why the starter is bad again after such a short period is anybody's guess, and you should look into that aswell, but right now your issue is the starter itself.

i'm sorry for my bad explication, I live in Belgium and english is not my native language... I would suggest visiting a OE dealer and let them replace starter with and OE one. At least then you will have warranty on it