"Walk away from it for a while"

This is solid advice. fresh eyes and fresh ideas will help you keep your sanity.

My starter did the same grinding thing and it was the starter clutch. You said you have a "rebuilt" starter and solinoid..... are you sure they're good? Turns over w/ plugs out but not so good w/ them in.... damn sure soulds like the starter's not strong enough. Has the engine been rebuilt and pumped up? I know a lot of these questions have been asked in some way but, just try'n to hit of something you might have overlooked in your haste.

Hang on man, we've ALL been there! lol I'm there NOW w/ the kids go-kart.

 

I would suspect the starter or parts of the starter drive at this point. Check wear on the starter drive housing halves.

I put together a bike last year for a guy and it would not start either. Checked everything out and ended up jumping it off an outside source and fired right up.

Short version, the starter or something inside it was still toast. Put a new not rebuilt one in and problem solved.


New or rebuilt doesn't always mean what it supposedly implies.

 

I had a similar problem. It turned out to be the starter drive. Starter would grind after it sat for awhile. Checked all the same ,grounds, voltage drops etc. Replaced the drive,works great. I hope this helps.

 

i hate reading about stuff like this.... it is painful and terribly frustrating having to deal with stuff where you've not only thought you covered every possible angle in trying to find the problem, but have spent hundreds of dollars in the process

i would simply echo what others have said....'walk away from it for a while' ...as hard as it is to do it

 

I read all the posts, after running it still won't start with a jump? Maybe I missed it, a lot of posts on technical stuff. We have this crap at work too, some things just don't stand to reason, but get solved in the end.

 

Took today off from it. Tomorrow I will pull the primary cover back off and unhook the plug wires and see what's going on from an internal view. My sporty has a newer (never run) hitachi starter on it, if the cogs are the same I will swap em and see if it chatters. Checking on a heavy duty starter for it now. Thanks ya'll

 

New starter relays and manual solenoid buttons are relatively cheap. You may not be getting enough voltage to the starter to keep it engaged. Lots of little gremlins between the handlebar button and the starter.

 

Miacycles mentioned to me a good fix is a ground directly to the starter. Also check out this thread http://www.heritagecycleworks.com/Pr...=4&SubMenu=751 Dr Hess came up with a fix and it is well documented in there. I'm putting new Ultima 1.4 as well as the extra relay this winter.

 

Mine is old style solenoid. It does not take a button. Checked on a new starter today. Forgot my Sporty is a Prestolite so I can't swap. Found a HD starter 1.4kw for 139.00 online, closest mech in Danville wants 479.99 for one (he also wanted 125 for a solenoid or 49.99 for a solenoid rebuild kit. I can get them for 6) Will keep ya'll informed.

 

J&P has Spyke starters for bout $350. was what I used having an almost identical problem as you about 2 years ago. after i went thru everything countless times I finally bit the bullet & shined up the credit card. Spyke recommends in the install to run an additional ground from batt direct to the starter.
a buddy of mine also uses a ford starter solenoid inline somehow in this style. (separate starter & sol) .
I think...all the reg solenoid does is engage the starter clutch & the ford (cheap) does the "electrical switch". as the HD (expensive) solenoids seem to burn out pretty regularly... have for me anyways. Someone here probably knows how this is done as I've not done it to mine......yet.
GOOD LUCK!!,
you'll get it