Hi all. My 2010 Ultraclassic starter will disengage with a grinding sound repeatedly when trying to start the bike cold or warmed up. It will start after a few attempts. Fresh battery, always on tender when not in use.

 

Investigate part # 29 ( disconnect battery first please )
Check your compensator nut while you have the primary cover off

 

Put an accurate volt meter on the maintenance charger line.

Leave it off the charger overnight. Do you still see 12.8 or very close to that like 12.7 to 13?

Now hit the starter and watch meter close if it doesn't have a capture button. It should not drop below 9.7.


If it does, the voltage that low will drop out the solenoid making a bang or grind.

As old as you bike is, could be just the solenoid contact depending how bike is started.

I would do that before opening it up.

 

Solenoid repair kits are available for a lot less than replacing a starter. A bike that old will have some serious pitting on the contacts which will cause inconsistent contact when you press the starter button. What you may be hearing is that plunger going in and out. The solenoid repair kits include all of the contacts, the plunger and all the necessary nuts, bolts and gaskets. I'm not sure what the exact price would be for your bike, but my bike it was about $35. You do have to pull the starter out of the bike to do this. I have a Fat Boy and it also required me to remove the oil tank. If you do not have an oil tank on your bike, then removing the starter and rebuilding the solenoid should be very doable with medium mechanical skills. There are plenty of YouTube videos that go step by step.

Good luck. I hope this helps.

 

Starter clutch is a guess. Does it do it when you have battery charger on or jump pack? Sometimes a weak battery will reveal it.

Problem with tenders on all the time is you find out you got a weak battery at your first stop

 

I watched a couple videos on starters and compensators. Battery voltage was at 12.9-13.0. Dropped below 9 when starting. Tried another start and the starter engaged then disengaged with the grinding sound. Put the tender back on, waited for the green charged light, pressed the starter button and it started instantly (turned over quick too). Started the bike 2 more times perfectly. Not quite understanding the battery at rest at 13 but dropping low when worked? Starting on the tender fine?

 

Not exactly sure I understand what you are saying.

Never read voltage just off charger. Either off charger 8 hours or flip on head lights one minute and then all off to check.



The battery appeard to me is low on cold cranking amps. Charge it overnight only on the small maintenance charger. Remove it and take it to a shop with a CCA checker set for correct CCA of the small battery.

I have never found most places can do it very well with a large car battery machine.

That draw down varies with different bike motors. You need to know what yours is with a good battery for reference.

Starting like you did just had cylinders clear and ready to fire. Take hardly any amps to do that.

 

Take all the above into consideration.

However:

1. How old is the battery?
2. Have you had it load tested?
3. A battery may show good voltage, but not have the amperage if the battery is getting old.
4. If the battery is on the older side, take it out and have it load tested.
5. Check your battery connections and grounds on both ends of the cables, a loose battery connection will cause starting issues.
6. Look closely at the cables and ensure there is no corrosion within the cable sheath.
7. Your 2010 motorcycle is 14 years old, there may be multiple things causing the issue.


NOTE:
The above information, while credible, is worth what you paid for it and should not be considered gospel.
Do due diligence, research and have a H-D Field Service Manual before working on your bike.
You will probably have many opinions and suggestions presented; make sure you research the person providing the helpful information as there are some who provide good information that is useful and some who speak out of other orifices with gibberish. You will figure out this quickly.

 

Thank you all. I'll pull the battery and have it load tested. I had purchased a high amp battery 2 years ago. Bought the bike new in 2010, did some performance upgrades through a dealership(stage 2), woods cams, power commander, dyno'd,

and change fluids annually myself. It is getting old (me too), and has 33k on the clock. Ill get a service manual. Seems I always find a little metal on the primary drain plug. Is the compensator on a 2010 worth investigating? To my remembrance, it was never serviced. It looks like a job I could do.

 

Your definitely not stock. I have seen metal on the primary magnet from new. Steel metal to steel metal on the drive fingers rubbing together to dampen the two cylinder engine to smooth impulses.

If it doesn't bang when you shift running down the road and not excessively noisy with a two ear stethoscope, I would not worry about it.

Your listening to tin men or those that did and passing it on.

That's not your starting issue. Varied load on the starter pinion is not what keeps it engaged. A 12 volt electric magnet does. And the sprag clutch on the starter gear assembly drives against stops on a ramp.

It disengages if you happened to keep on starter after motor starts. Then the gas motor out runs the electric motor and the drive roller pins run down the ramp and gear runs free of the starter motor.

Similar principle as the rear hub on a 10 speed bicycle. Bicycle just uses a paw lever. That in the starter is hardened roller pins bearings.

I know.. that's going to start the Götterdämmerung up. ..