Started last fall. I rebuilt my starter cause I was having the dreaded clicking noise. The shop that rebuilt my starter didn't do me justice. The very next day it was engaging hard, and it seem like the starter was staying engaged on the clutch basket. Took it back to him and he said he couldn't hear anything wrong. He just wasn't interested in listening. It was very obvious. So I brought the bike back home and tore into it. Sure enough it had taken out a couple of teeth on the clutch basket. Read some posts about putting on the manual push button on the solenoid of the starter. Did that because starting the bike the regular method ( starter button on handle bar) was ok, but every once in a while it would act up. My bike is a 2000 Road Glide with an Axtell 107, bike is not Fuel injected but carb-ed. The manual push button on the starter was to be my back up in emergencies.
Went on holidays with the bike to Phoenix. One day rode to Jerome and coming home the handle bar starter was engaging hard so I would use the solenoid method to start the bike. Took the bike to an indy there to have a look. We replaced the clutch basket sprocket to one with I think 90 some teeth and replaced the starter to match the teeth set up. Picked it up and wow what a difference, starter like a champ. For one day only! The guy I that did the work was hard to get a hold off. Finally did and he said that they should have replaced a green wire that is attached to the solenoid and goes back up to the starter button. Long and short of it, it was getting close to the time when we were heading home, I said forget it.
Now this season the bike is still hard starting with the handle bar and then finally all it would do is make one click, not a bunch of clicking. My battery is less than a year old. It has to be an electrical connection somewhere. I am lousy at electrical, but I want to learn. I put in a new starter relay too.Today I went for a quick ride and then all of a sudden the bike just quit. Tried to start it, pushed in the compression release ( I always use them). The bike fired back up. Headed for home. Bike died 4 more times in about 4 miles. Made it just about all the way home, it died the last time about 2 blocks from home so I just pushed it. Over the last while when I go to start the bike my volt meter on the fairing reads just over 10 volts, which I know is to low to start the bike, so I have been using the solenoid method. As soon as the bike fires up the voltmeter reads 14. Got to be a loose connection, right. Any suggestions, long winded post, sorry. Thanks in advance.

 

Hey Scot.

I'm thinking right off that your battery is pooched.

and when the bike is running your charging system may be overloaded trying to bring this battery back to life...instead of storing power, the duff battery is sucking it up.

once this is solved/checked then you can go on to the starter issues.

IF you suspect bad wiring/switch/relay...just bypass it all ( disconnect it*), and start it using the solenoid end cover plunger.

and see how the solenoid/starter/starter clutch/ring gear/etc. are all functioning.

mike


* I don't have a diagram for that year, easy to just unplug the relay- preferable would be to disconnect power to the start switch in the bar but without a diagram, I would just leave it.

 

Hi Mike. Glad you saw this. I kind of think that the battery maybe part of the problem, what do you think this part of the scenario might be. When I was on the way home and the bike would die and then I would get it going via the plunger, the last couple of times the bike was starting harder, ie not catching as quickly and it laboured to start. Would that be because of the battery as well.
Good to hear from you. Thanks for any input. It is appreciated.
Enjoy the weekend. Was hoping to go riding, we have to see.

Scot

 

+1 on the battery. Sometimes they just quit working. Do a load test if possible if it is charged properly.

 

Ok I did by pass the relay. I used my manual push button on the solenoid, bike started up good. Before I started the bike I put a tester on the posts, with the battery out of the bike, 12.6 volts. When I hooked the battery back up to the bike I turn on the ignition and the volt gauge on the bikes fairing registers right around 11 volts. No enough to use the started button on handle bar. When I use the solenoid start, the gauge goes right up to 14 volts after the bike is started. I had the battery loaded tested at 2 different places. First place they said the battery was good. Second place they gave me a report, 449 cca, and volts is 12.72. So battery checks out good. Now I am stumped, is it a loose connection some where. Last thing I want to do is go for a rip and have the bike die on me. Not fond of pushing an 800lb bike home, already had to do that, 2 block is far enough for me. Getting old for that. Should I go for a ride with the starter relay dis-connected, to see if the wiring in that part of the bike is faulity? Or is it a VR, and the bike dies when the battery runs down. I appreciate any helpful tips, thanks