The bike: CB750 with a CycleX high compression 849 kit on it. Starter clutch started going "zing" and not hooking up. I took it apart and inspected. No wear, galling, glazing etc. on the flange that the rollers contact. Rollers looked good, springs were all free and bouncy, etc. I rubbed it down with some scotch-brite just to make sure I got any burrs that may have been unseen. All contact surfaces were shimmering clean.
I re-assembled and hit the starter with the kill switch off and the starter clutch hooked up perfectly. I then turned on the kill switch and started it and "zing." It started after a while, no problem, but the problem continues and can be easily replicated.
So what I did was decide to take a chance and see if I could see the problem replicated with the alternator cover off. I put an oil pan underneath to catch the drip. I figured that I would just let it run a little bit and find the problem. Lo and behold the problem is in the starter clutch. It appears to me that as the engine rotates, it meets compression resistance just long enough to lighten the load (or overcome its momentum) on the rollers to the face of the flange just enough to make it lose grip and go "zing."
Before I apply any of my own wacky solutions I just wanted to know if anyone has experienced this before with a high compression motor? Knowing your tried and true solutions would be of much help.
The first thing that comes to (my) mind would be to take the starter guts out of one of these dead motors I have laying about and try that. The second would be stiffening the springs that push down on the rollers. Great ideas? No?
