Topic: Having Possible Issues with the Starter Motor - CB650 Won't Start

[Strife]

Hey guys, I have a bit of a puzzler here. I'm working on my CB650 cafe and I am currently redoing all of the switches up front to new push buttons, toggles, etc. I've been cutting wires and reworking everything to the new switches that I've bought. I started with the engine start, connected it, and got the bike to fire up right away. Initially the bike had had a bad starter solenoid, so I replaced that, and had been getting the bike to start up perfectly. I also installed an aftermarket Reg/Rec from http://www.oregonmotorcycleparts.com/ .

I moved on to the other switches like the turns, hibeams, horn, kill etc, and am now having an issue, the bike won't start! When I hit the engine start, I can hear the starter solenoid activate, which if the bike weren't grounded properly. I've also crossed the solenoid with a screwdriver, which bypasses the solenoid and starts the bike (this is how I got the bike to start back when I had the bad solenoid), so I know the solenoid is good.

That is the only noise I can hear when I hit the start. The bike's battery is fully charged, so that's not the issue. I'm thinking that the starter motor might be dead, it is the original from the bike (it's a 1979), but it seems weird that the starter motor just up and died so suddenly. Any thoughts on what the issue might be?

[Gordon]

You've got some of your diagnosing backwards.  If jumping the terminals on top of the solenoid with a screwdriver successfully activates the starter motor, then the starter motor is fine, and there's either a problem with the solenoid or somewhere else in the wiring or switch. 

Just hearing a noise from the solenoid when pushing the starter button doesn't automatically mean it's working properly, either. 

[Strife]

Nono, the first time the problem was the solenoid, so I crossed it to get the bike to start, which is how I knew the solenoid was bad.

This time, crossing the solenoid doesn't get the bike to start. I'm sorry, I think my first post was a bit muddled.

[Silverback]

Charge your battery and try again.

[Strife]

Charged the battery and tried, still no luck. I'm thinking of just picking up a starter engine rebuild kit or a used one off eBay, but I thought I would post here first to see if anyone else had some other ideas. The solenoid is new, and bypassing it doesn't fix the problem, and the battery has been fully charged.

[Hush]

Before you rush off to buy a new starter motor, lets do a simple test: put the starter motor heavy duty cable directly onto the battery positive.
If this turns the starter then the battery and starter motor can be eliminated as your fault.
Dirty terminals on any of these main cables will give you bad starting, clean them and the area they attach to esp the earth where that bolts onto.

Oh yeah and if you want quicker help from the 650 owners, always put 650 in the subject line eg.
Having Possible Issues with the Starter Motor on my 650-bike won't start.

[Strife]

haha yea I forgot to stick that in, maybe I'll sneak that in there

Thanks for the diagnostic tips Hush, I'll try those and report back.

[mgbgt89]

I had very similar issues working on a CX500. Fixed it by dissassmbling the starter and cleaning it.

[nancy]

+1 to cleaning and reassembly - but also drop in a new set of brushes while you're in there. These can be bought from David Silver for about US$15 (priced at 8.50 british pounds) + freight.
I made the mistake of having some brushes made locally and paid NZ$75 for them only to find them on the David Silver website next day.
Cleaning my starter and removing the debris made mine go - but it was a bit rough due to brushes being short. New set now in and the starter is immediate and crisp - like new. Whatever new felt like...

[Strife]

Yes! I had been thinking a similar thing, that either the brushes were bad, or that some of the seals etc, were bad, causing the bike to ground improperly. When I took the thing apart and cleaned it, the seals were pretty thin (it is 30 years old after all). I think I am going to grab a starter motor rebuild kit and see if that helps.