bad starter motor?

[jessez]

Hi folks,
I have a 92 k75s.  I put in a fresh battery this week, hoping to take it out of hibernation.  Everything looked good when I turned the key- lights and everything turned on fine.  I then hit the start switch and heard some of the worst, loud, obnoxious grinding I have ever heard.  The bike didn't fire up.  With my limited knowledge I am venturing a guess that the starter motor is spinning but not engaging- but I can't explain the grinding sound.  It sounds like a coffee can with a handful of nails is spinning at 1000rpm.  Any help would be appreciated.
Jesse

[johnny]

greetings jessez...

whats the history of this moto... were you riding it last year before putting it into hibernation... or did you just get it without riding it first...

i would do the backspin starter maintenance 1st... then give it a go... just because the battery is new does not mean its fully charged... id do that and hope its not the sprague... butts if it is you can bump start it and commence to treating the oil...

j o

[jessez]

I've had it for a few years.  Last year I would heard the grinding only a couple of times, and didn't get too concerned because the bike would always fire up.  The battery I just put in reads 12.94V, I gave it a charge before putting it in. 

[johnny]

wouldnt hear grinding from sprague... it would just spin without engaging... grinding could be starter or alternator...

jo

[jessez]

In the last ten minutes, when I hit the button there isn't any more of that grinding.  Just the starter spinning and spinning and not engaging.

[johnny]

i know of weary motobrickers hooking up their starter backwards... just spins no engagement... have you had the wires off... could they be reversed...

im thinking bump start... get it going... ride it up near the red line for 20+ miles... dont turn it off till you get back home... then see if it will start...

to bump start... gotts to get it rolling prety good... 3rd gear clutch in... ignition on... when you pop the clutch hit the start button...

j o

[jessez]

I've never tampered with the wires to the starter.  I'll have try bumping it, but getting it out of the shed and up a hill to the driveway is going to be a task in itself (I live in Maine and everything is mud right now)

[johnny]

sprague may need to be warmed since its been nesting in maine... trace water could still be froze in there... can you get the right side of the engine in the sun or perhaps a space heater blowing on it...

this what it sounds like...

if it is the sprague this is the last resort... or first for some...

j o