Just another day in starter issue land ,,,,

[GoldCoastBear48]

A new , yet probably an old post / thread to some or many of you  ,,,

Bike in question  - 1994  K75   with approx 68 K on her ,,  recent spring , early fall  tune ,, forks , oil , anti-freeze,  fuel tank replace , fuel pump , newer starter from a  ' 93 K 75 , fully bench tested by a Starter / Alternator shop , new relay / s ,,  and a few more etc 's ,,,   

Since getting it back from the shop , I have started having a starter issue ,, simply put , it won't ,,, or rather it will but the sound , and additional outcome is not what should be ,,, please let me explain ,,,

The problem now seems to be that the starter is making a sound that leads me to believe it is still running after the engine has started ,, at one point the relay /s fried and a new set were installed ,, no problem with them since ,,,

Has anyone else experienced this same issue ,, how did you correct , and has anyone ever used or seen solid state relays for this bike ,,  I m still a little green around the ears on this bike so please be kind ,,,  any and all thoughts , suggestions , concerns , etc ,, are most appreciatd ,,,, and if by chance anyone happens to know someone who is a very knowledgable K rider , who lives in the San Antonio area and would nt mind spending a couple of hours on a tech session ,, with or without turning  a wrench or two , that would be ideal .....

Thanks to all for reading ,,, 

Matt M
San Antonio
 94 K 75
 97 F 650 ST

[motodude]

Get yourself a 12 volt LED. Connect it to the starter and ground.  Start the bike. The LED should light when the starter button is pressed (if not you probably have the LED wired backwards).  If the LED stays lit after the engine starts and the button is released then you know the starter is still running.  If not, the starter is not running.

If the light goes out and the noise persists, you may have sprag gear issues.

Tom

[Tuco]

I've heard about this spray gear problem on these bikes, what are the potential causes?

[The Mighty Gryphon]

I don't think anybody really knows.  The normal failure mode is failure to engage the starter.

The more you read the more voodoo you will hear.  Seems to be the result of minuscule amounts of dirt causing the "teeth" to not contact the driven part to generate the friction necessary to engage the clutch fully and thus connect the starter.  Bad clutches have been disassembled and show no discernible wear or differences from new parts.

Fixes include adding solvents to the oil, special motor oils, whacking the case, drilling holes and squirting stuff on the clutch, and "back spinning" the engine. 

[motodude]

Don't worry about the sprag gear just yet.  Ensure the starter is not powered after the button is released first.

It is hard to tell, not being able to hear the noise.  But, it could also be the "monkey-nuts" in the alternator drive.  They can get noisy when they get worn.

Tom

[kioolt]

If you've got a voltmeter you won't need to get a 12 volt led bulb.  Just put the voltmeter on the starter.  Also, any 12 automotive bulb will do the job.