You probably know that the symptoms of a bad motorcycle starter include the motorcycle not starting at all, the motorcycle starting intermittently, the sound of the starter running even when the engine is running, and a strange clicking sound from the starter.
It may be possible to hear voices. And because of all these problems, you can become very frustrated. In such a situation, we will try to find the solution to all the problems related to the motorcycle starter in today’s article.
What Is a Motorcycle Starter?
To begin, let’s get a basic understanding of what a starter is for a motorcycle.
All types of internal combustion engines have to be spun using an external power source to start them because they do not generate torque at idle.
The piece of machinery that does this job is known as an engine promoter or an engine starter.
After the motor starter has turned it a few times, the engine will begin to rotate on its own, at which point the starter will be turned off immediately.
Motorcycle Starter Is Not Working? Know The Reasons:
There are two major reasons why your motorcycle starter may not be working. First, a dead battery can be the main reason that prevents a motorcycle from starting.
Another reason may be a dead starter motor. However, most older motorcycles are more likely to have a cracked starter motor.
In this case, to fix your motorcycle’s electric starter problem, you’ll need to replace the battery or starter motor.
1. Dead Battery
The first thing you need to do is make sure that it is the battery that is causing the problem with your electric starter.
Check other motorcycle components that use the battery for their functioning. It already includes backlights, headlights, indicators, a horn, and other electrical systems.
Check these components before starting your motorcycle using a kickstart. Turn on the motorcycle’s ignition and try to blow the horn by pressing the horn button.
Now, if the intensity of your motorcycle horn drops after a second or two, then the battery is causing a problem with your electric starter. Now that we’ve focused on the battery, here are some issues that may need further attention.
Battery not charging issue:
This problem is plain and simple. Simply put, the battery is dead. Now you need to replace your motorcycle battery with a new battery.
If the battery is not charging, then no further inspection is required. The battery is dead, and the electric starter may need to be replaced in order to function.
Solenoid Check:
The starter makes a strange hum when it has a problem. But during this time, if your battery is charging, then the solenoid can be damaged.
If the starter is responding when the terminals are charged but the solenoid is not clicking, the solenoid may be the cause of your starter’s woes.
Note that there will be an electromagnet in the solenoid that sends battery power to your starter. If the solenoid is buzzing, then your battery is not storing enough charge to maintain contact with the circuit.
2. Dead Starter Motor
Assuming your motorcycle is old—let’s say it is more than five years old—the chances of a dead starter motor can be high.
If your battery is working fine, it is most likely that the starter motor in your motorcycle is either not generating electricity or is not able to convert the generated electricity into DC current.
In this situation, it is imperative to have your starter motor checked.
Stator Problem
Under this, if the motor is not able to generate any power, then understand that the stator is not working according to its capacity.
Also, you must check the power generated by the stator using an ammeter.
This reading will greatly assist you in determining the true nature of the problem. Always keep in mind that your motorcycle starter will not work because of a bad stator.
Corrective Problem
Another major concern about its battery problem could be your rectifier. If it is the voltage regulator that is not charging the battery, your rectifier may need repair.
But the rectifier probably isn’t changing the power from your stator into AC or DC current. Since a motorcycle engine’s electric starter is a DC motor, a broken rectifier can’t turn DC current into AC, so your starter won’t work.
3. Other Reasons
Other possible causes include a faulty wiring connection, which is extremely rare. The last time you had your bike serviced, or the last time you had your bike serviced by your mechanic, could be the root cause of your starter problems.
However, if the wire connection has become loose or was wrongly connected in the previous service, The electric starter may then fail, leaving you completely reliant on the motorcycle’s kick start.
Always keep in mind that a dead battery is the most important reason that completely prevents a motorcycle from starting with an electric starter.
If you want to know if it is really the battery that is the problem, turn your motorcycle’s key on and then without kick-starting the engine, press the horn button.
During this time, if after a second or two the sound of the horn slows down on its intensity, then understand that the battery of your motorcycle is dead now.
In a battery problem, if the battery isn’t storing and holding a charge, it’s as good as dead. You desperately need to replace your battery with a new one.
But if your battery is charging, check for a solenoid issue. If there is a humming sound every time you depress the electric starter, it is more likely that the solenoid is not clicking during this time.
Be aware that in addition to the battery, the starter motor is also capable of causing problems with your motorcycle’s electric starter.
So either it is not generating enough power or is not able to convert the generated power into DC current.
And if the starter motor isn’t generating enough power, it could be a stator problem. You need to check with an ammeter.
If enough power is being generated but it is not being converted to DC current, there may be a problem with the rectifier.
In both of the above mentioned cases, you need to get your starter motor fixed. Take your motorcycle to your mechanic for repair.
However, other rare causes of concern could include loose wire connections or incorrect connections made during your previous motorcycle servicing.
How To Fix a Motorcycle Starter?
Once you have understood the causes of starter damage, you now need to know the procedure to fix it using simple methods. Follow the steps and repair the starter within a day.
If there is any issue with starting your motor, you can often use some tools to fix it yourself. It is important that you surely diagnose your motorcycle before it begins to repair anything.
If you skip over the diagnosis, you will spend more time on “repairing” the motor just to find which part is still not working.
If one wants to know that their solenoid is not okay, or the starter is bad,or if there is any battery problem, etc. One should always have a look at the wiring of the motor.
Make sure that all the connections are properly done and everything is wired properly and in the correct manner. Once the problem is noted down it is ready to start with the disassembling.
Now one can rearrange the entire starter of motors and then put it back together. Many new motor brands offer many instructions for their own starter of brand motors.
One should be sure to change any O-rings that are used inside the motor. Once the armature is removed from the cover entirely,any abnormal wear can be inspected .
Also, keep an eye on the bearing end of the cover. Check that it spins freely; you can also measure the diameter of the commutator to avoid this problem.
Your motorcycle has an explicitly stated service limit. If you find that the diameter is too small, then you will need to replace the armature entirely.
We can also remove the brushes entirely. The length of these brushes are measured and your bike will also have the minimum length that is required. If necessary, you may also replace the brushes. Once these things have been inspected in a proper manner and the motor has been repaired, one can put it back together again.
Conclusion
Always keep in mind that a dead battery is the most important factor that completely prevents a motorcycle from starting with an electric starter.
This is something you should keep in mind at all times. I hope you’ve found answers to the questions you had about the motorcycle starter.
In this article, we’ve tried hard to give you information about the possible solutions to this problem. In the event that you have any inquiries pertaining to this topic, please make sure to post them in the comments section.
