strange starter issue, electrician stumped

[matt1100]

I have what I believe to be a very wierd situation gentlemen...If the bike is just sitting, motor off and nothing going on, i can turn the key on and when i turn it off for a very brief moment I hear the starter turn?.?.

Just started doing it this week. doesn't do it all the time and of coarse not when i have my meter out trying to test it. There is no stray voltage on the solenoid coil terminal, only 12v when starter button is pressed. The bike is completely rewired. I do not have a kill sw, kickstand sw, or clutch lever sw: turn key, push button, start. Control cicuit goes straight from fuse box, to sw, to solenoid. If something were hung closed (coil or contacts in solenoid) it would do it when the key is turned ON, however is does it when key is turned off.

I do not think the starter motor is turning when motor is running at all. I suspect the solenoid is faulty, quite certain it is original (about the only thing left that is). That said, I cannot seem to wrap my head around what (internally) could be going on in there! I could just replace it but I'm not convinced thats the problem...

Ideas?????.........

[JayWB]

Disconnect the wire on the starter solenoid that goes to the starter button. See if the problem goes away. If it does, reconnect the wire and follow it everywhere it goes, disconnecting everywhere you can until you isolate the problem.

[TheCafeKid]

Have you checked your fuse block for shorts? Dirty? Etc

[Steve]

A test light (or meter) on the starter terminal of the solenoid will tell you VERY QUICKLY if the solenoid is stuck.

.

[argonsagas]

Inside the ignition switch are small bearings and a couple of plates / contact points .

As the key turns it affects the position of the plates as they move across the bearings.

If the plates are too worn, or
the lubrication has failed or
one (or more) of the bearings has gone bad

you could get slip or hesitation and momentary contact.

The switch is not difficult to repair. You can open it, disassemble it, clean all parts and perhaps replace a bearing, then grease all parts and reassemble.

Have a small file and some emery cloth handy to clean up the plates/contacts.


CAUTIONARY NOTE



Like all Suzuki switches, there are small parts inside the ignition switch that have been in hibernation for a long time. Be warned: they will awaken and come loose as soon as the case is opened. When awakened from their dark comfort zone, the tiny parts tend to work very hard to hide if given any opportunity. They are surprisingly energetic and unexpectedly resourceful, often able to find hiding places at some distance from the work area.

Put a large, clear, plastic bag around the switch BEFORE opening it.
Put your hands and tools inside the bag and work inside the bag.

If you need a bearing and cannot find one (or two) copper-plated BBs can be used as bearings.
BB's are not the exact size and they will not last forever as they are too soft, and the copper coating is too thin, but they will work.

[JimmyR]

I had a weird electrical issue a couple of weeks ago - not related to yours but maybe it will trigger something: I have installed new switch gear on my handlebars and they are from different models of bike. Everything worked except when I tightened the screws holding the left controls to the bars the horn would sound! I took the switches off, insulated everything within an inch of its life but still the bloody horn would go off as soon as I tightened the screws.

It was driving me crazy until I noticed as I was checking everything out little sparks between the handlebars and the switch casing. It turns out that the switch casing had a little tiny bit of bare metal contacting the bars which completed the horn circuit. So I wrapped some tape around the bars where the switchgear made contact and problem solved.

I guess the moral is that even the tiniest little short can cause an issue.