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Bad Starter Solenoid? - GS650E

  • Thread starter Thread starter bdgs650
  • Start date Start date
B

bdgs650

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So it's about that time of year again!

After getting my 81 GS650E out, I am having a hard time starting it.

I've got the bike running and I've rode it a few times, but only after a push start. The battery is fine again and after the last few days of riding it for about an hour and a half, it's held charge through the night to where I can see both the neutral and gear lights as well as headlight on.

It absolutely refuses to turn on via the push button start.

So I have compression. The battery is as good as far as I know.

When I go to start it, the starter makes absolutely no clicking noise, yet I still get the gear lights and electrical stuff working.

This believes me to believe it is the starter solenoid that has gone bad and is simply acting as an open circuit.

^ I know you guys are a lot more knowledgeable about this type of stuff and I'm sick of not being able to ride where I want to go because I can't turn the bike off out of fear of not being able to start it back up again (Push starting in public isn't too cool).

What is someone's second opinion? Thanks!
 
The starter solenoid has a thin wire that runs to the start button. Unplug this wire and touch it to the heavy red wire next to it coming from the battery and the starter should turn. If not check that the solenoid casing is properly grounded to the battery negative.

Your starter solenoid has one side grounded through the casing of the solenoid to the frame. If this ground is missing, usually a black/white wire with a ring terminal or has been incorrectly terminated, the solenoid will not operate. Test by grounding the solenoid casing directly to the battery negative terminal.

On the other side a battery positive is sent to the solenoid via the kill switch and the starter button to cause that "click" you are missing. On some bikes this also has the clutch switch and side stand switch in the circuit. For details look at the wiring diagram.
 
bdgs650,

What electrical test tools do you have (so we know what to suggest to you).
You have a volt meter?
You have a test probe/light?

You say not even a click.

Try wiggling the starter button as you have it pushed in.
Try wiggling the clutch lever while its pulled in.

I dont know how similar the 650E is to the 650G, but the 650G I had did have a clutch switch in the starter circuit with the starter button and solenoid. Did not have sidestand switch in the starter circuit.

.
 
Last edited:
Thanks guys, I'm going to try different things out, but this gets me pointed in the right direction.
 
follow the power to make sure it's getting to the starter. Could be worn brushes or general gunk in the starter motor. On my 650 it was pretty grimy in there. Took it apart, cleaned. Replaced the brushes and the starter motor now has way more torque to turn the motor over....
 
the 850 was doing that, solution was to put a nice big 6 gauge ground wire from the negative post of the battery to the engine block. Seems that wire was missing, to test I used the best I had... think 12 gauge but the perm replacement is 6.

Check that it has the ground wire and then check the connection on it. Remove and clean it off with a file or sandpaper and try again.
 
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