I had several failures yesterday. Firstly the bolt fell out the gear selector, so I stopped to check it. The bike was in 2nd gear so I thought I could ride the 2miles home ok. I went to pull away and the bike stalled. No mechanical noises, just like it was switched off. When I go to start it, the solenoid clicks in, but the engine doesn't turn over. Battery is new and charged. Solenoid click ok. I have 12v at the starter motor. Earth lead is new and still intact. Fuel pump primes ok (means ECU is getting power). Are start motor faults common? Can you replace the bushes in one without taking the starter off the bike?
Replaced one starter motor brushes and cleaned the commutator up on my 916 (in the garage at my accommodation) at the TT one year. The bike was probably about 14 years old at the time. If you know your way round a starter motor it shouldn't be a problem. 748 is easier as you don't have to disconnect the oil cooler pipes and move it out of the way.
can be several things as usual but one favourite is the little plug that goes into the starter solenoid (located near the battery). This can either lose it's connection by partially falling out (not much of a deterrent in place by design and owners often run a tie-wrap around solenoid to cure problem) or can suffer from light corrosion on contacts resulting in the same result. You can try bypassing solenoid to see if starter will churn for starters (npi) but obviously be careful as there will be sparks.
Ah yes the little white plug in the back of the solenoid, showed that fix, at the MGP one year, to an Irishman, at Kirk Michael filling station, to the great relief of his mate who was getting sick of pushing it off.
Sounds rather like the system to stop you riding off with the side stand down kicking in. If the system “thinks” the side stand is down with the engine in gear, as you release the clutch the engine switches off
Thanks for the help. It's not the side stand switch, my model year didn't have a switch fitted. It's not the white plug on the solenoid. The solenoid is working and providing power to the starter. The starter just isn't turning so the brushes are a good call. I assume you can change them without taking the starter off.
Seems one hell of a coincidence that the brushes should totally fail immediately after the engine stops after the gear change pivot bolt fell out and you were able to start but it then cut out as you pulled away. Imho it’s not the strarter motor. @Derek??
Bolt falling out is a different problem. I switched the bike off and got it into 2nd gear. The bike then started as normal with the clutch held in. I pulled forward 3 or 4 meters, and then stalled the bike (starting in 2nd). Since then the starter isn't turning. I've put a jump battery direct to the starter, and it still doesn't turn. new starter brushes are on order.
Fair enough. Let’s hope the brushes do the trick. Probably a god idea to clean up the commutator while you’re at it...
Sometimes when it's time for a component to fail then it's it's time and that's that. It might seem mysterious but it has to fail sometime, I can remember similar on a car starter motor a lot cruder than a Ducati unit where a few strikes on the body with a hde mallet would coax it back into life periodically before absolutely finally giving up the ghost. No point in trying any further as the remainder of the brushes would just start to arc on the face of the comm.
Sounds similar to a starter problem I had years back on a Pontiac Trans Am. It basically started as and when it felt like it. The solution after several goes at fixing the problem including solenoid modification, new brushes etc was to replace the armature which had developed a problem causing dead sections on the commutator.
Sounds similar to a starter problem I had years back on a Pontiac Trans Am. It basically started as and when it felt like it. The solution after several goes at fixing the problem including solenoid modification, new brushes etc was to replace the armature which had developed a problem causing dead sections on the commutator.
had that also Hugh, but could turn the back of the starter to a different position to check by seeing if it would work, nursed a duff starter like that for ages (on a Mini I think). O.P. has had it happen just the once but you can't rule it out of course.
All sorted. Brushes changed and it starts again. Old ones were really worn. My cranking speed had been getting lower and lower so I was expecting that to be fixed too, but it still cranked slowly. I started to look why and found corrosion on the earth strap by the brake reservoir. Cleaned that up and now it cranks fast again. Now I just need some sun so I can go for a ride.
