If there is an issue with your starter motor, you can oftentimes fix it yourself. It is important that you thoroughly diagnose your motorcycle before beginning to repair anything. If you skip over the diagnosis, you will very likely spend time “repairing” the motor just to find out that it still is not working.
You want to know whether your solenoid is bad, the starter is bad, the battery is the problem, etc. You also should take a look at the wiring to the motor. Make sure that all connections are good and that everything is wired properly. Once you have narrowed down the problem you are ready to start disassembly.
You can disassemble the entire starter motor and put it back together. Many starter motor brands offer specific instructions for their own starter motors. Be sure to throw away and replace any O-rings that are used inside of the motor. Once you have removed the armature from the cover entirely, you can inspect it for any abnormal wear.
Also, take a look at the bearing at the end of the cover. Make sure that it can spin freely. You also can measure the diameter of the commutator. Your motorcycle will have an explicitly stated service limit. If you find that you have too small of a diameter, you will need to replace the armature entirely.
You can also remove the brushes entirely. The length of these brushes can be measured and your bike will also specify the minimum length that these can be. If necessary, you can replace these brushes. Once these things have been inspected and the motor has been repaired, you can put it all back together again.
At What Point Should You Replace The Starter?
It’s possible for you to be able to repair any starter motor that has failed or that is starting to fail. But when is it better just to buy a new starter? This is a hard question to answer as it really depends on a lot of things. The first factor is cost. A new starter motor for your motorcycle could be anywhere from $80-$350.
This will vary from bike to bike. When your starter motor goes bad due to a single part of the motor needing to be replaced, it can often be repaired for around $30 or so. If you are needing to save money this can cut the cost down immensely.
Another important factor is time. Replacing a starter motor is relatively simple. Generally, you can do it yourself in about 15-20 minutes or so. Repairing a starter motor can take quite a while. To remove and tear the starter motor apart can take about 30 minutes on its own. Then there is time to diagnose the different components of the motor, replace them, and then re-assemble the motor. Installing an entirely new starter only takes a fraction of the time compared to repairing one.
Another very important factor is the age of the starter. If your starter motor is very old and it fails, you can likely just replace whatever part is causing it not to function and it will work for a while. Due to its age though, it is fairly likely that it will fail again soon. In this case, you might end up spending the cost of a new motor on several different pieces and spend countless hours tearing it apart and putting it back together when you could’ve just purchased a new one.
Ultimately, it is up to you whether you repair or replace your starter motor. I personally almost always replace the starter motor. Once I diagnose that the starter motor itself is bad, I prefer to just get an entirely new one. To me, the time spent makes it hard to justify the difference in cost. Ultimately, you will have to decide what is best for you and your motorcycle.
Preventative Maintenance For Your Starter
There are several things that you can do to help extend the life of your motorcycle’s starter motor. The biggest thing that you can do is regularly clean all connections to the starter motor. Corrosion, dirt, and other contaminants can build up where the wires come from the battery and connect to the starter motor. Eventually the buildup can interrupt the flow of electricity and prevent the starter motor from working.
Another important thing to check periodically is that the starter mounting bolts are properly tightened. If these become loose, the motor will vibrate excessively. This will cause it to fail prematurely. This can also prevent the starter from being able to engage properly with the flywheel.
By doing these things, you can ensure that your starter motor lasts as long as possible before needing to be repaired or replaced.
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