GB electric starter just clicking (need brushes)

**SpankMe** · 12th September 2006, 12:53

Using the electric starter to start the bike just gives out a click the first 3-5 times before working. Kick start works fine.

The only change I have made is adding the Magnum horn.

**MSTRS:Me** · 12th September 2006, 13:04

Originally Posted by SpankMe

Using the electric starter to start the bike just gives out a click the first 3-5 times before working. Kick start works fine.

The only change I have made is adding the Magnum horn.

Sounds like you might have created a battery earth problem...

**SpankMe** · 12th September 2006, 13:08

Could the horn connectors be around the wrong way?

**MSTRS:Me** · 12th September 2006, 13:10

If they went 'BEEP" instead of 'PEEB' - unlikely.
Still sounds like the battery is not earthing (fully)

**SpankMe** · 12th September 2006, 13:14

Originally Posted by Finn

Have you checked your tire pressure SpankMe?

keh?

**Devil** · 12th September 2006, 13:43

Originally Posted by SpankMe

Using the electric starter to start the bike just gives out a click the first 3-5 times before working. Kick start works fine.

The only change I have made is adding the Magnum horn.

We had the same issue with the starter from our Hyundai Excel, right before it kicked the bucket.

Maybe it's just on its way out?

I'd think if something wasn't plugged in properly it wouldn't work at all, not intermittantly.

**Mr. Peanut** · 12th September 2006, 14:03

Worn brushes/dirty commutator? Does it sometimes work first pop? It's a fairly cheap fix if that's the case.

**skelstar** · 12th September 2006, 14:13

Found with google:

2.) Starter Moters. The electronic starter motor also tends to die fairly commonly on GB's. Either the solenoid will pack up, the clutch will or it will just wear out. GB's with working starter motors are not all that common.

Also, starter motor failure, while aggravated by infrequent oil changes, shows early with the development of slight highs & hollows on the two faces which the sprags lock against, probably due to poor surface hardening. Eventually a sprag will hit a highpoint once too often & break. By the time 3 or more have quit things are getting really graunchy in there, & there isn't enough grip produced to lock. Failure can be kept at bay by dismantling for inspection every 10 thousand or so, & having a machinist dress the faces lightly, even re-harden or chrome. This isn't as silly as it might seem if you price replacement parts at broken sprag time, as the hub & gear face items have to be renewed as well as the new sprag, otherwise the new sprag will quit in no time. However, there is enough range of rotation in the sprag rollers so that a new one will accommodate resurfaced hub & gear faces, if the budget is tight. While in this area, if you can live without the electric start an available bonus is to biff the electric starter gear altogether, including the sprag assy & hub, & use the space to add some flywheel.

My workmate has a GB500 and reckon that this fault is fairly common in the GBs, but admits to being not very helpful.

edit - woops, its seems that I reposted some of the above stuff as I found it repeated/duplicated in an archived KB post from eons ago.

**classic zed** · 12th September 2006, 21:23

I will have it sussed in no time

**Silage** · 13th September 2006, 20:41

My GB400 has over 85000 on it and the elect. start has never hiccupped. I do kick start it at times - usually after being not used for a week or so. Never heard anyone complain about the start giving out.

Sounds like a dodgy connection somewhere in the system but then I thought a meteor passing by was a transformer blowing.

**FROSTY:Me** · 20th September 2006, 10:30

soes sound like the starter solenoid to me spank--If the battery was flat it wouldnt start on the button at all not just go click-then later fire up.
lets put it this way==the solenoid is the easiest/cheapest item to fix/replace.

**Pixie** · 27th September 2006, 09:40

Loose battery connections

**SpankMe** · 23rd November 2006, 10:30

Anyone know if starter motor brushes from any other model will work on the GB500? Apparently one part of the brush set is no longer available.

**Motu** · 23rd November 2006, 11:14

Staters are common to many models - but if it's not available for your's it's probably the same for others as well.But you never know,it could be used on a Yamaha and readily available.Who is doing the work? Get an auto sparky to look at it rather than a bike mechanic,they will have a much more experiance in starters and more parts they can modify to fit.

**Ixion** · 23rd November 2006, 11:29

Brushes are simple things. They can be cut, filed etc. You just need to find one that's a bit bigger than the one you want and attack it. Only problem nowdays is finding an auto sparky that served his apprenticeship at the well known firm of Bodger & Bashit, and doesn't freakout at the idea .