BMW R1200R R1150R/T F800 K1200R R1100R/T R1250R RnineT Message Board

Apparently, I didn't cancel the Amazon order. I attempted to but I guess the third party seller didn't get it done. So, my $86 Odyssey battery is on it's way.

That looks well used (up?)! Valeo starters have had more than a few front motor plates come loose and then make contact with the windings of the armature, sometimes welding themselves when the sparks flew! That's what happened to my 13-year-old starter. I replaced it with one I found on Amazon for less than I expected (made in China) that has worked well for 3 years.

You got a good deal on the battery. My Odyssey is still strong after 8+ years!

Yeah, heck of a deal on the battery. I too found a good deal on a starter on Amazon. About $75 shipped. It's been doing well for over a year now.

Cleaning a starter motor is no big deal. Yes, they do get gummed up on the pinion which the small gearwheel slides to-and-fro on.
The armature also gets coated in atmospheric gunk - remember, we live in a polluted world.
If you can get to the armature and brushes, give them a good clean so that the actual motor speed comes up to spec., then attend to the actuation gearwheel - give that part a few good blasts with brake cleaner so that the pinion shines nicely, then wipe everything spotlessly clean and add a dash of angostura bitters - no - sorry - silicon spray oil.
Your motor should then perform correctly.

Bear in mind that an 'intelligent' monitor will only trickle volts into the battery. Best if in doubt instead to give it a proper full charge with a hefty 4-Amp battery charger overnight. Then you should have more than 12 Volts at rest. Maybe even 14 with a good unit. I love the new-tech LiPo Shorai battery - it spins that crank like gangbusters all year round.

Yeah....cleaning the starter - I wonder how many of us have starters in similar condition. You say you're not sure about the battery...Unless I've missed it, you haven't check for load. 12.5 V sitting is fine. When you reinstall the starter, attach the leads to the terminals and push the starter button; the meter should read in the high 11s - think I remember that right. I'm just an DOI guy who uses a cheap multi-meter. When my car battery showed insufficient load readings, I figured I'd best go to a shop and see how things stood when attached to a real, professional meter. The man wheeled out a monstrous unit, checked my battery and got the exact readings I did with my meter - purchased at Harbor Freight for $10.

If by chance you need replacement parts for the starter, Euromoto Electrics has some of the common parts .

https://www.euromotoelectrics.com/category-s/1623.htm

Thanks. i ordered a replacement starter from Amazon for like $60-$70 in case my cleaning efforts don't get it done. Sounds like people have good success with these. I have the 5w-50 Mobil1 oil coming as well. It was $47 for a case of 6 qts from Amazon. And, I have the Odyssey battery coming from Amazon for $87 (now offered for $129) which I had tried to cancel. I'm thinking I probably don't need the new battery as I'm hopeful the current battery behaves correctly with a properly functioning starter. I'm curious, would you guys hold on to a new battery if you weren't going to install it right away? Seems silly to do but it is a really good price.

Easiest solution to your extra battery, is to get another motorcycle !!!
If you do decide to take the starter apart for a good cleaning and lubrication, use a grease that is non-conductive and has a high melting point .
Another option I used, on one of my airhead bikes, when I didn't have time due to work and elderly parents, was a local mom and pop starter, alternator, generator repair shop .
Cost was $50, no parts were required .
I got lucky, all my bikes use the same battery .

Just for reference, I went out to the garage today and started the bike. 22 degrees, 20w-50 oil, used the cold start lever, 2 year old battery that's fully charged and it started right up. It was hard to tell if it was sluggish by comparison to warmer weather, but if it was it wasn't really noticeable.

racurley wrote:I watched the voltmeter when I started it. It was at 12.6 and then dropped to 8.75 when it was starting.

SunBeemer said it right: "That's too much voltage-drop while cranking; generally less than 9.75 volts indicates an electrical problem."
Because the battery is only 2 years old, that would most likely be the starter armature "Brass" commutator segments that the brushes make electrical contact with the armature windings, are worn down, literally from being "burned away." The cause of a no-start problem usually is with the wear particles shorting over to the adjacent segments, partially actuating them too, draining lots more battery power.
A new starter and battery will definitely cure your no-starts. When you get the starter torn down, show us a close-up pic of the commutator segments section.

Dry oilite bearings at each end of the armature shaft will cause high power draw and slower rotation speed .
Had this on two of my airhead bikes, also, below 10 volts, the ignition system won't work very well .
Use a non-conductive high melting point grease .
I've used Mobil 1 oil on the oilite bearings .

I replaced the starter. Problem solved. There was a strange noise at startup which I had thought was coming rim the left cylinder or cam chain. Apparently, it was the starter because it is now quite quiet starting the bike. Battery doing to 11 or 10.5 at startup. I have partially dismantled the starter but it has a couple of rivets holding it on that would need to be removed. The commutator segments seem OK though.

racurley wrote:I put the fast throttle (choke) on and hit the start button. It turns over but sluggishly. It's quite warm here today and started ok. But, there's a slight hesitation at first. Just doesn't seem strong. When it has been colder, upper 30's, it turns over but much slower and won't actually start. Tonight, I watched the voltmeter when I started it. It was at 12.6 and then dropped to 8.75 when it was starting.

Hi Racurley,
10w40 oil may help, as might cleaning the starter. From your reports, the battery is most suspect.

Since you have an Oilhead, PC680, trickle charger and low starting voltage, my first line of attack would be the battery. The Oilhead and many trickle chargers undercharge the pc680 slightly, resulting in part of the battery being sulfated, resulting in low starting power. The solution is either to replace the battery or recondition it by discharging it to exactly 10V and then recharging it with a proper charger, repeat that 4-5 times. Then in the future, either mod the alternator to charge it correctly or get an odyssey approved trickle charger, or both.