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I need some advice or help here guys….

with the weather shaping up nicely up here in canada,I thought I would fire up the bike.. Its been on the battery tender all winter long.
Click,click,click,click,click… I put the bike in gear and tried to move it around…try again….click,click,click…. I guess my starter is gone.. the bike is an 05.

Tore the bike down a bit as I have to change the one of the quick disconnects anyhow?…
SO the big question… if I need a starter where is the best place to purchase from..?

thanks for your time in advance

Possum

Did you have the battery tested before starter shopping?

It may not have enough juice to turn it over

Rags

I agree with Rags . . . purchasing a starter is the worst and absolute last choice in the top 4 things to do.
Do the easy shots first, but be aware the load relief relay cuts off the headlight when the starter button is pressed.:
Is the headlight white-n-bright AFTER the starter clicks?
If not, is it a soft antique white color, then the battery is done.
Are the battery and starter solenoid terminals tight, clean and corrosion free?
A battery terminal voltmeter test before/during/after you hit the starter button will tell you all you need to know.

Light is bright after clicks/clicking… strong powerful clicks
connections tight and corrosion free.
Do not have a voltmeter… will get someone to check to rule it out

How old is the battery, and is it a serviceable type ????

AZBMWRIDER wrote:How old is the battery, and is it a serviceable type ????

The battery is only 3 years old... OEM gel battery.. it's my second BMW battery.. It is not serviceable... It does not seem week.

The battery was on the tender since october... I never let it get low, as I learned my lesson from the 1st battery... once these batteries get low, they never recover.

Had the battery checked out at a local shop… and was told it was good to go.. so back to the starter motor…. are there a couple of different manufactures out there… I even seen some on e-bay… Although I purchase from e-bay not sure I would purchase a starter from there?

Before I purchased a replacement starter, I would remove it and take it to a shop for testing, some autoparts stores will do this .

AZBMWRIDER wrote:Before I purchased a replacement starter, I would remove it and take it to a shop for testing, some autoparts stores will do this .

Thanks AZ… I will do that

It is VERY easy to short the terminals when removing the starter. Be sure to disconnect the battery prior to removing the starter. You may simply find dirt and corrosion inside the starter/bendix assembly. A spray can of an engine cleaner/carb cleaner may help.

Good luck!

Wayne

Probably just a bad connection from the battery to the starter. As already stated, the starter sounds like a good starter without sufficient juice. Check all connections and like AZBMWRIDER said, have the starter checked before buying one. Those starters can also be rebuilt for a fraction of a new starter.

Quick search found this thread... very similar to where I'm at.

Mine only does this when sitting in the cold.. this has progressively become more apparent. It clicked after sitting out in 45 degrees and strong north wind yesterday for only 3 hrs. "clickityclickclickclick" Sounds like solenoid low voltage, thought I was stranded LOL. but then began turning and started. But, when warm starter sounds/turns just fine.


could that still be a sign of the starter problems I'm reading about? OR are those usually "go-no go" situations?


Was in a hurry this morning, just took battery reading-showed 13.4. which confused me a little. lol think my voltmeter needs its own batteries. I had left the bike keys in the house, and it was time for work...anyhoo, Ill test it under starter load this evening. I'm pretty sure the battery is going.....but... I'm Just sitting at my desk, thinking about motorcycle riding can't help it. had the question on my mind. have a nice day

Guys

I had a similar problem right after I bought my '04 model. Sounded just like the battery had dropped a cell. The dreaded click..click. So, knowing that the previous owner had spoken of a flat battery because he only rode it occasionally I figuured it needed a new one, but guess what...
Yep, click..'click again. Almost dead short seemingly..So I bit the bullet and stripped the starter expecting to see low brushes or heaps of carbon maybe? but no.
Thankfully a definite fault was revealed. Sadly I took no pic's, (not knowing about this forum) but if you can picture a very conventional auto type starter with some reduction planetary gears in a housing near the bendix.
Problem was being caused (intermittently) by the thin metal cover of that gear housing which is supposed to clip into a groove of the housing. It had dislodged and floated/moved along the shaft towards the armature until it contacted the ends of the large windings, and you could see clearly the burn marks where the plate had taken the current from the windings onto the shaft.
All it needed was a clean and lube of the gears, then a slight bend of the tangs on the plate so it would hold into its housing properly, and its all good for months now.

Good luck from OZ

What did you end doing. I order a new starter from eBay.... $58 shipped to the house. Just got today will put in shortly. Will let you know how it holds up. Seems built well.

it's been perfect ever since that fix, so I would keep that loose cover plate in mind if you experience an intermittent 'dead' starter.

PS the only hard bit of re-assembling these starters is how to hold the brushes into their holders as you offer the plate onto the end of the shaft and housing.
The trick is to tie some thin wire or string around them to compress the spring a little until almost in place, and then release.

Cheers