XJ700X starter motor bad?

Hi,
I have an '85 XJ700X that was running fine until a month ago. Periodically began to not start (starter motor wouldn't turn over) although the starter solenoid always clicked when pressing the starter button, headlight turned off like normal, etc.
Could usually get it to start using the starter button if I rocked it in gear a bit back and forth first (not sure why). New battery and roll-starting always works.
Now it won't start normally (with starter button) no matter what I do. Pressing the starter button while rapping on the starter motor with a rubber mallet occasionally gets me a random "chirp" from the motor but it won't turn over even once.
Shorting the solenoid with ignition on, in neutral, sidestand up, etc does nothing.
Do I simply need to look for a new (used) starter motor?

Thanks
TD

 

looks like you covered everything. Look for another starter or take yours apart and look at the brushes, they are probably worn out or oil has been leaking in it. Sometimes they can be cleaned and made to work again.

 

Ok thanks mlew!

 

I have found that over time, the starter can become filled with dust from the brushes and contacts. This can affect performance. A good cleaning might not solve the problem, but it's often on of those "process of elimination" things you have to do to find the solution.

 

Hi Artie, since my post the bike now refuses to even roll-start and has been stranded at my work parking lot for two days. Need to get it hauled out today. Frustrating.

-TD

 

Oh...that is frustrating. Post more when you know more. Hey joining AMA gives you free tow service including your cars too for $39.00 /year.

 

Because bikes use and overrunning clutch drive on the starter...it's actually always turning the starter pinion, just once the motor fires and turns it faster, the O.R. clutch disengages the starter drive (kind of a centrifugal thing, IIRC)...so when you rock it back and forth in gear, you are actually turning the starter drive...so you were getting it off the bad spot where the brushes weren't making any good contact or something...

It sounds fried.

 

Hi jeffcoslacker,

You're exactly right on the fried starter. Managed to snag a used starter off of eBay and after a little coaxing to start the first time, it's all good now and I'm back on the road.

Thanks
-TD

 

My starter went bad also, I took it apart and found where the 2 wires off the positive lead, one was not attached, i got a 130 watt solder gun resoldered the connections, works like a charm, I love how simple the things are on this bike.

 

Your first Starter Problem is usually an accumulation of Carbon Dust in the Brush Housing and on the Commutator ... "Shorting-Out" the situation and making the Motor Fail to start.

Brushes follow the Ground-Out.
Replacing the Brushes is a tricky repair.
Un-Soldering and removing the Old Brushes and Soldering-ON the New Set requires Soldering skill and patience.

Rebuilding the Starter and Cleaning the Whole Unit is a few hours work.

Read this whole thread:

http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=6 ... uzzle.html

 

I just had this problem, turned out to be starter brushes, one of them was worn down to practically nothing. I found the brushes at a "All Battery Electric" or some such place, had to shave them down a little to fit.

Once you take starter apart, if it's the brushes, and like Rick says, if you can solder, you just solder in the new brushes.

The hard part for me was getting everything back together without the wiring from the brushes being in the way of the spinning commutator, I didn't want it shorting out, but it seems to work fine now, so I must have got it right.

A little off the subject, but based on my understanding of electricity, I don't understand how the whole thing isn't one big short circuit, actually. You've got a positive lead going to a terminal on the starter, which goes to a brush, but the negative brush is just grounded to the starter housing, which is attached to the positive terminal! It just bothers me, maybe that's why the thing sparks when you bench test it, I dunno.