XJ550 starter issues

Hi, I recently aquired a free 1981 XJ550. I started tinkering around with it today seeing if I can get it to turn over/fire/run. This bike needs alot of work and I dont want to dump money into it until I know it is worth it. So I was trying to get it to turn over and It would barely do anything. Batterys good, I am jumping the solenoid so I know its getting 12v at the stud on the starter. I checked the engine ground and all connections. I took the starter off and bench tested it, it didnt sound very healthy even with a car battery hooked to it. I put a pair of vise grips on the gear and it wont support any load. Now before I drop 150 bucks on a starter for an engine that I dont know is any good would it be a good Idea to try a rebuild kit on it or is it too far gone? Thanks

 

Welcome aboard. The starter can be rebuilt if it's not too damaged. Pull the cap and post a picture of the brush plate and commutator. We'll take a look. A compression test will tell you how viable the mill is. How many miles are on it?

Gary H.

 

On further inspection it seems that the brushes have worn to the point Where the wire connecting them will not let them slide in any further to the comutator. The one positive brush is not making full contact to it.

The bike has 16,000 miles,what is that like for one of these bikes if it was regularly maintained?

 

Barely broken in.

Even if it wasn't regularly maintained it won't have gotten too bad. Get a rebuild kit for the starter (around $30). All told once you catch up on the 30 years of undone maintenance and old rubber bits you should have spent around $600 to $800, and will have a machine that will easily sell for $1500 even with cosmetic blemishes. (but you'd be a fool to sell it).

Read The Information Overload Hour (link in my signature) for a guide as to what you'll want to inspect and catch-up on.