Starts from solenoid, not from starter button

This is a little odd. When I went to pick up my 81 yesterday that I just bought, it turned right over and started up. Came out this morning to run to the store and hit the start button and it turned over, but didn't catch fire. Checked the choke, no good. Thought, well... might as well stick a screwdriver to the starter solenoid and see what happens. Started right up!

Thought that maybe it was bad contacts on the starter button, but if that were the case, then I wouldn't think she would turn over at all... or at least weaker. When hitting the start button, it turns over strong though. After she's been running for a while though and warmed up, starts from the start button pretty much immediately.

The battery is new.

Thoughts?

 

Starter button only closes the solenoid so as long as it closes the starter will turn.

Shorting eliminates the solenoid. My bet is when using the start button your starter is turning slightly slower. Sounds like very early in solenoid failing. They get pitted and gunked up. You can take them apart but need good soldering skills and be careful not ot break the wires.

 

+1 to eminent solenoid failure.

 

Thanks Bill. Will swap out with a spare and see if that helps and update.

 

Check your safety circuits. The starter circuit has three things that can disable it based on sidestand, neutral, kill switch, and clutch.

The Haynes manual has some functional diagrams and troubleshooting procedures for these.

Just for reference, to start, the bike must be in neutral and the kill switch must be set to Run. I know this sounds obvious, but I've accidentally left the kill switch to Stop before, and then spent a bit of time wondering why the starter wasn't working.