83' KZ750F1 Starter Please HELP!

Heres the problem I am having. I have a 83KZ750F1 shaft driven bike. A week or the guy I bought the bike form said the starter failed. He opened the starter, adjusted some of the brushes and installed it back into the bike. The bike started up. The bike did not start since. I purchased the bike then purchased another starter from a KZ650 and installed it in the bike. It did not work. I then tested the starter with the battery using the rotor as the -ground and it worked.

The bike has all working lights. Everything.

Side note: the carbs are out of the bike

I'm going to get a volt meter asap to test the black output form the starter solenoid. Any ideas or advice?

Thanks for your help.

Starter Solenoid/Motor Checkout Procedure

Some simple steps to determine what is working and what's not:

1.Fully charge and test the battery(most bike shops can load test the battery, and then use a floating ball hydrometer to check specific gravity in the charged cells).

2.Clean all battery terminals of corrosion.

3.Tighten all starting related connections(Positive RED(+) battery terminal, Negative BLACK(-)terminal) and from the terminal to the engine case. All connections must be clean and tight. If the cables feel “Crunchy” when flexed, they may have corrosion inside the insulation, requiring replacement.

4.Clean the cable from the starter solenoid to the starter motor.

5.Clean and check the "bullet connectors" going to the coil side of the starter solenoid.

6.Try again to start the bike, keep in mind some Kawasaki’s have a clutch interlock to prevent cranking the engine while it’s in gear, so the clutch lever must be squeezed.

7.If no luck, go to step #8

8.Wearing eye protection, bridge with pliers or a screwdriver the two heavy duty(large)terminals on the solenoid. If the bike cranks, your solenoid may be bad.

9. If the starter won’t turn over, one of several things has happened; The starter motor has seized due to brushes binding up, lack of lubrication in the bushings of the motor, the battery is weak , the engine has seized or it could be a combination of any of the above. Some websites for starter motor rebuild kits are:

A. www.mawonline.com/newsite/rick_s_motorsp...-starter_brushes.htm

B. www.cyclewareables.com/pages/street_star...kits/startmtrkit.htm (not sure if the website is still viable)

C. www.psep.biz/store/mitsuba_starter_motors_page_2.htm


10.The dealer may want $$$ for a new solenoid, but take your old one along and visit the nearest riding lawn mower shop. They have solenoids for about $15 that with a little work will fit. Be aware that the new solenoid from the lawn mower shop may require a ground wire for it to work.

11. I’d recommend upgrading from the existing battery cables to at least 6 gauge welding cables.
They are available in two colors(RED and BLACK) have more flexibility due to being constructed with finer conductors, and will fit in tighter areas.

12. The welding cable is sold by the foot, so take careful measurements or bring your old cables along. Most battery shops might be able to supply the cable too, so call to find out. The battery shop should be able to crimp/swage on the end of the welding cable the terminal ends or lugs using either a dedicated crimping machine or a tool that looks like a bolt cutter that has special dies to terminate the cable.

check the power at the small terminals on the starter solenoid, you have to hold the clutch lever in, you are aren't you? If so you can jump the 2 large battery cable ends at the solenoid, this will take a lot of current so use a capable device. The starter should run. then if you have both power and ground to the solenoid small wires, when you have the key on and clutch lever in, you should hear it click fairly loudly. If not you can check for an open circuit in the solenoid coil. Between the two small wires. You of course need to have a well charged battery, and good clean positive and negitive battery connections, at both ends of each cable. The starter draws the most Amps of any of your electrical system. If the battery connections are bad, then when you push the start button, all will go dead from a loose contact.

Thanks guys, I will check out these solutions soon. I appreciate your quick advice.

Vince

All fixed. Changed a couple wires and all is good. Thanks guys appreciate your help.

Happy you corrected the problem. Don't be afraid to ask if any more come up.

Thanks MFolks, Appreciate that.

I actually do have one more problem located at the top of Carburetors that I'm hoping can be resolved so that I can start riding.