My starter hates me, I need your help!

Hi KZ Rider,
I just bought a used but in great condition 1983 KZ750. Having some starter problems after I got her home. Cold start is a little rough but nothing too crazy. After a couple weeks the bike wouldn't start and made this awful sound. I gave her a push start and she fired right up. Once warmed up it would struggle to start, but would eventually get there after a bit of gas. Yanked the battery and took it up to Autozone, they said it was low so I left it to charge. After putting it back in the bike wasn't completely cooled down but the starter seemed to be working. 2 days later I'm having the same starter issue. Gave it a push start, ran up to Autozone and had them run another load test.... Battery holds the charge fine and has no load problems. I recorded a video so you could hear the sound. This is my first time dealing with a bad starter, from what I've read I'm assuming this noise is due to a bad solenoid, needing a battery with more cranking power, or a bad starter clutch. Please help! I've uploaded a video to youtube of the sound it's making. Just does not seem to engage when its starting.

Sounds like the starter clutch. I had a kz750 that would miss most of the time, so I just kept trying till it caught. Kind of involved to fix properly.

Welcome to the forum!

Your starter is fine. As retterath stated, the problem is your starter clutch. The video you posted shows the classic bad starter clutch noise. Do you have a Kawasaki Service Manual for your bike? Ed

Thank you for taking a listen. Starter clutch is my worst fear on this one. After running the starter numerous times it hasn't yet caught. Found a service manual online so I guess it is time to start ordering parts and cleaning off the bench.

Be sure you order ALL the parts including the starter gear. Ed

Where is the link to your video? I'd like to take a listen to see/hear if I have the same issue. Mine starts fine but makes a pretty horrid metallic screeching sound. I'll have another look in the manual for this starter clutch business.

Holy smoke! I think I'll have to live with the noise, at least she starts. The job looks way over my head. Pretty much as soon as I read 'special tool' I throw in the towel. It just get too expensive for me. I have to ship everything from the US, and the exchange rate is real bad now too. It's kinda like kids - 'pick ya battles'

Please do a search on here ........ its been talked about alot on here with all the part numbers and tools needed .....

Though I like the small fours, the starter clutch being buried inside the cases is a deal breaker for me. That's one of the reasons I sold the 550. Seems a common problem with them.
Steve

650ed wrote: Be sure you order ALL the parts including the starter gear. Ed

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I wonder if someone could take the used one to a machine shop and have it set up in a lathe and run a mild knurling head on it..??