Removing the starter motor on a ST2

[The Goochman]

I love "new to me" motorcycles, you just never know what you are going to find.

It looks like I am going to have to pull the starter motor and overhaul it. As I recall from the Pantah engines, it is possible to remove the starter fairly easily once the left side case of the motor has been removed. (If you do it right, you don't even have to drop the oil!) There are holes in the stater idler gear which allow access to the 2 inside screws that secure the starter.

Is this the same on the 944 motor? If it is, it is an afternoon job, If the alternator etc has to be removed, then it is not so easy.

I guess I should also ask if anyone has a stater motor for sale, just in case.

2002 ST2

Thanks

Dave G
aka The Goochman

[Ric]

I don't know for sure,but i think the 2 valve starter motors are mounted the same in all models from at least 1999 on. What makes you sure the starter is bad Dave? I have had no start issues with my 02 900 sport and my 2000 944 track.They both turned out to be minor issues with wiring.Bad negative ground to the crankcase on one,and corrosion in the main fuse panel on the other.

[The Goochman]

I think that you are correct on the starter mounting, at least looking at the parts breakdown. The water cooling does add to the complexity.

I haven't had the opportunity to troubleshoot the problem yet. The symptoms are as follows: with the bike in neutral, you can hear the fuel pump start up when the key is turned on. All of the lights work, but pushing the starter button results in absolutely nothing, not clicks and definitely no start. The bike can be bump started successfully.

One thing that I did notice was that if you put the bike in gear and rolled backwards enough to turn the engine over partially, the starter would then engage normally and start the bike. BTW, this is not related to the clutch switch or the side stand switch (already checked and eliminated as possibilities).

It does seem to be heat related. When I parked the bike last night, and tried to restart, the starter engaged and then nothing - no start or reaction when the button was pressed again. This morning, without doing anything else from last night, the starter engaged and started immediately.

This is the first time that I have noticed this happening, but this is also the first time that I have tried to restart a very hot engine. Most of the time while commuting, the engine temperature has not exceeded 180F. Yesterday, it hit 220 several times while sitting in traffic.

I suspect that the starter needs to be taken apart and cleaned, but since it does seem to start with a little fiddling, I am not going to worry about it much at the moment.

Anyone have any other ideas, let me know.

Thanks

Dave G

[Chris]

Hi Dave,

Have you looked at the starter solinoid? At the very least it should click every time you press the starter. I have had issues with the plug on the starter solinoid coming loose. Some people even zip tie the plug to make sure it doesn't come out.

Good Luck,
Chris

[Ric]

Oh yah.That's a very suspect little gremlin.I've had trouble with one of them in the past.I use a zip tie or carefully safety wire it.

[chris fournier]

Before I started pulling the engine apart to get at the starter motor I'd do some careful detective work with a multimeter on both a cold and then hot bike. I would confess that multimeter work is not nearly as fun as wrench spinning but it makes more sense to reach for the meter in this instance. Eliminate any potential electrical issues and the Grand Prize of wrench spinning and a parts list are your rich reward.

[The Goochman]

Chris and Ric nailed it! The plug in the back of the solenoid was loose and making intermittent contact. Pushed it back in (tie wrapping will have to wait until later) and she started right up.

Thanks for the advice on troubleshooting. Not to worry though, I am lazy. My plan was to work my way through the system before breaking out the wrenches. The question about the starter motor came from my preliminary thoughts based on symptoms, not on actual testing. I was just working my way through the possibilities.

Having the hint make finding the problem dead easy!

Thanks

Dave G

[chris fournier]

That's good news!

[jimgoeg]

I've always had sluggish starter response from my ST2. Several articles have recommended thicker gauge starter wiring, so I ordered a set from Powerlet (6 gauge). I can't believe the difference this has made. The engine turns over smoothly every time.