I hate electrical problems, Big Red.

[Mickey Dunlap]

OK I have a 85' Big Red 250es and the electric starter won't work it just clicks in the solenoid. I put a new one on still does it with a new batt. I even tried to jump it across the solenoid post and nothing happens like no power to it. The 20amp fuse looks clean and good. The grounds are all clean. The push button and switch are all clean looking. I can feel it clicking in my hand on both the old and new one. Put a starter on it, and still nothing. Any help on what to check or replace is welcome. Bike kick start real easy.

[jeswinehart]

I hate electrical problems too. I have had the same kind of trouble,,, years ago with a different Bigred. If I recall correctly it was the nut/bolt/stud thing on the starter itself.
Have you tried jumping directly to starter on the lead side of the solenoid ~ results ? Or better yet from battery directly to the starter hot post. If no go,,, wiggle that connection at the starter. That's about all I got,,,, good luck !
john

[Xpress]

Have you tried jumping the starter with an alternate 12v power source? If it cranks then perhaps I'd be looking at the battery on the bike. If not, then your issue is something with the starter itself.

[Mickey Dunlap]

I hooked a starter up to in , nothing. Cross the polls with a screw driver and nothing, not ever a spark. Took and hooked both red and black heavy wires together, still nothing. Yet you hook it all up and it seams to have some power to it because it clicks hard holding it in my hand. Unless the starter I use was bad too. The starter on the bike feels a little knochy when I turn it both way but the other starter was smooth turning.

[Jmoozy27]

Have you confirmed that the starter works and engages, spins with the start button when not hooked to the engine? If it spins good then it seem like something inside the motor not allowing it to turnover.

[Mickey Dunlap]

Yea nothing is happening, I'll buy a new starter in the morning.

Thanks everyone.

[wolfspider]

Yea nothing is happening, I'll buy a new starter in the morning.

Thanks everyone.

there are two different starters for bigreds mickey, short shaft for 85 and 86 and long shaft for the 87 88 bigreds

[shortline10]

If your arcing across the selinoid it's got to be the starter . Could be stuck / worn brushes , loose ungrounded rivits , broken magnets .

[Mickey Dunlap]

If your arcing across the selinoid it's got to be the starter . Could be stuck / worn brushes , loose ungrounded rivits , broken magnets .

Thanks for confirming that, I know I can trust you, thanks again. I'm buying a new one today.

[dave ytz250s]

If your arcing across the selinoid it's got to be the starter . Could be stuck / worn brushes , loose ungrounded rivits , broken magnets .

bad starter or not enough power (amps). Even with a new battery you can have some resistance with a dirty or corroded connection somewhere. Did you try jumping it with a bigger battery like a car battery? Or jumping with your new battery directly to the starter or solenoid without using your bike's wires?

[Craigolsen18]

I would jump the starter directly to see if that's your problem. Take jumper cables hook them up to a car battery then put the positive cable on the stud of the starter and the negative on the cylinder head after you do this the starter should spin if it does check your cables for corrosion of it doesn't spin buy a starter.

[OKSTATE#1]

I had an issue like this, took the starter apart and the little magnets came out in chunks.

Bought an old starter that looked good off eBay for 40 bucks and I was back in bidness.

[YamaBoss]

I had a similar problem with my 225dx. It turned out to be the starter gear was getting pinched in between the stator cover and the block and it would not spin. The pervious owner used gasket sealer instead of a gasket and there wasn't enough distance for that gear to spin freely. It sounds like yours is something to do with a bad starter but if not it could be something similar to mine. Good luck.

[Mickey Dunlap]

I had an issue like this, took the starter apart and the little magnets came out in chunks.

Bought an old starter that looked good off eBay for 40 bucks and I was back in bidness.

I bought a new starter so I make sure it turns over the 350 kit I'm building.

[Mickey Dunlap]

I had a similar problem with my 225dx. It turned out to be the starter gear was getting pinched in between the stator cover and the block and it would not spin. The pervious owner used gasket sealer instead of a gasket and there wasn't enough distance for that gear to spin freely. It sounds like yours is something to do with a bad starter but if not it could be something similar to mine. Good luck.

Everything turns I already checked that.

[Dirtcrasher]

There is someone who rebuilds them on EBAY for a good cost. The link was here at 3WW.....

[Mickey Dunlap]

It's the starter, I check a few different ones on a good charged battery and they all work but this one. New ones are only $100 from my vendor.

[Flyingw]

I've been buying starters from DB Electrical on EBay for about 40 bucks. They are all coming from China these days anyway.

[Craigolsen18]

Sometimes they sell starter rebuild kits but if it's really smoked inside your better off spending the money and if your spending over $70 make sure it comes with a warranty.

[Mickey Dunlap]

I've been buying starters from DB Electrical on EBay for about 40 bucks. They are all coming from China these days anyway.

It's hard to believe how cheap they sell them for, what the heck I'm going to try one. Thanks!

[Flyingw]

It makes one wonder how much the retailers really pay for them.

[Mickey Dunlap]

It makes one wonder how much the retailers really pay for them.

I don't know, but I have some meds I have to take and I don't have insurance. CVS gives me a discount so it's $168 a month. My wife found a coupon that got it down to $60 for the same thing same place, then she took the same coupon to Wal-Mart and it was $19! For the same thing. Now I have lowered my over head to almost nothing and since I have been dealing with my vendors over 30 years I get pretty good pricing, but I have way less profit then these drug dealers!:mad:

The good new my Big Red starts so easy now, thanks to you guys and the super low prices. Thanks!:cool:

[Flyingw]

ALRIGHT MICKEY!!! That's why we're here.

[captainweezy]

Just saw this post as i searched for an answer to why my electric starter would not work. I went looking through everything including a new battery, solinoid, checked the main fuse, checked neutral and reverse switches under the right side of the motor, handlebar switch, and also bench tested my starter and it tested good on the bench. However after looking at this post and talking to FlyingW, i decided to try a different starter. Thank god that was the problem because i really didnt want to mess with the wiring. Just wanted to post this because i would have never thought after bench testing the original starter it would still be a bad starter. Not much else i could have checked.

[lafermedavid]

Im sort of in the same scenario,starter button will not activate starter ,,,,,,I do receive a spark jumping polls on the solenoid ,therefore engaging starter.Do you have a head light on your trike that hide the wires for your starter button and their connections.