Posted: 7/25/2009 11:50:38 AM EDT
| Bike has been in my garage since I got hurt back in Jan. I charged the battery last night, but when I hit the starter today, I can hear the starter motor grinding but nothing happens and the engine does not turn over. It is a 07 Honda Shadow. |
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I don't know what a bendix is or how to get it out. How much would a shop charge to fix this, and is there anything else I should worry about since the bike sat for so long? 6 months or so isn't "that long". The bexdix [thing in the starter that engages the teeth of the starter to the engine] either is stuck from rust or dried oil or a mouse built a nest in it. Since M/Cs are pretty well sealed as opposed to most lawn equiptment I'd suspect the stuck bendix. Usually, all one has to do is remove the battery cables from the battery, remove [maybe] the cable from the starter, unbolt the starter from the engine, spray some WD40 on the shaft and move the gear back a forth until it moves freely. You DON"T want to continue to grind the teeth on either the starter or the engine as once you wear those down or break them you'll be paying a pretty penny to replace the starter or replace the gear on the engine. Usually just two or three screws or bolts holding the starter onto the engine, pretty easy to remove. |
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Dont mean to hijack but my bike often fails to start after only a few days or so without being cranked or without a tenderizer, so obviously a new battery needs to be my first priority but until then push starting is something that I have occasionally done but not well at all.
Is there some type of accepted technique in regards to the correct gear selection and what the best speed to let out the clutch is etc.? The bike is an R1100 and its heavy as hell so this is not something I enjoy doing for one second more than I potentially have to. |
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Don't use 1st gear is the main thing. 2nd works pretty well, the faster you are going the better, a hill or friends help tremendously. Instead of popping the clutch, feather it a bit, like when starting off, to avoid wheel lockup. A bit of a bounce on the passenger seat, on the downstroke, as you let out the clutch can help traction as well. Total loss, no starter race bikes, FTW |
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Bendix bad or stuck, probably stuck. Remove starter and free it up, reinstall starter, start it up. It doesn't use a bendix. Uses a starter clutch with a one way bearing. A bendix is usually on automotive starter motors. http://fiche.ronayers.com/Index.cfm/Module/Main/TypeID/26/Type/Motorcycle/MakeID/1/Make/Honda/YearID/48/Year/2007/ModelID/4945/Model/VT750CA/GroupID/168279/Group/STARTING_CLUTCH From the looks of it a few hard to remove parts are required to get to the starter clutch and I don't think it would be stuck since it is soaked in oil as it is inside the cases. |
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Quoted:
Dont mean to hijack but my bike often fails to start after only a few days or so without being cranked or without a tenderizer, so obviously a new battery needs to be my first priority but until then push starting is something that I have occasionally done but not well at all. Is there some type of accepted technique in regards to the correct gear selection and what the best speed to let out the clutch is etc.? The bike is an R1100 and its heavy as hell so this is not something I enjoy doing for one second more than I potentially have to. There is your problem right there. Its an opposed boxer engine, not a ribeye. In all seriousness, get yourself a battery tender jr. Best $30 I ever spent. Screw on the connections to the battery terminal and just use the quick disconnect to plug and unplug every time you pull into the garage. If you are bump starting a heavy bike like the r1100, try to find a small decline and if possible use 2nd gear or possibly third and pop the clutch. Be advised you may cause undue wear/stress/breakage on the splines on the shaft drive. To the OP - no bendix on motorcycles. Your battery is weak, get a battery tender and let the thing charge for two days or until the green light comes on. In all seriousness the Battery tender JR is an absolute must have for bikes. I love mine. |
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Try something easy first, I didn't cover my old bike and I had the same problem you did, new battery and I would lean on the starter and she wouldn't fire. Give all the spark plugs a good jiggle (or take them out and clean them) and try. I just had to shake the dust loose from mine and she started right up.
Good Luck |