AWESOME "how to" articles!! (and another stupid question)

[diversity48]

I've been absent from the site for awhile and just finished going through some of the "how to" articles...and paid special attention to the amazing article (and photography) regarding rebuilding a starter, written by Tim Wentzell! Truly an incredible job of writing and some fantastic photography! Even a bumbler like me would feel comfortable doing the job, or at least attempting it. Congratulations, Tim...JOB WELL DONE!
Now for the stupid question: It appears that a brand new starter can be had from EBAY with a 12 month warranty for +- $80.00. Has anyone here had experience with these starters? Obviously there is a cost advantage to rebuilding the old starter. Just as obvious, it isn't a Honda product, but likely a Chinese knock off (not necessarily a bad thing). But are these the only advantages? By the way, I've found that if I make sure the battery is fully charged (via my $20 walmart/Schumacher charger/ maintainer) there is no drag from the starter. Maybe I should just keep the bike on the charger more often and not worry about the starter. Even when it drags a bit, the starter has never left me stuck. Just requires some patience.
Any comments would be appreciated.

[ct1500]

What exactly is your starter doing or not doing. Depending on what the problem might be you are usually better off refreshing your old and getting another 20 yrs. compared to what might be an unknown piece of junk that could fail at any time, yes, the knock offs can be that bad.

First you do a simple charging voltage test, then a battery load test, then voltage drop tests between starter and battery and you are done with your diagnosis and then can proceed to potential starter issues with a firm grasp of WHAT the problem is.

[WingAdmin]

I've heard bad stories (some from people right here on this site) about the $80 Chinese starters - mainly, the plastic planetary reduction gears eat themselves up in short order, rendering the starter useless.

[wing rider 2012]

Fixing your starter and just be an issue of cleaning and replacing the brushes. If the starter drags there could a a number of reasons for this other than the starter itself. Check your grounds, check the cable that runs from the starter relay B to the starter, make sure this cable has no corrosion at the ends, corrosion can creep up the wire between the insulation and cause a huge voltage drop when trying to start the engine. Check the voltage drops across relay A and also Relay B, this would be a sign of corrosion within the relay, other wise known as carbon arcing.