a couple more probably stupid questions

[kotkinjs1]

Please bear with me; my electrical knowledge is about on par with my knowledge of mechanical troubleshooting on Goldwings.....pretty slim. So, question #1, I want to clean out the main chassis ground and I found out where it's located through this forum, on the little triangle engine hanger thing just forward of the battery. SO if I remove that one bolt that the ground wire is connected to to get the wire off, do I have to support the engine from hanging/dropping? I think it's the lower bolt if I remember correctly and there's a thin metal rod that goes across the engine to the opposite side metal triangle hanger thing and that seems to hold the rear of the engine up between the two hangers.

Question 2....in further trying to ensure I've nailed down the starting issue which I believe is the starter motor, I'm not 100% positive. Because the the starter gets a full 12.5ish volts through the solenoid from the battery when I hit the start switch. But the solenoid doesn't show a reading at all between the two posts when I hit start. It rests at a little reading, .03 or 4 but when I hit start it drops to zero. The little I know about switches and circuits tells be that's not right, right? Those two facts - starter getting a full 12+ volts on start compared to the solenoid seeming to not complete a circuit - is what's confusing me in trying to troubleshoot this to the downstream problem. But when I hook up jumpers from the battery direct to the starter motor, nothing. That would definitely mean the starter is bad, right?

[Rambozo]

To verify your ground, measure from the starter terminal to the starter case. When you hit the button, you should have battery voltage, or close to it. If you do, then your trouble lies within the starter. Worn out brushes are typically the issue. They can be replaced and clean out all the carbon dust from them, and you should be good to go. There are a few tests you can do on the starter while it is apart to confirm it is in good shape electrically.

[kotkinjs1]

....you should have battery voltage, or close to it. If you do, then your trouble lies within the starter.

To make sure I'm reading you right, red to starter post, black to starter case, hit start, and if the starter is working ok it SHOULDN'T read anything? Which means the ground is working ok. If it does read battery voltage it's definitely the starter (but not the ground?)? If I'm reading the wiring diagram correctly, there's a separate frame ground coming off the starter?

[kotkinjs1]

To verify your ground....

Ok, took the measurement....when off it reads zero, when I hit start it jumped around for a second but settled on .003 or 4 for the three or so times I did it. Same each time.

[Rambozo]

To make sure I'm reading you right, red to starter post, black to starter case, hit start, and if the starter is working ok it SHOULDN'T read anything?

Nope, it should read battery voltage. (and the starter should be running)

If it does read battery voltage it's definitely the starter

Yes

Ok, so you don't have any power to the starter.
Do the same test, but this time connect the black lead to the battery ground and the red to the starter terminal. If you get 12v your trouble lies in the ground path. if you still get zero or really low, you will need to step through the positive path.

Testing between the two solenoid terminals with a volt meter doesn't really tell you what you need to know.
Instead test from each terminal to the negative battery terminal. One post should have power all the time, and the other post should have power when you hit the button.

In your first post you said you have 12.5v at the starter, now you say you have .003v were you measuring in the same locations? Which is it?

[kotkinjs1]

....If you get 12v your trouble lies in the ground path.

Ok, ran the 2nd test as you described (black to battery ground, red to starter terminal) and I get 12.6 volts when I hit start. So it's a ground issue? Would that be the starter ground? If I read the wiring diagram right it's got its own frame ground? Or should I look to the main ground up by the petcock?

And to your last question, when I run the black to the battery ground I get a consistent 12+ volts as mentioned above. But when I connect the black lead to the starter case and the red to the starter terminal, I get inconsistent readings.....sometimes it jumps all around and settled on 12.5ish, sometimes it just shows zero.

I just disconnected and cleaned the main frame ground from the battery too.

Finally when I try and jump direct to the starter from the battery (- battery to starter case, red from battery + to starter terminal), when I touch the red to the starter it just sparks a little but nothing else. No spinning, no other noise, and definitely not turning over.