1998 GL1500SE Doesn't Crank

[mraidanlove]

So I've been prepping for an overseas trip, and needed to store the bike for a little while in a discrete place (garage not available), and so I cleared a spot and used reverse a bunch to put it in a tight spot on the backside of my house. This involved backing uphill for like 30 seconds straight. Nothing crazy. That was yesterday. I left it overnight there on a battery tender and wanted to ride today, so I started it on the center stand with the choke and let it warm up. I got impatient and released the choke too early and the engine died. I went to restart it and... the starter wouldn't turn over the engine.

I pulled my car up to the bike and tried jumping it off the car's alternator. Nothing. Not even one turn of the motor. I used a voltmeter at the battery terminals with the car running and connected—13.6 V. That should be more than enough to crank, right?

When I click the starter button, the lights turn off, and I hear two clicks—the relay and then the solenoid (they pretty much happen at the same time).

If I put it in reverse on the center stand with the side stand up and connected with jumper cables to the running car, the starter will spin in very small jolts but still very weak and only a few times. If I disable reverse and try to start again, I can hear the starter turn a tiny amount and then it stops (tiny slop in the gears from having been turning the opposite direction with less resistance?).

The 5A fuse and the 30A on the solenoid are both just fine.

Have I burned out the starter motor? Anything else to check before replacing? (Could I connect battery voltage directly to the starter motor to test it directly?) What's a decent price for a new one? (Partzilla has the starter motor with part number 31200-MT8-018 for $566, which seems like a lot to me.)

[Crusty1]

Starter motor failure is not that common. There are 2 starter solenoids near the oil fill cap. They are solenoid A and B. They are wired in series and available aftermarket for reasonable $$ $30?? Test with voltmeter while cranking. They are high amperage and over time the contacts wear from arcing to the point of making poor or intermittent contact. Rarely they can stick on and cause the starter to run until the battery or starter fail. If you need to replace one I would recommend doing both. Don’t mix up the connectors when going back together.

[mraidanlove]

Update: I didn't realize there were two starter relays. Funny enough, both click at the right time—both depressing and releasing the starter switch. However, I tried shorting across the B relay with a screwdriver and low-and-behold it cranked. Already have the relays on order from cyclemax. Thanks!

[Crusty1]

Welcome to the forum

[Andy Cote]

Welcome to the forum.

Glad you found out now rather than when you get back. For future reference, extended uphill reverse is not good for anything. Pull in and back out (downhill) or perhaps another location. Kitchen is always a popular parking space.