Forum

[klutz]

I have owned my 2004 Bullet Sixty 5 for about a year and have had no problems with the electric starter. I have just removed and replaced the inner chaincase to access a mounting bolt. Apart from removing the starter motor I did not interfere with the starter drive train. When I then tried to start the bike the starter the motor ran but the engine didn't turn over. It seems too much of a coincidence for the notorious sprag bearing to have failed but not impossible. If the primary drive sprocket is turned backwards by hand the starter motor turns inferring the sprag is working, but as soon as power is applied to the starter it freewheels. Am I missing something or is this how a sprag failure manifests itself ?. The bike has done about 4000 miles.( I would gladly remove the thing but my attempts at kickstarting have failed dismally )
Any info gratefully received.

[papasmurf]

The starter motor is running backwards?

[klutz]

I thought so too so I double checked it. I received a suggestion it could be dirt in the sprag bearing preventing it working properly. I'll give it a good clean and if that fails I guess I'll have to replace it.

[Norm]

Pull the primary cover off and turn the motor backwards and it should lock up instantly, if not one of the little sprag tumblers may have turned over and if this happens the sprag will freewheel for some reason. I have to use a magnifying glass to see which way they go, very hard to see the difference

[Mr Grumpy]

Hi klutz I have a Sixty 5 and have been practicing the kick start in case of the dreaded sprag clutch failure! I have duff ankle, and a knee I am careful with. I kick start with my left foot off the bike I operate the kick starter until it stop moving then use the decomperessor and my hand to move it a tiny bit more .Then ignition on and choke and kick down and touch wood she starts and usually I have to take off the choke as soon as she fires! as for the starter motor I will leave that to the wiser heads on here!

[Norm]

Mr Grumpy seems the easiest way is to bring it up against compression, open decomp and continue to the bottom of the kickstart stroke, then let the kicker back up and give it a swift kick and it should fire, it should not require a lot of effort if everything is working correctly

[Norm]

I should have added if you have the ammeter coming on compression the needle flicks left, open decomp till needle centers up then follow through to the bottom of the stroke, the let the kicker back up and give it a kick

[Mr Grumpy]

Its no problem Norm and sounds fiddler than it is and takes little effort I tried using the ammeter centering itself with no luck but didn't follow through to the bottom of the kick start stroke then release for the kick start as you explained so I must give that a try. To again touch wood she fires up first time when warm and first or 2nd when she has been stood So I suppose at the end of the day its what works!

[klutz]

So I triple checked and the starter was indeed running backwards. When the starter was off I had removed the backplate and evidently replaced it 180 degrees out. This ( I now know ) reverses the motor - every day's a schoolday !. Many thanks for the suggestions and an internet beer to Papasmurf. I'll persevere with kickstarting, not having an ammeter adds to the challenge.

[guru]

Klutz: forget the starter just use the kick start instead, the 65 starter aint that good anyway (sprag clutch from what i have heard keeps failing) i have a 65 and the starter has never worked sinse i got it, it starts 1st 0r 2nd kick any way.