New Starter

[Wide Glide]

Sounds like the starter is getting tried (1997) only thing done to it was a clutch drive 10+ years ago.
Getting allot of kick back when hot and when I took primary cove off, jackshaft was not retraced, tapped
it by hand and the shaft went back, also the battery is getting up in age 6-7 years old. If I rebuild solenoid
and new clutch drive I'm looking at $100+, but found a new one for $127, DB Electrical. Anybody familiar
with DB E? Going to get a new battery after winter, contemplating starter over the winter, will be testing
over the weekend.
Thoughts?

Mike

[Hossamania]

Were I to buy a new starter, especially for a stock or near stock motor, I would probably buy a brand new stock unit. Yours has lasted more than 30 years, seems pretty stout.
You could also send yours off for a rebuild.
When mine kicks back, it is due to a low or tired battery.
I've never heard of DB Electrical.

[fbn ent]

I got a good one from a wrecker on E-Bay but be careful there.

[Hossamania]

Were I to buy a new starter, especially for a stock or near stock motor, I would probably buy a brand new stock unit. Yours has lasted more than 30 years, seems pretty stout.
You could also send yours off for a rebuild.
When mine kicks back, it is due to a low or tired battery.
I've never heard of DB Electrical.

I will also say, you often get what you pay for.

[fbn ent]

Most definitely Hoss!

[Buglet]

   You are right you get what you pay for. But just because you pay a higher price for something does not mean it better and that is getting more and more common these days. Pay top dollar for a Harley see what you get.

[JW113]

Ditto on the battery, mine all do the same thing when they get tired. Since yours is old, and you are going to have to buy a new one anyway, why not start with that and THEN fix the starter if it really needs it.

-JW

[Hossamania]

Ditto on the battery, mine all do the same thing when they get tired. Since yours is old, and you are going to have to buy a new one anyway, why not start with that and THEN fix the starter if it really needs it.

-JW

That would be my plan of action as well. You really don't save anything by waiting on a new battery.

[Finn]

What is a decent starter brand nowadays?

[kd]

What is a decent starter brand nowadays?

  One that starts the bike when you push the start button?   

[Finn]

[attach=0]

[Pirsch Fire Wagon]

What I find mostly in the 90's and early 2000's is a couple issues.

1. These model Starters are virtually indestructible and last forever.
2. Grounding is the most predominate issue when problems occur.
3. The Solenoids are corroded and in need of cleaning.
4. From 1995 - 2004 the Starters are very particular to their Perpendicular alignment. Try loosening the Starter a couple turns and when its just loose, alternately tighten each bolt a few turns while tapping the starter button occasionally to realign it. This, more often than not will correct the Jack-Shaft issue as well.

Good Luck

[Deye76]

^^ This.      " Grounding is the most predominate issue when problems occur."
                  " The Solenoids are corroded and in need of cleaning."

In addition to having the battery load tested, If your cables are as old as the bike, a good place to start. (no pun intended)

[JW113]

Finn, to answer your question, the stock HD starters are very good. They are made by Nippon-denso. Same basic stater components as used on many, many Japanese cars and motorcycles. Almost any auto electrical shop can rebuild the stock HD starter, if need be. If you think you need an aftermarket starter,
All Balls has a strong reputation. I have one on my TC Road King, the higher output version. (which, by the way, did not make the 113" motor start any easier!)

-JW

[Burnout]

The first starter test should be to crank the motor without ignition (or fuel).
This will eliminate spark timing as a cause.

Then check cranking compression pressure (jump it if you have to).
This will show if cam timing is causing excessive cranking compression pressures.

Battery, cables, and starter are the remaining sources of trouble.
The Nippon starters are very strong, but no starter clutch will hold up to bucking from early spark timing.
And a bigger starter will not likely crank through early spark induced bucking, it will just tear up the starter clutch quicker.

[Deye76]

My 27 year old starter (1992) wouldn't cut the mustard on my 113" Evo FXR. Even after new wiring, hand controls, battery, & cables. All Balls 1.7kw and one piece jackshaft was the cure, can't get my finger off the button fast enough.
   

[Finn]

Mine is a bit slow to turn the engine so we'll check the cables and change them if needed. Could be that although the battery is a new Exide (previous owner's choice) it doesn't have same cold cranking amperes as  Deka/HD battery.

[JW113]

And you may be on to something there. I have not had great luck with anything but the HD dealer provided batteries.

-JW

[HogMike]

My 27 year old starter (1992) wouldn't cut the mustard on my 113" Evo FXR. Even after new wiring, hand controls, battery, & cables. All Balls 1.7kw and one piece jackshaft was the cure, can't get my finger off the button fast enough.

I had the same issue when I went 113 on my 1995. New cables, new battery and finally went all balls.
Fitment problems with that forced me into a SE starter back then. Don't know if they still sell that starter, No problems as of today.

JME

[Wide Glide]

Thanks for all the replies, pulled the battery, cables and starter. Let the battery sit off the tender for a few hours and got 13.10, going to take to auto store see if they will load test it. Negative cable has a loose terminal on one end, going to replace both cables, does anybody know gauge the cables are? Going to look at solenoid terminals and will rebuild if need. Any way of checking clutch drive with the starter out?

'97 FXDWG
Mike

[Burnout]

I get small welding cable

https://www.wireandcableyourway.com/2-awg-welding-cable-class-k.html

[Deye76]

Or,
https://terrycomp.com/product-category/kits/

[pwmorris]

I have run just about every starter brand, size, and application. Guessing it's in the thousands of dollars trying to find the perfect set up. Have run two batteries (multiple brands), lead batteries, lithium (even a 15 volt lithium), CCA battery range from 200 to over a 1,000 (two 500 plus connected) all kinds of cables, starters (including a local company who said they would "make" me a starter that would never fail-"it failed", and pulling timing at start up. Also, EZ start cams, running the starter and ignition on separate lines (spinning the starter first, then firing the motor), several different kinds of compression releases (S&S manual pull version, S&S electronic releases, standard button head releases, and the awesome Baisley button compression releases).
From starting stock 8:5-1 cupcakes to huge CI 14:1 heat soaked monsters, I've spun them all over, and some that had to be re-started heat soaked at the scales. No restart=no pass recorded, and no return to the pits under own power.
Anyway, on the street, where this post is, here is my (and many others who run them) top starters-

1.
Tech Cycle
http://techcycle.com/10reasonswhy/

2.
All Balls
3.
Terry
4.
Harley bagger HD
5.
Spyke special wind SP (discontinued so I dropped it in rankings)
And, the numero uno starter CLUTCH I have run....
Spragg-
http://www.spraggusa.com/

Followed by (quite a ways back)
All Balls
Your results may vary......

[jsachs1]

Tech always bailed me out.
John

[turboprop]

Sounds like the starter is getting tried (1997) only thing done to it was a clutch drive 10+ years ago.
Getting allot of kick back when hot and when I took primary cove off, jackshaft was not retraced, tapped
it by hand and the shaft went back, also the battery is getting up in age 6-7 years old. If I rebuild solenoid
and new clutch drive I'm looking at $100+, but found a new one for $127, DB Electrical. Anybody familiar
with DB E? Going to get a new battery after winter, contemplating starter over the winter, will be testing
over the weekend.
Thoughts?

Mike

Not mentioned yet is buying a late model oem starter from someplace like eBay. I would look for one from a late model five speed bike. Later the better. The exact model of the bike is irrelevant, just a late model, 5-speed big twin. Units in great shape can be had for $25 or so and will bolt in to whatever evo big twin you have.

The only issue is the the threaded hole in the output shaft. The late models have a smaller threaded hole. This is easily overcome a couple of ways.

1. Swap the output shafts from the old to the new starter.This might take fifteen minutes if you have neve done it before and is a supper simple procedure.

2. Another way, and IMO is a nice little upgrade, is to replace the oem jackshaft with a one-piece unit from Alls Balls. It will come with two bolts, allowing it to be used with starters with either size holes in the output shaft. This is what I would do.

 

[Hossamania]

Thanks for all the replies, pulled the battery, cables and starter. Let the battery sit off the tender for a few hours and got 13.10, going to take to auto store see if they will load test it. Negative cable has a loose terminal on one end, going to replace both cables, does anybody know gauge the cables are? Going to look at solenoid terminals and will rebuild if need. Any way of checking clutch drive with the starter out?

'97 FXDWG
Mike

Start there before you buy anything else.