Just picked up my first bike a 99 F4, 1200 miles, sat in a garage for the last 6 years. Got it home rebuilt the carbs with the help of a friend, cleaned the gas tank, cahnged the oil, and plugs and it started right up. Now the bad news, when I start the bike when its cold the starter makes a noise that sounds like somebody is hitting something with a hammer. After it does this the bike won't turn over, but if you wait a few seconds and try again it will start up. The bike runs great otherwise and won't make the noise once its warmed up. Now the crazy part, the noise seems to only happen for a few days after the bike has gotten wet. The bike was at the shop for a week and never made the noise, I had it out in the rain again and the noise came back. I am farely mechanically inclined and my friend can rebuild anything but we are not even sure where to start looking. Any help is appreciated.

 

It sounds like a short or should say more like an electrical arc, discharging against the a metal part of the bike somewheres. Could actually be the starter motor itself. But wots happening is that the power needed to engage the startor motor is being robbed by the short, so its not engaging or turning the crank properly. I had a Kwaka that actually had a faulty (took forever to pick it) spark plug lead cap that arced after it got wet from rain. Sounds weird but you can spot this sort of thing with the lights off & you can actually see it happening

 

Plantetary gears in the starter/flywheel mechanism? I know Honda had a bunch of problems with this back in the '80s, most common in the Ascot 500's. The sounds and symptoms you describe fit this theory almost exactly...after the "hammer" hits, will it spin at all? If so, does it sound like it's full of loose marbles?

 

Thanks for the input guys

Plymouth, usually it won't turn over after it makes the sound. If you wait a minute and hit the start button it will usually turn over and fire right up. Today, it wouldn't turn over at all, I hear clicking from the solenoid but the starter wasn't spinning at all. Tryed again an hour later, fired right up. If it is the starter, does anyone know if you have to pull the motor to get it out, I have heard yes and no so I am not sure. Is the starter on top of the block on the left side of the bike. I traced the wires from the solenoid to what looks like the starter but I am new to bikes and wasn't sure. Again, thanks for all the help guys.

 

No you don't have to pull the motor to remove the starter I would cehck the brushes and armature in it see how they look if your getting a click from the solenoid it sounds to me like the starter is freezing up

 

you should be alright even if you have to remove the starter...from the looks of when i took my gas tank and airbox apart...there is enough room to get the starter out with the engine in the frame. but thats worst case scenario

 

Thanks for all the replies! Any idea why it seems to only do this after it gets wet? Thats the only thing that makes me think it might be something between the solenoid and the starter it self. If the starter itself was going wouldn't it do it all the time? Either way its a PITA