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My Falco is now back up and running

However I still have no idea what the original problem was / could have been, as it turned out it wasn't the sprag clutch that was at fault.

My mechanic (what a top bloke!) collected the bike on Monday and rang me yesterday to ask if I had removed the starter motor!!!!...It turns out when I checked the brushes on the motor I then managed to refit the cover backwards and the motor was running in reverse The first two idler gears running backwards was the whirring noise Dave & I could hear when we hit the starter (yes I know I am a complete plonker!!!) even the mech said it sounded exactly the same as when the sprag goes; so thank goodness he methodically checked everything out "before" pulling the flywheel off

He repaired the starter motor (well turned the cover around) and the bike fired up straight away! I've now started her up about a dozen times and all appears well. But the question remains "what the bl**dy hell was wrong the first time". When we looked at it on Saturday (Tweaker & I) it was still just clicking until we shorted out the solenoid (The new one) when we got the "whirring"

I can't believe anything was jammed as I rocked the bike in gear and even managed to get the enging to turn over, trying to bump start it, so surely that would have free'd anything stuck in the idler gears or starter motor???

It may well remain a mystery

F9

like having a new bike

It's just possible that, with the cover reversed, the brushes were jammed against the commutator segments. They can wear assymetrically so reversing them would leave and 'edge' facing the direction of rotation. Just a thought and probably total BS

Let the mystery remain and enjoy the bike - at last

Hi all,

Glad all is well with your bike Falco9 That could of been a very expensive job, your mechanic IS a top bloke! Hope you got him a beer or two... Enjoy the rest of the summer riding then, be quick though, it finishes on 01st August...

Really glad it's all sorted without too much expense Rich.

Just like to add that I now feel much happier about putting the tilt switch back upside down on mine after a battery swap, (thought it was a relay, not the tilt switch, which I wrongly thought was behind the side panel ).
Then spent ages wondering why the bloody thing would start, but wouldn't run and replaced numerous bits before realising........ Doooh.
Suppose we all do something like this at some time.

Excellent news

Well, I've got mixed emotions about this.

Glad it's not your your sprag.

Plonker for putting the starter back together incorrectly.

What caused the initial problem? because I'm still getting my intermittent failure to start that was like same problem you had.

Falcopops wrote:Well, I've got mixed emotions about this.

Glad it's not your your sprag.

Plonker for putting the starter back together incorrectly.

What caused the initial problem? because I'm still getting my intermittent failure to start that was like same problem you had.

Hi Dale, My thoughts exactly...............My only worry now is "can I trust it?" Will she do the same thing in the middle of Scotland and leave me truly standed??

I've double checked all the electrical connections (again) and WD'd the ignition barrel and cleaned the start button contacts. I reckon I can only wait and see as nothing else seems to be obviously wrong and at the moment shes almost leaping into life off the button. A brand new battery and solenoid , cleaned earths and every electrical connection cleaned and greased with dielectric grease appear to be a good combination, but I still have no idea what the original problem was

F9

Brilliant Ted !