Another guy needing starter help

[macs13]

I have an 04 Pitbull that I've had for about 3 years. I have never had a problem with the bike and have had to just do regular maintenance, but now I've got a click,click, click starter issue going on. It acts like it wants to turn over for a second, then just starts clicking. I can feel the clicking in the solenoid. A thread on here instructed me to clean the solenoid contact points, so I did. They weren't particularly dirty, but I shined them up to no avail. I'm thinking I couuld just grab a reman off of ebay, but what kind to buy? I've been reading on here guys recommending 1.8-2.4 Kw starters. The starters I'm finding on ebay that are OEM are 1.4Kw. What do I need to buy? Relatively inexpensive is important to me. I'm also not really interested in anything I have to adapt to make it fit the bike.

Can you guys help me out?

 

[woodbutcher]

how old is the battery? if more than 2 years, replace it with one that has at least 320 cca but would be better with way more. harley agm/braille/big boar/ etc. and make sure it is on a tender when you are not.

 

[macs13]

It is a brand new battery. It definitely isn't battery related - the bike keeps trying to crank full force. I feel a hard vibration in the solenoid

As an aside, why is there such an obsession with battery tenders on this site? I sold Big Dogs and Indians for a year back in 2003 and we didn't keep anything on a tender and they always fired right up. We also didn't tell people to constantly keep the bike on a tender. It seems that a battery should work the same in a bike as a car, right. If nothing is drawing on the battery and you ride somewhat frequently, you shouldn't need to keep pumping juice into the thing. Just my opinion, though. What I really need to know is whether I need a big starter, or if a rebuilt OEM will work just fine. The bike is 8 years old and on its original starter, so would it be foolish to assume a reman 1.4 Kw Thunderheart would get me another 5-10 years of life?

 

[Th3InfamousI]

04 Stock should be 1.8KW I believe. They used Spyke in 04 I belive the Thunderheard 1.4KW was used in 03 and older dogs.

Per 04 Dealer Parts list

BDM170-00148 1.8KW POLISHED STARTER W/PLUGS

 

[Little-Boo]

It is a brand new battery. It definitely isn't battery related - the bike keeps trying to crank full force. I feel a hard vibration in the solenoid

As an aside, why is there such an obsession with battery tenders on this site? I sold Big Dogs and Indians for a year back in 2003 and we didn't keep anything on a tender and they always fired right up. We also didn't tell people to constantly keep the bike on a tender. It seems that a battery should work the same in a bike as a car, right. If nothing is drawing on the battery and you ride somewhat frequently, you shouldn't need to keep pumping juice into the thing. Just my opinion, though. What I really need to know is whether I need a big starter, or if a rebuilt OEM will work just fine. The bike is 8 years old and on its original starter, so would it be foolish to assume a reman 1.4 Kw Thunderheart would get me another 5-10 years of life?

Just because you have a new battery doesn't necessary mean that is it is good. A new battery may not always be fully charged or could be defective. This new battery that you have, what cool crank amps does it have. It is it equivalent to the one you took off and was you bike running with the new battery or did you just pop it in there of the shelve.

You need a minimum 270 cca battery, have your battery checked under load to see if it is putting out at lease 12.8 V. If all fails take the starter out and have it rebuilt at a local auto electrical shop. You can get a 2.0 re-manufacture starter from Shovelheadkicker or bigdogpartsking for around 100 bucks. He is a member on here call him or send him a Private Message.

PS or as an aside, charge the battery, I know you used to sell bikes, but a fully charged battery works better the one that has been sitting around for days or weeks, which is why we recommended a battery tender. You don't have to get battery tender or have your dog hooked up to one, just saying maybe you r battery is not fully chagred and could be why yours won't start. Batteries do good in hot weather, but suck in areas where one only rides for 6 month out of the year and freeze their ass the rest of the time :lol:



Carlos

 

[Srodden]

Just because you have a new battery doesn't necessary mean that is it is good. A new battery may not always be fully charged or could be defective. This new battery that you have, what cool crank amps does it have. It is it equivalent to the one you took off and was you bike running with the new battery or did you just pop it in there of the shelve.

You need a minimum 270 cca battery, have your battery checked under load to see if it is putting out at lease 12.8 V. If all fails take the starter out and have it rebuilt at a local auto electrical shop. You can get a 2.0 re-manufacture starter from Shovelheadkicker or bigdogpartsking for around 100 bucks. He is a member on here call him or send him a Private Message.

PS or as an aside, charge the battery, I know you used to sell bikes, but a fully charged battery works better the one that has been sitting around for days or weeks, which is why we recommended a battery tender. You don't have to get battery tender or have your dog hooked up to one, just saying maybe you r battery is not fully chagred and could be why yours won't start. Batteries do good in hot weather, but suck in areas where one only rides for 6 month out of the year and freeze their ass the rest of the time :lol:



Carlos

Little boo that would be where I live Michigan :bang: I second making sure the battery is not defective. I got one on a brand new car once. Didn't last two months. Educated guesses aren't sufficient for good trouble shooting jmo.

 

[macs13]

Having the starter rebuilt at an auto shop sounds like a good plan, but how would I locate somebody that does that work. Here in Jackson, MI we have chain places that don't know their ass from their elbows if it isn't something they do everyday and we have specialty shops. Do I need to seek out a bike person specifically? Do I need to find some sort of rebuild kit for the guy, or is that something a mechanic could figure out.

It's killing me to sit idly with the dog in the garage while it's 80+ degrees outside in mid-May. Makes a guy feel like a tool. :-(

 

[Th3InfamousI]

Having the starter rebuilt at an auto shop sounds like a good plan, but how would I locate somebody that does that work. Here in Jackson, MI we have chain places that don't know their ass from their elbows if it isn't something they do everyday and we have specialty shops. Do I need to seek out a bike person specifically? Do I need to find some sort of rebuild kit for the guy, or is that something a mechanic could figure out.

It's killing me to sit idly with the dog in the garage while it's 80+ degrees outside in mid-May. Makes a guy feel like a tool. :-(

go to yellowpages.com and search for starter repair. A half decent automotive shop who repairs starters should be able to repair yours.

 

[Little-Boo]

Having the starter rebuilt at an auto shop sounds like a good plan, but how would I locate somebody that does that work. Here in Jackson, MI we have chain places that don't know their ass from their elbows if it isn't something they do everyday and we have specialty shops. Do I need to seek out a bike person specifically? Do I need to find some sort of rebuild kit for the guy, or is that something a mechanic could figure out.

It's killing me to sit idly with the dog in the garage while it's 80+ degrees outside in mid-May. Makes a guy feel like a tool. :-(

Push come to shove, I have a spare 2.0 I got from Shovelheadkicker that I'll sell you for the same amount I paid $100.00 Plus shipping. Just trying to help. Let me know, the earliest I can ship it to you is Saturday via Fed Ex Ground. I can do payday stakes if you are strapped for cash. You can pay me when you get the starter. if not I'll come looking for you :lol: PM me your addy if your interested.

Carlos :2thumbs:

 

[Th3InfamousI]

Push come to shove, I have a spare 2.0 I got from Shovelheadkicker that I'll sell you for the same amount I paid $100.00 Plus shipping. Just trying to help. Let me know, the earliest I can ship it to you is Saturday via Fed Ex Ground. I can do payday stakes if you are strapped for cash. You can pay me when you get the starter. if not I'll come looking for you :lol: PM me your addy if your interested.

Carlos :2thumbs:

Little-Boo your spare 2.0 is for a DSSC, right? for you Mastiff? It wont work on his 04. He just needs a straight 83-93 Harley Style Starter 1.8KW is what I would get

You need one of these guys!

SPYKE CHROME & POLISH 1.8KW STARTER 89-93 BT "REMAN" BIG DOG CUSTOM | eBay

 

[Little-Boo]

Little-Boo your spare 2.0 is for a DSSC, right? for you Mastiff? It wont work on his 04. He just needs a straight 83-93 Harley Style Starter 1.8KW is what I would get

You need one of these guys!

SPYKE CHROME & POLISH 1.8KW STARTER 89-93 BT "REMAN" BIG DOG CUSTOM | eBay

Oops I didn't really look into that, sorry. I guess I let my alligator mouth override my hummingbird ass that time. :lol::lol:

Carlos :lol:

 

[macs13]

Thanks very much for the support and advice and the offer from little-boo. Of course, you guys were right and it was the battery. I threw it on a trickle charge overnight and it's been groovy since. The battery was purchased with a spring tuneup a month or so ago. It's a 270 CCA with the BD brand logo on it. I should probably make the shop give me a different one (in conjunction with picking up a trickle charger of my own) seeing as how the old battery never had this problem and I only replaced it preventatively!