Clunky Startup..

Evening all. Being a Rodney, I stalled it when i came to a set of lights this morning (Was in gear). When i fired it up again, it really clunked, almost like metal was moving about. Its not a clunking like say when the engines cold and it sometime clunks of fire up though.

The engine still runs fine, got to work ok. I came back to it to ride it home, Clunk clunk bang, and it fired up ok again. I thought the starter motor was at the front of the engine, but this almost sounds like its coming from the gearbox area (i.e behined front sprocket), but im not sure if the noise is just echoing through the engine.

AS i say, the engine runs fine, normal power, idles fine, goes through the gearbox ok, but its just on startup.

Anyone have any ideas? Ta.

My bike some times clunks when i turn the ignition off, i think this happens when its on a compression stroke and stops all the parts moving...i think

Nahh, i know what you mean, but ts a mechanical type sound, kinda like if you hit false neutral and clunk it into gear, but about 5-6 clunks. Definatly some kinda metal hitting each other (or it sounds like it).

Anyone got any ideas?

Seriously, anyone got any ideas? Tried it again this morning and definatly some kind of gearing/cogs griding together.

TBH im unsure on how the starter motor actually fires up the engine? Now im not quite sure where the sounds coming from, possibly the starter motor itself, but I never knew there was a form of gearing/mechanical parts in there?

Check that the bolts holding the starter motor to the engine are tight, if they're loose then the teeth won't mesh properly. I have seen somewere that the teeth on the starter clutch can break off

Ooo now were talking. Deffo a teethy noise, maybe a couple have sheered off?

Will it be located in the starter motor itself (at the front of the engine?)

Originally Posted by Daimo

Ooo now were talking. Deffo a teethy noise, maybe a couple have sheered off?

Will it be located in the starter motor itself (at the front of the engine?)

You'll need to take the starter motor off and have a look in the hole to find the teeth on the starter clutch, turn the crank and you should be able to see all the teeth on the cog..if the clutch moves that way While the starter motors off, check the teeth on that and (holding it tight) press the start button to see if it works smoothly

I would definately check the teeth on the starter motor, ive had my sv backfire before when cranking and shed some teeth, made a simular kind of noise aswell.