starter motor removal

Gmaan · Posted: February 14, 2008, 4:09 pm Post subject: starter motor removal

I am going to remove my starter motor from my Cafe' project.
What do I remove, what do I leave in? I am going to machine a block off plate. I am doing this so I can use a smaller battery.

xs1961 · Posted: February 16, 2008, 8:51 pm Post subject: Re: starter motor removal

If you dont want to strip the motor then just remove everything from behind the starter-motor gear- plate. An alloy 'plug' ia available very cheap to block the hole.
Youll still need the same size/amp battery though so its not worth removing for that reason alone ..

Cooltouch · Posted: February 16, 2008, 9:06 pm Post subject: Re: starter motor removal

xs1961 wrote:

Youll still need the same size/amp battery though so its not worth removing for that reason alone ..

??? Not speaking from personal experience here, but I know of more than a few folks who have replaced the stock battery with a smaller one. What sort of problems should one expect?

Best,

Michael

xs1961 · Posted: February 16, 2008, 9:28 pm Post subject: Re: starter motor removal

I'm running a Boyer ignition & it seems to be 'battery-sensitive' .. I suppose if you were to stick to points ignition and not use indicators/blinkers/flashers or parking lights yo might get away with a smaller battery..Why though ? The weight-save gain is probably equal to whether you had a big breakfast or a recent dump ! Very Happy

TheDude · Posted: February 16, 2008, 9:59 pm Post subject: Re: starter motor removal

Yes, but the weight savings of taking out the starter should be significant, Yes?

Plus, you can get a gel battery that is physically a lot smaller and has the same output. They can be mounted in any position and are maintanance free I hear.

Cooltouch · Posted: February 17, 2008, 12:40 am Post subject: Re: starter motor removal

Dunno offhand how much the XS starter weighs. Maybe five, ten pounds? I'm prolly gonna dump it from my cafe project, but that's because the 750cc kit it's getting has 10.25:1 pistons, and I doubt the starter will turn that motor over.

I don't see the weight savings in the starter department mattering much, really, unless one is building a race bike. On the other hand, weight savings is cumulative. If you trim weight everywhere you can from the bike, you have the possibility of winding up with a pretty light machine. If that's your goal -- to get the bike as light as possible -- then go for it, I say.

Best,

Michael

ttmaniac · Full Member Joined: Dec 22, 2006 Posts: 468

Cooltouch wrote:

Dunno offhand how much the XS starter weighs. Maybe five, ten pounds? I'm prolly gonna dump it from my cafe project, but that's because the 750cc kit it's getting has 10.25:1 pistons, and I doubt the starter will turn that motor over.

I don't see the weight savings in the starter department mattering much, really, unless one is building a race bike. On the other hand, weight savings is cumulative. If you trim weight everywhere you can from the bike, you have the possibility of winding up with a pretty light machine. If that's your goal -- to get the bike as light as possible -- then go for it, I say.

Best,

Michael

At LEAST 10 lbs if not more. Remember all the trash that goes with it. I would say around 15 lbs. That starter is heavy.

The block off plug works well. Do it.

As far as smaller batteries, go for it. Just don't act like a 9 volt eveready is gonna cover it. Batteries plus is where I got mine. Refer to my pictures. Never had a single problem with that battery, boyer ignition, headlight, taillight, and no turn signals.

As long as your charging system is good you are set. Let the pessimists talk, the smaller gel batteries work, in any position except upside down.

So go for it. Save 20lbs. Chuck the lousy starter. All the gears you can remove easily from the starter housing. If you are in the bottom end, there should be a couple more to lose as well. This is a SERIOUS weight reduction if you remove the starter and ALL other non essential electrical and mechanical accessories.

Gmaan · Posted: February 17, 2008, 3:22 am Post subject: Re: starter motor removal

I want to remove it just because I will kick it. My RD 400 has a pretty small battery. I want to build a custome battery box too.

xs1961 · Posted: February 17, 2008, 9:54 am Post subject: Re: starter motor removal

Im not knocking Gel batteries TT ,I actually use a gel battery laying on its side in the rear of the seat on one of mine, it works great ,all I meant was that there doesnt seem to be any point in going for a physically smaller battery unless its for tucking away somewhere other than the battery-box.
Also the battery surely should be same amp/hour as standard?
Electronic ignition on mine definitely needed a 'strong' battery
Another thing about the starter motor all that 'extra' weight helps keep the center of gravity low down , once a bike is moving what difference does 15 lbs make to performance anyhow?

Gmaan · Posted: February 17, 2008, 1:15 pm Post subject: Re: starter motor removal

I agree about the weight, I do not see that a few pounds of weight will make that much difference on a 30 year old bike. Correct me if I am wrong, but my Kawasaki zx1100 is much heavier but handles way better.
But a smaller battery will give me the option to customize the Café' project a little better. Also I want the "old School" feel to this bike. My RD400 is a two stoke, I have not kicked a four stroke for years, will this be a mistake?

Cooltouch · Posted: February 17, 2008, 6:12 pm Post subject: Re: starter motor removal

The XS kicks easy. Every once and a while mine will kick back, but it's a pretty rare thing. With the XS, just push the kicker a couple times til you can feel that one of the pistons is coming up to TDC on the compression stroke, and kick it through. A well-tuned XS is usually a 1st or 2nd kick bike.

Best,

Michael

ttmaniac · Full Member Joined: Dec 22, 2006 Posts: 468

xs1961 wrote:

Im not knocking Gel batteries TT ,I actually use a gel battery laying on its side in the rear of the seat on one of mine, it works great ,all I meant was that there doesnt seem to be any point in going for a physically smaller battery unless its for tucking away somewhere other than the battery-box.
Also the battery surely should be same amp/hour as standard?
Electronic ignition on mine definitely needed a 'strong' battery
Another thing about the starter motor all that 'extra' weight helps keep the center of gravity low down , once a bike is moving what difference does 15 lbs make to performance anyhow?

Tucking it away is part of it. I'm looking at overall weight savings, and yes, there is a VERY large savings to be had from dumping the electric start and all associated components.

Are you gonna feel it as far as overall weight?

Probably not, but add up all the endless stretches of stock wiring, turn signals front and rear, reflectors, front fenders, back fenders, starter and accessories, fugly seat, little brackets that are everywhere, rear frame loop, huge battery, sidecovers, needless handlebar controls such as high low beam switches, chain guard, airbox, on and on, etc etc.........then you WILL feel a difference.

The weight savings starts to pile up.

Notice, of all the weight saving mods a guy can make, the starter, with the solenoid, associated gears, oversized battery, and any other associated parts, is probably the most drastic of all.

Overall, I think it's possible to drop nearing 100 lbs off the stock bike. Perhaps I overestimate, but when you start pitching junk into a pile, its a huge damn pile.

Like I've said, I got the boyer and my gel battery is half the size of the massive stock unit. Never had a problem with it at all.

Gmaan · Posted: February 18, 2008, 12:21 am Post subject: Re: starter motor removal

100 lbs I guess I never thought of all that stuff!

xs1961 · Posted: February 19, 2008, 9:02 pm Post subject: Re: starter motor removal

Ive shaved down one of mine by about 100lb's as TT says ..Must say it goes like s*** off a shovel but its also a harsh ride due to the fact theres less un-sprung weight which on our bumpy potholed UK roads isnt so pleasant a ride !

What Happened to 650rider.com?

Yamaha xs650