Starter circuit/solenoid test, out of the bike

[scott-s]

 I have a 2000 Teapot GSX750-F that I picked up over a year ago. The seller told me that he burned out the starter trying to start it with gummed up carbs (the carbs were leaky and I believed him).

 

 Found a used starter online, bought it, tested it, and then the project sat. I finally got around to swapping it and found out I ordered the starter for an earlier model. Doh!

 Ordered the correct starter. Tested and installed it today. Just for shits and giggles, I tested the starter I removed and it worked! It also looked to be an aftermarket replacement, not the original Denso (which is what I installed today).

 

 I now suspect the solenoid, maybe? Or did he simply run the battery flat and think he killed the starter? Anyway, the engine is out and on the bench. Carbs, exhaust and spark plugs out. I know it turns over fine by hand.

 Wiring harness is in a box. I tried just going to the POS and NEG posts on a spare battery I have and the solenoid didn't do anything. I pulled the 30A fuse and it looks good. The manual has a test procedure that I need to study a little more, but it assumes the bike is complete and there's a battery in the circuit. The power to the starter seems to run through the start button, through the clutch safety switch and then to the starter motor.

 

 Am I dead in the water as far as testing the solenoid, etc, until I get the bike back together? I tried using my battery on the starter that I installed today after I put it in the engine, but it looks like it needs to get ground to start. I can do that with the starter in my hand and the spare battery, bt not sure how to do it now that the starter is in the engine. (The new/old starter DOES test good and turn over out of the bike).

 

 I now suspect that he either fried the solenoid, starter button or simply ran the battery dead. But I don't know how to do any further testing with the engine and wiring harness out of the bike and separated from each other, at the moment.

[Gixer1460]

Soli check in hand - earth the soli body or one of the thin wire terminals to battery negative terminal and connect + battery to the other soli (thin wire) terminal. If its working you should hear and feel a solid click - no click and its toast!

[Dezza]

Put a battery across the switching terminals. It should click as described above and you should then get a complete circuit across the large terminals where the cables attach. A multimeter obviously helps here. If this does not happen then the relay is knackered. A decent brand new pattern relay (solenoid) is about 10 quid off of ebays.