jumping the starter relay-- problematic?

[thingsbuilt]

Hello--

After lending my 97 gs500 to a former friend for three months, it does not start. It is the
stater relay I believe, and I was wondering if I were to (as I already have) "jump"
a thick wire directly from the battery to the starter terminal,  it cranks and starts--
is there harm in the other electronics if I were to leave things this way for a week or two?
(Note-  I am penniless till the end of the month, and have installed a big "Momentary Contact" switch
across said connection; however I don't want to damage the other electronics
on the bike by doing this. (note-- before this, the starter relay only clicked).

Otherwise, it starts right up, and though I could use a beefier switch (to carry the
80 cranking amps needed by the stater)--  has anyone else effected this kind of
emergency repair and continued riding, safely? I am using 12 gauge wiring.

The other side of the coin is, of course, don''t lend your bike even to the most responsible
of friends because inevitably they run it out of gas, leave it somewhere in Crack Central,
it gets knocked over and then cannibalized, and you have the stomach-turning
task of retrieving it from some parking garage in a drug-infested neighborhood of Hollywood.
Plus wondering what happened to them and their judgement--  or were you just stupid all along?

But I digress.

Long story short--- he ran it out of gas, put it on PRI instard of RES, it died and he
cranked it over and over (to death) until the battery was dead. Starter relay got fried
as a result? Maybe? Can't prove that. Model year 1997, mileage 8,000 miles. A little early for
a starter relay to burn out? Or do they "not make things like they used to?"

Thanks so much for hearing me out. Around my house this technical talk is met with blank stares.
(especially from the cat)

Any comments-- even those about borowing idiots, or my being an idiot for lending it out--
ar eappreciated. Bring it on. Love you all. Anyone needing to borrow a bike... uh... well maybe not
this time...

Very Sincerely-
steve LA

[John Bates]

You are doing exactly what the start relay does under normal starting conditions. So there's no harm to the electrics by doing this.

HOWEVER, by doing this, the engine will turn over  (but won't fire) even though the side stand is down, the clutch is engaged and the tranny is in gear.  NOT a very safe way to operate.

[Egaeus]

Get a new starter relay when you can.  Most relays have additional electronics to absorb some of the energy from the spark.  However, I've never seen electrical damage from the shorting method.  I've seen my stepfathers truck run down the ditch and into some bushes because it was in gear though.

[MarkusN]

Get a new starter relay when you can.? Most relays have additional electronics to absorb some of the energy from the spark.? However, I've never seen electrical damage from the shorting method.? I've seen my stepfathers truck run down the ditch and into some bushes because it was in gear though.

That's a freewheling diode over the actuating coil (the input side), so that's no concern here. (The coil generates a voltage peak when switched off, because coilsresist change in current. Same principle as in ignition coils.)