OK This is on a virago, but when you hit the starter ... the bike cranks and if it doesn't start it makes a whirring sound ... like somehitng is still spinning after you let go the button ...
Now what is worse ... when its running and you put it in gear ... sometimes it makes a whirring noise ... like its taking the same flywheel/starter with the motor ... anyone got any guesses ... starwalts?? ...
Cool.
Srinath.

It certainly sounds like you are in the right area. Not having ever taken a Virago apart to see what makes it tick...I can't say for sure.

Maybe it's your "Bendix"?   :lol:

Of course it can't truly be "Starwalt's" until you centrifugally destroy the starter motor.

I gotta find me another dead GS to get another avatar. There's an "engine won't turn" 93 GS on ebay now selling for $175....in Connecticut!! That's just too darn far to drive from South Carolina...unless you want to go in halves with me and us do a road trip in your truck.

Hmmm, truck stop coffee...."Hey Srinath, it's your turn to drive!"

$175 huh ... I'll bet some dodo will pay like $1000 for that by the time it ends ...
Cool.
Srinath.

i know viragos have a shim problem with thier armature,  once they wear abit the gears dont engage well, a few folks i have known to have these bikes all had the same issue, pulled the starter apart and shimed the starter and it solved thier proplems,  with exception to one, had a bad starter clutch.
hope this helps

Yea That is one possibility ... in my case it seems to not have that engaging problem ... though it might also be hidden in there ... I am thinking I'll yank it and check for both and fix both ... mine may be starter clutch, starter or somethign else altogether ...
Cool.
Srinath.

lazy bastid this is GS site
YAMAHA has it's own ugly issues....
and that starter is one of them...
carbs are another.....
i heard a weird fix yrs ago using parts from a KAW starter
go to the www.yamahascrewedanothersimlethingup.com site

and look for virago fixes that don't involve cliffs and salt water

:mrgreen:

OK That site is coming back as not found ... so what century was that site written in ...  :lol:
Anyway Virago sites albeit scattered ... do have some useful info ... not as bad as some other sites ... like savage ...
Cool.
Srinath.

OK I opened it ... sorta ... the solenoid bolts 1 torx and 2 phillips ... WTF ... they put phillips head bolts on the solenoid and they can be accessed only from the right side of the bike ... and the part is on the left side case ... anyway ... they are stripped ... so i am screwed ...
Anyway ... it had 6 quarts of oil ... yup in a 3 quart crank case ...
Then the left case was super clean ... no sign of any shrapnel ... whatever it is doing ... it just started doing ...Rotor, the catch magnet, the oil drain bolt magnet ... all were clean ...
Then if its carrying anyhting when its running ... its definetly not the starter ... the starter clutch works great and is buttery smooth ... Its sealed and I am washing it in my mystery solution ... but its smooth and nice ... The thing has a secondary meshing gear that will get shoved in by a solenoid when you hit the starter ... general consensus is that the solenoid has 1 spring and the second spring is pushing the idler gear into the flywheel ... making for serious dragging ... Off the second spring comes ... evidently in later virago's they didn't put it, and fishy wording in the Haynes manual makes me think ... I should leave it out ... "When fitting the new components do not fit spring(" ... like WTF ... Anyway ... tommorow its going back on and tried out.
Cool.
Srinath.