DOC HARLEY: STARTER MOTOR WHAT WEARS OUT 

Excellent motorcycle service video. I wish all the amateur youtubers out there would study "Doc Harley" videos in order to learn how to upload a good quality video... (not too long, not repeating everything said, limited use of profanity, no obnoxious music, knowing what to say before starting the camera, perhaps a script to follow, having props ready, using a tripod or camera assistant, proper lighting. And, taking the time to edit your video properly before uploading. Have a great day everyone!

this guy should have his own show. very good explanation sir !

Short but, long enough to clearly get the vital information to us viewers. Me and the diy community thank you Doc.

Hard to believe that my 1998 Road Glide with 150,000 miles on it still retains its original starter.

Thanks Doc, you always keep it interesting and pertinent and you don't skip the small details that make such a difference!

Another amazing job at helping us understand what makes our rides work. Thanks Doc!!!

Thanks Doc for your great tips. The more tips I learn from you the better I understand my bikes to help maintain them. Big thumbs up to you.

Always good to have his explanations. They make sense.

ALWAYS ENJOY YOUR VIDEOS DOC.....THANKS FOR DOING THEM FOR US ...WISH I LIVED CLOSER TO YOUR DEALERSHIP BUT YOU INSPIRE CONFIDENCE IN WORKING WITH A CERTIFIED DEALER MECHANIC THOUGH....

That was great explanation 👍 now I know about low amperage battery being hard on starter and other bits. TY

Doc! I never thought that I would appreciate owner a Harley until I started listen to you explain how it all works even though I will still allow the Harley dealership to continue servicing my bike, it is wonderful to finally understand what is wrong with my bike and why the repairs are necessary which makes me love owning my Harley Davison and extremely proud to be riding one!!! Thanks

Thanks Doc ,Im changing my 2003 Heritage soft tail fat boy starter this weekend,this was a big help ,im gonna rebuild instead of replace ,Have a great one!

Thanks for taking a couple minutes to say hi to a fan and thanks for the tip on the tuner. Everyone I met today at Low Country Harley was fantastic. Keep up the great work....Tom from Boston.

Thanks Doc. Great info. I love your videos! Have a good week!

Harley starters (2009-2014) were designed for he 96ci motor. There were no changes in starter output power for the 103 and bigger engines until the M8s came out. For the twin cams the "96ci" starter that has to work overtime to turn over a 103 or bigger - you will get kickback - even with the SE compensator. The All balls High out put starter is a direct replacement bolt in option with more output and a LIFETIME warranty on all parts of the starter for about the same price as a new HD starter. I have a number of friends with CVOs who have made this transition with me and all report the days of kickback and starter issues are GONE on their twin cams.

Thanks for the great information as what can go wrong and when to replace

Excellent video & equally narrated. Thank you.

Thank you for these short tech tip videos Doc! Clear and concise explanations. I rebuilt the starter for my 07 Road Glide over four years ago using my H-D service manual; still going strong. 🇺🇸

Doc your awesome. Had a problem with my 2006 cvo starter it was the contacts. You helped me nail it. Can't thank you enough.

Always great stuff Doc, thanks.

Great video thank you always look forward to your next video all the best

Don't cheap out on the starter clutch. I did and got to do the job twice. Stay with OEM parts. Good explanation from Doc.

Great video, going through problems with a hitachi on my Shovelhead,

Nice job on explaining the internals of a starter

Hi Doc!! I am a Biker from and living in México City. English Is my second landwich, so, It is complitely joyfull to listen You because your videos are clear and Plenty focused. Greetings from México

Thanks Doc for the Vid. little story here, my bike (02 FXDGW) is hard to start due to upgrades before i bought it runs like a champ just hard starting, warming up for the 100 miles home i did not relies i had the start button pushed and could not hear the starter due to bad hearing, once noticed i released the button and continued on our way rode maybe 20 miles and stopped for smoke break and shut off bike when ready to leave starter motor would do nothing we got the bike jumped and made it home with no problems, the next day i tried starting bike and nothing i tried 2 weeks and ordered starter motor when it arrived i gathered tools, and once more tried starting, well this time it started like nothing was ever wrong, even today 7 months later still starting and running like it always did, still dont understand if it was just hot or maybe some slight build up on brushs but at least i have a spare starter now

I know I seen this one when it first come out . Funny how I said my Battery Died and the starter died in the same week this come up in my feed . Still a Great Video after 4 years Doc .

Doc, don't care what the subject, you always make it more interesting. As always, good job!

Super informative! Thanks Doc and LCHD for putting these vids on!

Great job on the video, it was very informative and helped me fix my own bike. Thanks, Dr. Harley.

Great information, thanks!!

Thanks for the lesson. Needed to know.

Well done, thanks for your time, and detail to a problem that we most all will have sooner or later..dang you pointed out one of the biggest complaints HD owners have.. Cost of replacement..! however I will add that many times those starter problems are actually a poor connection of the battery cables.. so start there first.

I can't say how top-notch your content is. If you could put part links to parts and tools, etc.. Thank you to doc harley from all of us for what you got us through

thank you my starter on my 78 fsx is acting up and you just told me what i need to check out. first im looking at the battery then what you just said. the teeth on the starter clutch are wore down so that is two things im looking at. thanks again

Well that explained my grinding and kick back today!

Good information! Thanks.

Thanks again Doc!

Good information thanks for sharing that

Great informative video. My 25 year old Road king classic still has the original starter. Only 25K miles, though. I just don't get to ride as much as I'd like. Work keeps me away from home most of the time

Quite informative, Doc. I may need a new startrer for my 09 RK classic. I have no clue what the issue is with my starter. I hate to sound suspicious but I'm leary of the HD mechanics. Each time I take my bike to the HD shop for repairs, something else seems to be wrong. I have a little over 26k miles on my bike and I do take it in for regular maintenance. To me, it's a low mileage bike but the HD shop considers my bike old. I guess it is. Thanks for telling us about replacing starter cables of we decide to replace the entire starter with an after market unit. Have a fine week and thanks again for the great videos. 👍🏽🤠 5/1/23

My 05 RK has 18k miles on it. The starter click click click. There's no loose or dirty connections. The battery reads 12.5, but drops to 6 when hitting the starter. But does the same with a real good jump pack.

Thanks for the video. Good explaination

Definately trust this man to work on my bike

Thank you for you vídeos they are helpful

You’re the best Doc!

Good info Doc.....thx,.... Looking to replace the 'starter clutch' with OEM on a 2003 XL1200C. Looking forward to getting back on the road.... \m/ \m/

Excellent. thank you

Thanks doc!

Thanks mate for your wisdom

Thanks Doc...urrrrrr awesome..

Thanks for the great class !!!

Nice vid doc..thanks a lot

keep 'em coming doc

Great video

Thanks Doc, great info, Doc is there a way to stop the kick back on evolution motors? Cheers mate✌️

Thank you for the video my bikes starter is making the noise just once in a while. The gear kinda pop grinding noise now I know what it is

Thanks Doc. Just what I needed. ;)

Have a 2018 XL1200C. Press the Start button. Starter starts. Then stops momentarily. Then cranks again.

Great vid I’m going through this on a custom bike lol

The starter clutch in my '03 FXST didn't last six months. Replaced it with a Denso part (same part) as found in many a Toyota. Much cheaper than through Harley. Oil tank had to come off so it was a bit of a pain to replace.

interesting and informative

I have an aftermarket hi torque starter on a 2004 softail (upgraded to a 96ci with S&S kit). Battery is a new Lithium Hi Power one. When I hit the starter, it sometimes turns maybe one revolution and then does nothing for a second or two. No sounds. Then it may start turning over like it should or does nothing at all. If I turn off the ignition and try again, it may crank as normal or may not. I have new cables installed. I'm stumped.

Thank you

Found this video after I was "stranded" after a lunch outing. The starter would drive the engine to compression but couldn't kick it over. New battery just last spring and the place I bought it from tested it after I had got home and charged it to 12.8V. They put a tester on it and said it was fine... so now I need to check the cables from the battery down to the starter. I did add some LED lights (kuryakyn) last year that mount in the cooling pods, so I'm wondering if they are causing too much of a load, but I thought the lights shut off when cranking the bike. Would be good to have headlight switches.. Looks like i have some stuff to do this weekend 😄 Seems it would cost as much to rebuild the starter as it is to replace it (doing my own removal/reinstall)

Thanks.

Hi Doc. I have a 2004 Sportster that needs a new starter clutch. My question is, can it be replaced from the primary side without having to remove the starter? TIA!

Great video! QUESTION: Is there a mechanical and or lubricity advantage to the primary cover design of the early ‘17 & ‘18 Touring/Softail model M8’s versus the 2019 and up thinner/skinnier primary covers? Seems like more fluid would preserve the oil additives and stay cleaner longer benefitting all mechanical parts in the primary! What do you think Doc???

Hi doc, Had my 2009 crossbones starter rebuilt at a local starter & alternator shop for 85 bucks. Be replaced the gear and the contacts kit you descrubed, The old starter was cranking the bike but sometimes slipped and grind real hard. So i reinstalled the rebuilt one & cranks better but still grinding slightly still . What would still cause this . Bike has 19,000 on it.

Excellent information. So that begs the question, will a Harley-Davidson service department actually replace the needed parts within your starter motor? Or do they just replace the whole starter? My guess is it will depend on the particular shop.

took my solenoid apart and three wires had come apart from two contacts. I re soldered them and the bike starts but the solenoid still tries to engage. Any vids on these wires?

Another great informative video! LTMV & #unt

Denso OSGR Light Duty units are used on millions of cars and trucks. Their coaxial solenoid and gear reduction are key advantages. I immediately replace the stock blank end cover with an aftermarket pushbutton cover which bypasses not only all external relays and wiring but even the solenoid windings. There are several Denso overhaul videos and you can get contact kits at any auto electric rebuilder but I just buy online. Generic car contacts are fine as the bike stuff is the same, but the contacts must be the right style (some kits have both styles but RU-vid's bot autobans me when I post links) . An aftermarket kit with all the parts is about 25 dollars and the Denso or licensed copies (the design is long proven over several decades) are of the same quality. HD does not make their own starters (a good thing). Get the kits with the seals etc as they're cheap enough. I use dielectric grease on all power cable studs and the solenoid connector (as well as the alternator pigtail to exclude moisture. Your local auto electric shop can make short work of fixing a starter. While starter clutch and end housings differ there are so many Densos made one can mix parts like grabbing the electric motor off any suitable donor.

I wish Doc can tell how many miles on average bike goes before it experience this issues, I have 19y old bike with only 9500km so this same rule he mentioned 20y bike or older doesn't apply to me.

Doc, you did not mention the jack shaft or ring gear. Are those replaceable too? Thx0

How many miles can we expect till it's time to replace the starter on a harley davison? Who hear has replaced there starter?

Hi doc, I just experience while my engine is running after clicking on the start switch...after a while I hear a cranking sound repeatedly secs apart simultaneously. As if someone press the start switch button while the engine is running..I am lost and can't figure out and explanation. Does 883 iron 2010 have this problem?

Trouble finding the parts; i.e, copper washer for plunger and the two contact points. My starter looks exactly like the one in the video. Thank for the video. Would like some information on where to find some of these parts.

Keep your battery tender on-it won't quit.

Hey Doc been working on a 1973 ss 350 Aermacchi starter. do you ever work on the Aermacchi bikes?

On mine after 3 times its would drain my battery and the starter would get super hot ???

Hey Doc! Love the informative video! My 2002 Sportster 1200 is giving a steady click. Click.Click.Click.... It will turn over sporadically. I hate to ask but figured I would try as many resources. Does this sound like a starter? I am new to motorcycle repair/maintenance but looking forward to learning and getting my hands dirty. Thank you in advance for any help!

Youre a wizard sir

A new starter from Harley Davidson for a twin cam is over 450$ by itself!

Doc Harley, I have an older motorcycle that kicks back as you described. What can cause this?

When my soft tail warms up .It seems to sound like it’s engaging but kicking back sounds bad you like its the starter it a 2011 with 34000 miles

Hi Doc - occasionally (maybe one-out-twenty starts) I'll hear a awful "kwang" kinda of noise; it's very intermittent. I'm only guessing, but it sounds like the pinion gear is not engaging cleanly with the clutch - merely bounces off of it. It doesn't start. I try again and it almost always does. But it's a terrible noise and sounds it'll break something sooner or later. Your thoughts on this. My scoot is a 2012 FXDC. Battery is new. Thanks.

Is the regular gas bad for a new Ultra limited 2019 I hear to many things.

What if you get a continuous clacking sound when you try starting it? from the primaryarea.

Hey Doc, what would cause a new jackshaft’s teeth to sheer off. New starter and ring gear install at the time the jack shaft was replaced. Lasted maybe 20 starts. Thanks in advance.

I asked before about my solenoid staying engaged. Relay fuse was didn’t change situation. It was suggested to replace solenoid switch, is this the next best choice?

Good day, I am looking at buying a 2008 HD Road King Screaming Eagle CVO 110 with 49k miles. The bike is showroom clean. I have been reading a lot of feedback that the 110 eng had a ton of issues. I know it depends on how well-maintained the bike was. With 49k Miles should I pass on this bike?

Hey Doc, Me again and Im sure by now your saying OMG...that guy again..!! Well, long story short, lost my clutch on I95 and barely got the bike home. I ordered a new clutch, clutch basket bearing, clutch pack spring and automatic chain tensioner. The compensator bolt that has to be replaced Harley Davidson doesn't even make any more...Not happy about that but I found an after market one so, no big shakes. Im also putting in the new Cycle Electric, 50 amp, 3 phase stator and the matching Voltage Regulator/Rectifier. Only thing I left out is the primary chain. I have 63,000 on the chain so, Im $1200 deep into parts as it is and really I don't want to spend any more money but, Im in the primary so would YOU....replace the chain or should it be good to go for another 60,000 miles. Thanks Doc for all your help....We do appreciate you...

Nice FXR

Did you neglect to mention that the starter teeth ring press fit on the clutch basket can also slip and fail to turn the engine ?

My bike grinds sometimes coming from the primary when I start it. Do you think it's the starter?

How do you replace the starter clutch or aka sprag?

What about a 2008 FLSTC that does nothing when I hit the starter button? No clicks, nada. The bike sat for three months, ran fine when parked. New battery.

The plunger on my starter right above the copper washer is a plastic piece that broke off which lodged between connection there for no start. What’s a good website or company to buy the plunger ? I’ve searched for few hours now no luck... thanks in advance Doc. Or anyone who may point me in the right direction.

Have a really weird problem on my M8 sport glide, has been doing it for about 3 years, but when I press the start button, the engine turns once (doesn't fire up) and thats it, I also notice on my instrument panel that the clock resets, when I press the button again the bike fires up, not sure if its a relay/solonoid or a bad earth somewhere, but its irritating, only seems to do it once every few months, I have changed the battery on it and it still done it (had to change battery anyway) The bike doesn't have a lot of miles on it (I always have two motorcycles). so around 7K mils.