Ongoing problem for years .. need help .. back hurts from pushing

 1988 1200 Sportster
Built to the hilt (Edelbrock head/cams/intake - SS carb - Pistons rings etc
but stock compression - Scream Ignition - Spyke Starter - etc),
but it has this problem when the bike was basically stock and I bought it in
95.
It just doesn't like to start ..
Turn the key and GRUNT
Turn again and GRUNT
Turn again, and maybe GRUNT .. Nya Nya START
Or like today, turn key GRUNT .. CLICK CLICK CLICK .. Push home

Battery is new, like I said starter is a few years old but it's a Hi Torq
Spyke and it made no difference.
Has always been like this and I have never gotten to bottom of it. Just kind
of lived with it.

Any ideas ??
Grounds ?? If so where ..
Solenoid ?? Wouldn't think that would cause GRUNTS

 wrote:


    Just cleaned up the exact same problem with my '86 FXR.  It
ain't stock, & compression is definitely not stock, but after years of
good performance followed by a few years of neglect in favor of other
bikes it developed the same symptoms you describe.

    After a few half hearted attempts at repair I decided to R & R
the entire starter system.  Pulled the starter, opened & inspected it.
It was fine.  Opened the solenoid.  It was trashed!  Low voltage will
burn the crap out of the contact washer & the contacts.  Replaced the
solenoid.  Replaced all the quarter century old relays (they're
cheap), & replaced the battery cables.  Starts on the second or third
turn now, & it spins strong as soon as I touch the button.

    High resistance in old cables, poor contact through old
relays, loose grounds, etc. can all add up to poor starting.  Take a
couple of days to go through it thoroughly & it'll probably start
fine.

Jinks ('86 FXRS, '07 FLTR)
#64
Remember, "No good deed goes unpunished"

 
What Jinks said.  My '88 FXR had similar
starting issues that were fixed with new battery
cables.  Your Sporstster is that old too and
probably running the original cables.


#34

 

Yeah, what Jinks and Jim said. The cables can look fine and
be trash on the inside. I've wseen sportster cables that were
basically rust-filled plastic tubes.

Also wanna make sure there's a star washer where the
negative starter cable connects to the frame. They're
missing on some models/years.

roach #123