Is the "Starter Solenoid" the same as a "Starter Relay"?

 Hey All,
Been a while since I've been on here.  I'm troubleshooting a no-start
situation, and I was wondering if the Starter Solenoid and the Starter
Relay are the same thing?

For some background, I can hear a relay "click" when I press the
button, which after studying the electric diagram I think is the
starter relay.  That means kill switches ok, battery freshly charged,
so somewhere between the starter relay and the starter itself I'm
having trouble (bad connection?).  Could also be the starter itself,
but this problem happens intermittently (sometimes it starts right up,
other times it just clicks).

Thanks,
James

 
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If the battery is charge properly, check the ground of the battery
back to the engine. (If it goes to the frame, check that, and how well
the engine is grounded to the frame.)

Check both battery connections at the battery.


         Wudsracer/Jim Cook
          Smackover Racing
         '06 Gas Gas DE300
        '82 Husqvarna XC250
           Team LAGNAF
        

 

 On Jun 5, 8:46 am, chateau.mur...@btinternet.com,

On my boxer, the starter relay disconnects the lights
and activates the starter solenoid. The relay is a little
1" cube that plugs in under the tank and the solenoid
is a large cylindrical barnacle on the side of the starter motor.

Some bikes may not have a solenoid. Solenoid and
relay are two different critters.

Relay:

NC (normally closed) lights on
NO (normally open) solenoid activate

 

Depends on the bike. A solinoid is just a heavy duty relay. Some bikes will
have a start relay and a solinoid, the relay possibly being deactivated by
the neutral switch or the side stand.. On other bikes the start button
powers up the solinoid directly. The solinoid will have two heavy bolt on
connections, one connected to  the battery and the other going to the
starter motor. When the solinoid is activated it just joins these two
connections and powers the starter. When it fails to start and just clicks,
make sure the bike is in neutral and cross out these two connections with a
screwdriver or spanner. If the starter turns ok then the solinoid is faulty.
If it doesn't turn then it's either faulty starter faulty battery or faulty
connections to either.

John