Locked Starter

[bobpara]

I have an '06 WR 450 that had something odd happen the other day. I went to poke the starter, I could hear the solenoid snap shut and the starter motor moved like 1 degree and locked up. I could hear this high pitch wine (probably the battery dumping tons of juice). Went an manually kicked the bike and put it in gear, etc and shut it off. Went to poke the electric start, and Boom, it started right up ?? !! ??

 

Do I have a crappy spot on the stator of my starter motor that every time it lands there it makes poor contact?

 

Anybody seen this before?

[FORMA MOTO]

This is a common issue with the WR. Usually happens when you stall it in gear. The piston is at absolute TDC, and the starter system has a tough time moving the crank sometimes.

If it happens again, just put the bike in gear, rock it back and forth, and you'll be good.

Don't try and e start it when this happens, or you might burn up the starter clutch.

[bobpara]

Great! I knew it was simple like that.....makes sense!

I only tried to elec start it a few times, I know that cant be good for it.

 

Probably bump start it (if the bike is rolling or on a hill)

Or hit the kick lever with the comp release lever open

.....I'm too old to be kicking a 450 cc bike

I don't kick bikes any more unless they are mini bikes

[bobpara]

Funny. At first I thought this 'phenomenon' is something that only happens with single cylinder engines with electric start

But actually, even if you have multi cylinders, an ignition sparking the gas hasn't even happened yet (to move the piston off of TDC)

So in the end, the engineers at Yamaha spec'd out a starter motor without enough oomph.