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Starter sparks

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wongkeanhong

Member
As I crank the engine, there are sparks at the starter area. This happens only while cranking the engine to a start. Why is that so? How do I rectify it?
 
Does the sparking happen all the time? Have you checked the power stud on starter for correct tightness?
 
Sparks from electric motors is normal, except if there are a lot of sparks coming out of it. Although, I think it's a sealed unit, unless you have some kind of aftermarket unit... and even those I believed are sealed up too.

Sparks are created from the brushes.

Look inside a corded or cordless drill and press the trigger... you'll see what I'm talking about.

If it's stock, then there's got to be something loose. Don't forget, when you energize the starter, you are pulling some decent current.
 
03HD883R said:
Sparks from electric motors is normal, except if there are a lot of sparks coming out of it. Although, I think it's a sealed unit, unless you have some kind of aftermarket unit... and even those I believed are sealed up too.

Sparks are created from the brushes.

Look inside a corded or cordless drill and press the trigger... you'll see what I'm talking about.

If it's stock, then there's got to be something loose. Don't forget, when you energize the starter, you are pulling some decent current.
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I sent my Sportster 09 to a local Harley/BMW mechanic and it was 'spark-less' for a few weeks, but now it is back to haunt me again. I am a newbie and I hope to pick up some tricks of the trade as I 'Harley' along.
Those nuts must have got loose again with the rattling and rumbling. I have replaced an engine bolt and and exhaust nut that went missing.
Thanks for the help.
 
Check both of your battery cable connections at the starter, the connection between the solinoid and the starter and the starter mounting bolts. Something has to be loose to cause visable sparking.
 
If they keep coming loose, use some blue Loctite on it. I had to do this a while back for an engine mount bolt that kept coming loose every 3k miles. Since I did it, the thing hasn't budged one bit.
 
Many thanks for all the responses. No more sparks with tightened bolts. Sportster is such a shaker, lost an exhaust and an engine bolt so far. Look forward to apply blue Loctite.

Thanks.
 
wongkeanhong said:
Many thanks for all the responses. No more sparks with tightened bolts. Sportster is such a shaker, lost an exhaust and an engine bolt so far. Look forward to apply blue Loctite.

Thanks.
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Have you heard of the one where the shifter fell off and luckily the guy had a pair of vise grips with him and that got him home.....:D
 
I had the shifter fall off on my old '96 Ninja a while back. Luckily it fell off when I was shifting from 2nd to 3rd in a non-busy area of town. Just stopped and walked back to get it.

Luckily no one was behind me because it would've make a nice hole in their tire.
 
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