Starter motor...rebuild or replace

[sharky]

Hey guys,
Motor turns over very sluggish..clutch has been replaced by previous owner.
Is it better to replace or can I get a decent rebuild kit for it ?

[bikeman]

remove and repair/service it there are plenty of good kits out there. 

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Starter-Rebuild-Kit-For-Kawasaki-EN450A-454-LTD-1985-1986-1987-1988-1989-1990/281345357966?hash=item41817d788e:g:NvgAAMXQ1ZhTf7Ad

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Starter-KIT-FITS-KAWASAKI-Motorcycle-EN450-EN-450-454-85-90/280461136557?epid=2087788109&hash=item414cc952ad:g:6x0AAOSw43Jboqtc

which one will depend on whether your starter has 2 brushes or 4.  I would suggest you carefully check the bushes/bearings and replace them there all in the kit.

remember if you buy a replacement and it's not new there is no way of knowing how long it will last as you don't know the internal condition of the parts from the outside.
you will have to remove the timing/starter case to reinstall the chain cog on the end of the starter it is almost impossible to do with it on. 

I would also suggest you take it off strip it find which kit you need and take it from there. of course the bike will be out of action while all this is going on. 

a rough guide can be found here. 

[sharky]

Thanks mate.
Im guessing better to upgrade to 4 pole (same as my old vmax) ?

[sharky]

How do I identify 2 or 4 pole starter ?

[knoizy]

I think once you have it apart you will see either 2 or 4 brushes, maybe strip it and see what condition everything is in anyway. After chasing a different problem (cracked starter clutch) I rebuilt the starter but apart from a lot of carbon and lack of grease the starter was technically fine and didn't need any parts replacing so a clean and grease was enough. Have you ruled out a poor battery as the cause? 

[bikeman]

yeah pretty much that's it. there are no external marks to read it may be noted that some starters are longer than others but still work the same and either can be 2 or 4 brush.  the starter though it has to be said is one of the most not thought about parts on the bike you will not find any reference to it in service manuals and how long it would be expected to last. a rule of thumb probably would be the more it is used the quicker it would wear out.  just one day it will fail most just toss it and fit another but for 10 bucks and an hour of time to fix it where is the sense in that.


as the last post suggests may be a clean and re-grease is all that's needed but if it off and stripped why not change the brushes. 

[sharky]

All sorted thanks fellas.
4 pole starter..full of crud inside.
Repair kit on its way.