Gpz oddness?

[mchaggis]

My brother's 500's starter motor has stopped turning the engine over, even though it is still turning itself and the solonoid still clicks. I presume that means the starter clutch is knackered and that it's an engine out and splitting crankcases job to fix?

He also tells me that it won't change into anything but first without the engine running it's almost impossible for him to bump start it. I hadn't heard of such a thing myself, but he claims it to be the case...
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[instigator]

Let me get this straight, you're TRYING to get the bike into 2nd gear or higher whilst it's not running? On the er5, you couldn't get it into anything other than 1st without the engine running. Or even then, at a standstill, I think it was the same.

It's natural.

No idea about the rest, sorry.

[mchaggis]

Unfortunately, I'm down here, and he's up there. He's trying to get it bump started and second or even third is easier, you just have to push it faster.

His problem is really that his leg and back are still fubarred after the incident with a Transit flatbed last year, so he can't push it too well.
____________________
I must not be a troll...
Mmmm, Guinness
Discovering the delights of Hammerite and a 3/4" brush.

[Robby]

Could be starter clutch sticking. Try hitting the starter motor with a hammer. Should be under a plate under the carbs, behind the block.

Charging the battery and making sure the engine has oil in never hurts, for the whole bumping extravaganza.

[stinkwheel]

Could just be the battery on the way out. Give it a good charge up.

The gearbox has a neutral finder to make it easy to change into neutral from first when stationary. This prevents you selecting second when stationary if the engine is off. Getting the bike rolling a bit then hooking into second from first should do the trick.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
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[iCraig]

Very unlikely to be the starter clutch on a GPZ engine in my experience.

More than likely be a duff battery, or could be the starter motor brushes if there anything like Suzuki starter motors.
Though in over 6,000 miles on my first GPZ engine nothing went awry in the starter motor department.

Also if it is the starter clutch, tell your brother he can get a new engine cheaply, I got a 15,000 mile GPZ500S Engine from a D9 model for £100 on ebay.

It ran sweet as a nut too, even with an A6 models ignition system in it!