starter trouble

[cobra407]

i have an 82 R65LS. It starts fine 90% of the time. However other times I get the click-click and no starter action. If I keep pushing the start button over and over eventually the starter turns and engages.

I am sure the relay is working because I can hear it click.

thanks peter

[Bob_Roller]

I had the same issue, the relay would click, but the contacts inside the relay were not making contact .

You can push down on the top of the starter relay case and manually close the contacts .

See if you do this with the tank on, sometimes the relay is in a position where you can't do it .

Try putting something  on the relay case so you know you are on it, maybe something like  a small piece of sandpaper taped on the top of the relay.

If the relay is causing the problem, you can remove the cover and adjust the contact arms.

[nhmaf]

Also,

1. How 'new' is your battery?   Is it sealed or require topping off?  What is the "resting" voltage?
2. Have you ever serviced/cleaned your starter motor's gear drive and lubricated it?

While my first guess would also be the starter relay, it *might* possibly be either:
1.  Battery getting a little weak and dropping in voltage when the high current demand of the starter is required -> drop in voltage is sometimes dropping low enough that it is insufficient to keep the starter coil energized enough to "pull in" the relay, or
2.  The starter motor gear set can be dry and binding sometimes.   This causes the starter to almost lock up/bind, causing huge current draw and dropping the battery voltage, which again causes starter relay coil to drop out, etc.

Always start with the easiest thing first.  So I'd stick with the suggestion to try the relay test first.  If that doesn't seem to change the behavior, though, look to these other possibilities.

[chewy4x4]

I had this exact issue. The fine gentleman on this forum might (depending on how far along their "oldtimers syndrome" is today) remember. I spent too many nights with my R65 in pieces. I replace the ground and starter cables with new bad ass ones. I sanded every ground in the electrical system I bought a new valeo starter (that never worked for me). I added the extra grounding posts to the diode board (that ironically is now a new post someone else is asking about). I fooled around with different starter relays. I bought a new (wet) battery. And in the end while I believe that the upgrades I made to the charging and grounding systems in this bike The best thing I did was clean up the Bosch starter and bought a Staab battery. The battery is the issue mate change it with a Staab and be done with it.

[montmil]

... The fine gentleman on this forum might (depending on how far along their "oldtimers syndrome" is today) remember.

Just keep it up, Chewy. Us oldtimers be gathering our tar buckets and a fence rail for you! New Braunfels ain't that big. Can't hide.

Leave the light on for us. We'll be along just as soon as we can score a day-pass from the retirement home's Nurse Ratched.

Hey! Who snatched my prunes...

[chewy4x4]

Nobody mind Monte. He is just upset the kids don't call or visit anymore and they stopped running Colombo, and Murder She wrote befor his 1930 bed time

Monte I am so glad you realized my post was just for you.  

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

Cut about an inch of the insulation on your positive cable at the battery end and pull it back to check for corrosion - either the white powder or a green color.
It might be as simple as a new cable.

As nhmaf said, clean up all of your contacts, especially the main ones on the positive and negative cables.

Take care not to strip the threads on the gearbox where the negative wire connects.  IOW, don't over-tighten that fastener.

It would be a good idea to remove the starter cover and clean up the positive connection, as well.
The negative connection for the starter is through the engine block/gearbox.

[cobra407]

thanks everyone! it turned out to be the relay. Free fix. just needed little adjustment on the contacts.

[k_enn]

There are a couple of good threads on starter problems.  This one deals mostly with the starter relay:

http://www.bmwr65.org/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1272293751/16#16

This one deals more with the starter itself, and how to diagnose whether it is a battery/cable related problem or a stater problem:

http://www.bmwr65.org/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1317654777

k_enn