Replacement starter relay/solenoid

[therealSnafoo]

I need a new starter relay for my '83 KZ250 LTD.
The local bike shop told me they have a "Universal" relay that might work for $60 retail. Is that what I need or should I continue to look for a Kawasaki relay?

Your help is greatly appreciated.

[OKC_Kent]

A relay is a simple thing, you do not need his $60 part. A relay is a switch, and I would find any old relay on ebay from a Kawasaki starter (there are a lot of them) and compare pictures. I see them from $1 to $30. I'm sure you can find a new one for much less. Here is a list of all the other Kawasaki's that use the same starter solenoid that's on your bike.
Have fun and good luck!
Part # = 27010-1075
Part Description = STARTER SWITCH,27010-1314
Model Count = 63
Model Name Year Size Description Type
KLF110-B1 87 110 MOJAVE 110E SPORT 4-WHEEL ATV
KLF110-B2 88 110 MOJAVE 110E SPORT 4-WHEEL ATV
KLF185-A1 85 185 BAYOU 185 UTILITY 4 WHEEL ATV
KLF185-A2 86 185 BAYOU 185 UTILITY 4 WHEEL ATV
KLF185-A3 87 185 BAYOU 185 UTILITY 4 WHEEL ATV
KLF185-A4 88 185 BAYOU 185 UTILITY 4 WHEEL ATV
KLT200-B1 83 200 KLT200 UTILITY 3 WHEEL ATV
KLT200-C1 83 200 KLT200 UTILITY 3 WHEEL ATV
KLT200-C2 84 200 KLT200 UTILITY 3 WHEEL ATV
KLT250-A2 83 250 KLT250 UTILITY 3 WHEEL ATV
KLT250-C1 83 250 PRAIRIE 250 UTILITY 3 WHEEL ATV
KLT250-C2 84 250 PRAIRIE 250 UTILITY 3 WHEEL ATV
KLT250-C3 85 250 PRAIRIE 250 UTILITY 3 WHEEL ATV
KLT250-P1 84 250 KLT250 POLICE POLICE ATV
KZ250-W1 83 250 250 LTD BELT STREET CRUISER
KLF300-A1 86 300 BAYOU 300 UTILITY 4 WHEEL ATV
KLF300-A2 87 300 BAYOU 300 UTILITY 4 WHEEL ATV
KLF300-B1 88 300 BAYOU 300 UTILITY 4 WHEEL ATV
KLF300-B2 89 300 BAYOU 300 UTILITY 4 WHEEL ATV
KLF300-B3 90 300 BAYOU 300 UTILITY 4 WHEEL ATV
KLF300-B4 91 300 BAYOU 300 UTILITY 4 WHEEL ATV
KLF300-B5 92 300 BAYOU 300 UTILITY 4 WHEEL ATV
KLF300-C1 89 300 BAYOU 300 4X4 UTILITY 4 WHEEL ATV
KLF300-C2 90 300 BAYOU 300 4X4 UTILITY 4 WHEEL ATV
KLF300-C3 91 300 BAYOU 300 4X4 UTILITY 4 WHEEL ATV
KLF300-C4 92 300 BAYOU 300 4X4 UTILITY 4 WHEEL ATV
KL600-B1 85 600 KL600 DUAL PURPOSE
KL600-B1L 85 600 KL600 (CAL) DUAL PURPOSE
KL600-B2 86 600 KL600 DUAL PURPOSE
KL600-B2L 86 600 KL600 (CAL) DUAL PURPOSE
ZL600-A1 86 600 ZL600 PERFORMANCE CRUISER
ZL600-A1L 86 600 ZL600 (CAL) PERFORMANCE CRUISER
ZL600-A2 87 600 ZL600 PERFORMANCE CRUISER
ZL600-A2L 87 600 ZL600 (CAL) PERFORMANCE CRUISER
KL650-A1 87 650 KLR650 DUAL PURPOSE
KL650-A1L 87 650 KLR650 (CAL) DUAL PURPOSE
KL650-A2 88 650 KLR650 DUAL PURPOSE
KL650-A2L 88 650 KLR650 (CAL) DUAL PURPOSE
KL650-A3 89 650 KLR650 DUAL PURPOSE
KL650-A3L 89 650 KLR650 (CAL) DUAL PURPOSE
KL650-A4 90 650 KLR650 DUAL PURPOSE
KL650-A4L 90 650 KLR650 (CAL) DUAL PURPOSE
KL650-A5 91 650 KLR650 DUAL PURPOSE
KL650-A5L 91 650 KLR650 (CAL) DUAL PURPOSE
KL650-A6 92 650 KLR650 DUAL PURPOSE
KL650-A6L 92 650 KLR650 (CAL) DUAL PURPOSE
KL650-B2 90 650 TENGAI DUAL PURPOSE
KL650-B2L 90 650 TENGAI (CAL) DUAL PURPOSE
ZL900-A1 85 900 ELIMINATOR 900 PERFORMANCE CRUISER
ZL900-A1L 85 900 ELIMINATOR 900 (CAL) PERFORMANCE CRUISER
ZL900-A2 86 900 ELIMINATOR 900 PERFORMANCE CRUISER
ZL900-A2L 86 900 ELIMINATOR 900 (CAL) PERFORMANCE CRUISER
ZX900-A1 84 900 900 NINJA SPORTBIKE
ZX900-A1L 84 900 900 NINJA (CAL) SPORTBIKE
ZX900-A2 85 900 900 NINJA SPORTBIKE
ZX900-A2L 85 900 900 NINJA (CAL) SPORTBIKE
ZX900-A3 86 900 900 NINJA SPORTBIKE
ZX900-A3L 86 900 900 NINJA (CAL) SPORTBIKE
ZL1000-A1 87 1000 ZL1000 PERFORMANCE CRUISER
ZL1000-A1L 87 1000 ZL1000 (CAL) PERFORMANCE CRUISER
ZX1100-A1 83 1100 GPz1100 SUPERBIKE
ZX1100-A2 84 1100 GPz1100 SUPERBIKE
ZX1100-A2L 84 1100 GPz1100 (CAL) SUPERBIKE
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[cudaosix]

Great post Kent...........therealSnafoo, The answers to your problems dont come much better then that!

[therealSnafoo]

I really appreciate your help on this. I just got this old clunker and thought I would try and bring her back to life. I'm a total noobie at this two wheel stuff and I can feel it. I was about to question my sanity if every little thing was going to cost this much.

[OKC_Kent]

OK therealsnafoo, glad to help. I guess you have a manual, yes? Is there any type of testing procedure in the manual that tells you the relay is bad? It could be a dirty connection or dirty switch, and the relay is fine.??

[therealSnafoo]

I don't have a manual yet but it will be my next purchase.
I just wanted to try and see if it would turnover so I slapped a new battery on it and got nothing. I started down the troubleshooting route and found the relay all rusted up. I only wanted to take it off but when trying to loosen the rusty bolt I broke off the stud.

When I got into work today a co-worker said, "You could have just used a screw driver and shorted the two studs to turn the motor over". I knew that but didn't stop to think. I have learned more from this little problem then where to get a relay.

Thanks again for your help, I'll probaly need some more advice this weekend.
Your a real gentleman.

[gpzrider]

I have NEVER gotten close to getting that detailed an answer to any question I've ever asked in my life! Great job Kent..

[OKC_Kent]

Thanks, it was a cut and paste from the Zedder software I have.

[OKC_Kent]

TherealSnafoo,

Do you know you can find all the parts diagrams and parts list for your bike on the Kawasaki website?

Go to this link, mouse over "Owners Info" and click "Parts Diagrams"

http://www.kawasaki.com/product_cate...tag=motorcycle

Then start clicking the proper links to get to your bike. When you get to the parts diagrams, find one you want to look at from the index on the left.
Zoom it like twice or three times, then save it to your hard drive. Then you can print it out and it will fillup an 8x11 paper. I did that and made a booklet for my bike. You can do the same thing with the parts listing too.

[therealSnafoo]

Now your just making me feel special.
That's special "Special " not special "short bus ".

Thanks to OKC_Kents post I found a solenoid from a ZX900 on ebay for $34 shipped.

[wiredgeorge]

therealSnafoo... most likely the new solenoid won't work either. Probably isn't a solenoid problem. The solenoid is essentially a switch with a trigger. When DC voltage hits the switch, it momentarily closes (as long as the voltage is applied) and when the voltage is not applied, the switch opens up again...

Power from the battery connects to one side of the switch and the wire to the starter, to the other. The TRIGGER is voltage that goes from your battery, through the fuses, along the wiring harness, through your ignition switch and over to the right hand switchgear. There, it goes through the kill switch and then down to your start button. From the other side of the start button, it goes back to the solenoid. When the ignition switch is on, and the start button is depressed, voltage momentarily goes through the circuit to trigger the solenoid... allowing power from your battery to pass directly to the starter.

To test the OLD solenoid, just take a pice of 14 ga. wire and put it on the battery POS terminal and touch it to the trigger wire where it goes INTO the solenoid. The two larger lugs (one where battery is connected and one where starter cable is connected) are not the trigger... the trigger is the smaller wire between them. Anyway, if you touch the trigger, the starter will turn over. The bike can't start as the igntion isn't powered but the starter will turn. If it doesn't, then either the solenoid is bad or the starter clutch can be bad but you should at least hear the starter "click" as the relay closes. If it doesn't, the solenoid is indeed bad.

Almost ANY solenoid will work... not just the ones listed. I use most any that is a decent fit as some are just configured in such a way that it makes it tough to mount them. The Suzuki solenoids work easily. The only thing about a Kaw solenoid is that a ground wire connects to the rectifier but you can connect any ground source and it will work fine... you don't have to use the ground out of the solenoid.

[therealSnafoo]

Thanks wiredgeorge for your help with troubleshooting. That is some great information. I'll trace the power from the battery to the starter using the route you posted. Where the power stops should be the trouble part, right?

I will test my OLD solenoid and I hope it is bad now that I broke off the stud. Then again I might be better off not knowing. I will test the new "used" one before putting it on.

I touched the starter cable to the positive side of the battery and the starter kicked over but what I light show. Scared the Ba-Jesus out of me but now I know the starter works. If the motor was locked up would the starter just click or would it grind or something?

I don't have an instrument panel on the bike right now but I have one on the way. Is $108.00 shipped a good deal for the entire instrument cluster/panel with key, cables and brackets? The previous owner rigged up a toggle switch for the power but I don't think they did it right.

[Dave Anderson]

Sorry for posting in this thread, but it looks like the most likely source of info for my problem!

I have an ER-5, built 1998. It's been fine for a good few years, but has recently developed a problem starting.

The battery seemed low, so after recharging it repeatedly and the problem recurring, I bought a replacement battery.

What tends to happen is that when I switch it on in the morning, it will turn the starter a few times, but then the starter stops turning, and there's a pretty loud and quick "CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK" from the area of the starter/relay. If I keep trying to start, occasionally the starter might turn a couple times before clicking, but then the clicking starts again. After a minute of this, clicking is all I'll get, and I'll have to roll-start it.

I've charged the battery. If I take it straight from the charger into the bike, then it'll start every time, even with a bit of turning over. If it's been sitting overnight, then more often than not it will descend into the loud clicking before it starts.

I'm lost - I'm presuming the clicking is the relay firing. The battery I've replaced, so I can't see how that can't be working. I suspect the battery might be having it's power drained somehow, but I don't see how it would be when the bike is switched off, and only overnight! I'd suspect the starter, but it *does* turn over sometimes... I'd suspect the solenoid, but I'm presuming the clicking *is* the solenoid working....

Any advice on a possible cause greatly appreciated!

thanks,
dave

[OKC_Kent]

Dave, See wiredgeorges reply, and also buy a small battery hydrometer and check your new battery. It's possible a cell is bad, even though it's new. Also make sure the wiring connections from the battery to ground, and battery to solenoid, and solenoid to starter are clean and tight. Clean them anyway and use di-electric grease to prevent corrosion.