Savagenan says - 'Measure it like this with the starter motor disconnected and the 2 small wires. '

ok. I take the starter motor heavy wire off of it that has a rubber boot.
Then I disconnect the 2 small wires on starter solenoid,
Then I test the 2 small brass (primary) connectors.
....all things being equal, I'll go & do this, this morning   :'(

......but the key is not even in the ignition!  

to Justin o guy2:- 'I'd be disconnecting one of the small wires. Then there is no way to be wrong.'
Yes, ..with the starter motor connected & the small primary wires disconnected the battery can be successfully connected again.

A new solenoid can't be a failure from the factory surely. It must have been tested.
Tests I just did -- with the multimeter set on  inline continuity, the digi readout says 1.
If I touch the electrodes together the readout says 001.
The old solenoid I removed measures 003 over small wire terminals.
In place, the new solenoid  measures 003. (This is with the battery left lead off & starter motor connected & both small primary wires disconnected)
Boy I'm foxed. It still arrives in my head saying 'solenoid stuck' whichever way I turn.

Slipstream wrote on 02/29/16 at 13:42:16:

on or off, the coils are going to measure low resistance.  but check to ground to make sure they are not shorted.

the contact from bat to starter should be open

apply 12 v to the primary coil with the other side grounded and you should get a click and the bat to starter should be closed.

You can do this with the starter button if you wish.

Quote:


No, I understood you. What I suggested you check was the wire (yellow with a black stripe according to the  schematic) for voltage. Not the terminal on the solenoid. I guess I should have been more specific.

Disconnect the wire from the stud on the starter. Disconnect the yellow/black wire from the solenoid. Make sure neither of those wires can touch any part part of the bike while you are checking.

Reconnect your battery. Key off. Hook your voltmeter between the yellow/bk stripe wire and a ground. If you have 12v on that wire with the key off and the start button not pushed, then that's where your problem is. I'll get back to that in a minute.

If there is not 12v at that wire with the key off and the start button not pushed, then take your voltmeter and check for 12v at the wire you disconnected from the stud on the starter.

If you have 12v on that wire you have a stuck or defective solenoid.  

If the solenoid is OK (No voltage on the wire you took off the starter stud) then the only way for it to close and operate the starter is if 12v is being fed to the  yellow/bk wire that you just checked. To repeat. With the key off and the start button not pushed there should be no voltage at that wire.

Savagemans instructions for testing the solenoid with an ohmmeter are valid and will lead to the same conclusion as far as determining if the solenoid is OK or not.
. But you still need to know what's going on with the yellow/bk wire. Voltage to that wire is what closes the solenoid. If its being energised with everything turned off then you have to find out why.

We have had a yarn & I have decided to pack it in. It was ok while I wasn't losing sleep worrying about it.
I took both solenoids to a local garage & they test out as good. I will sell something later on & get someone around to find what I did wrong on (presumably) the bars.
If this page is still working or left open (?) when I have the job done, I'll post the answer of where I went wrong, up here.
Thanks to everybody that gave me assistance, I'm pleased I got that far actually   I really like the site & have some great reading ahead. Specially about oils, a subject unmentionable.

Just a note of caution to those that don't enjoy the Savage/S40 drag bars (with risers) shoving their elbows out & decide to change to the pullback ones. Your accelerator & clutch cables & the front disc brake hydraulic hose are now the wrong length & have to be replaced. (see Alpha Sports Parts)
= expensive bar changeover. Plus the accelerator cable top-end to bar attachment has to be significantly doctored or another part bought.
Still...was it worth it? I have the end result,... the pull-backs on this thumper. Too right it was  

Well I'm back for the last time on this problem.
The little black electronics box  ( 32910-24B10 under the seat that is for the decompression solenoid,) which has 6 flat brass connectors, had packed it in.
We opened it up & long ago there must have been water in it. It is sealed to prevent this, so is a mystery. The solder blobs on the circuit board had corrosion.
The guy said the timing of its death  was just a coincidence. I paid him 120$ & bought a new one - 145$ & yesterday all was made operable.  
--
I have to share something now before someone else has great head problems as I had.
I bought this as-new bike from afar because it was cheap & lowish Ks. Cheap because it had a disgusting surge (I didn't know) that nearly made it un-rideable. I have been toying with selling as-is for ages. The surge was bad,  mostly in the first 1/4 of the range of every gear but discernable throughout.
Mechanics could not fix it.
The last one, was a great guy (Duzgo) just retired, not because of me though   with a fantastic reputation. He placed an old savage needle in the carb & had it set to idle very fast & said not to let it get too low in any gear. Everyone did their best but it wasn't PETROL surge, it was ELECTRICITY surge!
Never imagined this was possible myself. There is no evidence whatsoever of any surge now. It is smooth as silk. I hope not too many are fooled by this too often. What a joy to ride Francis with those old pullback bars  
I guess it will need a carby tune, but not sure. I put the idle back to normal.
Thanks everyone & the mods too. I have a ton of reading to do on this great site.