Hello everyone! First post on these forums so please go easy on me
I have been having a starting issue that is confusing me so much. At first it wasn’t too much of an issue, and happened maybe 10% starts, but it has been slowly getting worse the last couple of months, and now happens about 60-70% of the time and is a major inconvenience. So I figured I would ask the forums on the chance someone has had the same problem in the past/ knows a solution.
The main issue is getting the starter to start turning. Once it does the bike starts every time. I turn the bike on, the headlight and everything are working as they should. I click the start button, I hear and see the decompression cable move and click, the headlight goes off, but the starter is not even trying to start the bike. Not anything like the starter is turning over slowly or anything, nothing at all. I press the starter and hold it for a second or two a couple times, sometimes 2-3 times, sometimes 20 before it starts, and sometimes it starts on the first try no problem at all. Once the starter begins cranking it starts well.
Current troubleshooting: Battery reads 12.8v after I have let it sit for an hour or two after a ride so I think the battery is fine, (is that too high compared where it is supposed to be at 12.6v?). The battery terminals/ cables had a little corrosion on them which I tried cleaning off, not sure that had any affect. After it doesn’t start a couple of times, I have tried rocking the bike forward/backwards while in gear to move the position of the piston in the cylinder, sometimes it starts after that sometimes it does nothing. I have tried having the carburetor choke in/out, and fuel petcock on on/prime but it does not seem to affect it.
About the bike/me- Bike is a 2007 that I bought at 7k miles 6 months ago, currently at 10.5k miles. The bike runs well once it starts (if it starts 😊). I have an intermediate knowledge of bikes/fixing things
Mods- Jardine Exhaust, Led headlight and taillight (Varslavy cam chain tension happening soon)