This thread discusses the Content article: Fixing the Starter Spin Problem

I beleive I am a candidate for the Dreaded Starter. I just cost 2000$ to fix my starter problem and it has failed again. It is now the 3rd time that
the starter has failed. I am a little worried. The bike was running fine (19 000 km on it so far) until I had a recall done on it about a part on the transmission system and since then, it has only been a headache. I was told that the recall procedure from yamaha might have been wrong ( the procedure does not remove the starter to perform the fix ) and thus to fix the problem properly, you have to remove the starter. They charged me big bucks (1960$) claiming that they have to redo part of the same work done by the recall in order to fix it properly. I am not the mechanical type and my dealer is usually doing a very good job and has some very good references. I will be checking with them but I was wondering if someone in the Montreal area is familliar with the article to give me a hand about fixing this for good. I don't mind playing in my bike if I can have someone with experience to help me with the project in case the dealer comes up with no fix.

Gervais Bouchard
Montreal, Qc

bump . You might also want to introduce your self in the introduction thread so all know a little about you Please

Sounds like you were ripped off. If lapped correctly it should last forever.

marcus5021 and roadgrabber are from the Montreal area but they haven't been on in some time and I don't know their technical expertise.

Doc

GervaisB

No disrepect intanded but who are you?

I agree with Greysnake.

Well, I am new to this forum and I had not noticed that there was a section
for the new member to introduce themselves.
I have done it but for this thread, I can say that I am from Montreal and
own a Yamaha Silverado 2000 and I am experiencing some weird problem and
looking for some experienced adviced on how to go on from now.
I feel cheated but I know that the last place I got the bike fixed is a
very good place. I went there in the past and heard only good things about
them by others. The service is always fast and efficient.
My bike was A-OK before they did the transmission recall and now the Starter
has failed on me 3 times. I am loosing confidence on my bike and I my reaction
is to sell it and by another bike. I am not sure about that feeling. Half of me
wants to keep it because I just love the way it rides and half of me wants to
start over and change the thing.

Dang son, you got ripped off bad! So, your starter - does it just "whirrr" when you push the button? That's the Dreaded Starter Spin. The fix is right there in the tech articles, and I personally recommend the Loctite RC-609 retaining compound. RC-620 works well too, but you can't melt it with reasonable heat like you can the 609 (for removal if needed).

I am fighting the same problem with mine, listen, its not that bad. If you have a good starter, then just follow the instruction on the tech posting on fixing it. I am in the middle of that right now, if I wasn't such an idiot i would be riding the thing as we speak.
You don't need many tools, an impact wrench is a valuable tool in this repair for the bolt that holds the generator housing in.
You drop your forward pipe, the right floor board and take that cover off. Take the generator cover off and lap the end of the shaft with some lapping compound. Clean it up, put some loctite rc 609 on and bolt her back down, your good to go.
Just don't be a moron like me and keep trying to loctite your starter gear to the shaft....
I WILL BE BACK ON THE ROAD TOMORROW.
This repair takes 20 minutes to get the bike apart, 24 hours for the loctite to set, and 20 minutes to put it back together.
Any questions, ask.

I notice that the only time the starter spins, is when I turn the bike OFF with the key. Is my bike doing something weird, or is this something normal? When I start the bike, I hit the button and it starts just fine...

Ummm thanks there buddy( Gunhead ). Thats the way the things are supposed to work. It is a bad thing when you turn your key and all you hear is the starter whine. That means that the starter shaft has let go of the generator cover and will not start the bike... LIKE MINE...

Thanks for pointing out that yours runs fine, glad to hear that, I will be back on the road tomorrow!!
Your buddy,
Howie

That's just the engine stopping close to the top of a compression stroke. The compression pushes the piston back down, and since the starter is coupled via a sprag clutch (allows relative movement one direction but not the other), this causes the starter to spin backwards.