starter solenoid..

so I'm not an expert at bikes but someone told me that if my bike doesn't start and there is no clicking noise either, that the problem is my starter solenoid. the battery has been fully charged too so I did that screwdriver trick and it was trying to crank over then. what i would like is a little clarification. if there is no clicking sound at all or nothing, then my solenoid is BAD?? help me out here...
what makes the solenoid goes bad in the first place if it is covered all the time... any answers?

 

Hi Moellear, clicking is normally if you have a low battery or a bad connection. If you crossed the terminals with a screwdriver & the starter turned the engine, it's probably the button, you will have to check if it is just dirty or there is a broken wire.
Problems with the solenoid / relay: the contacts can become corroded, or the thin wires of the coil can fracture.
The relay is just an electro magnet, put 12 volts through the coil and the inner metal core moves forward to make a connection.

 

Just an idea for ya...
If your solenoid is bad, you can replace it alot cheaper than the OEM solenoid with one made for a small engine. I bought mine at a small engine repair shop (made for a lawn tractor) and use it on my 750 Seca. It's worked well for me for three years now. It's a little bit bigger than the stock one, but will fit in the space provided with a little effort. I think a paid around $3 for it. Just a thought.

 

i used a ford solenoid with a flat base, .my starter set up is wired independent of the bikes wiring system ,my bike when i got it had been sitting out for several years and it had lots of gremlins to deal with .

 

I had one sticking - thought I had a bad battery but all I had to do was tap the solenoid and it would start. Got to be really irritating after a while so I took it apart and cleaned and lubed it (lightly) and it has worked ever since. It's easy to disassemble. Just need to unsolder the super thin wire that comes to the outside of the case and resolder when done.

 

Yup they are repairable with patience and solder. I fixed my first one till it crapped out on me the next season. so I finally decided to replace it completely. That's when I went with the small engine solenoid instead. I can buy three of them for the price they get for the Yamaha OEM solenoid and they appear to be made better also.
I had also looked into the Ford type starter solenoid like Traveler used, but the size is the only thing that changed my mind. I have no doubt they work just fine on these scooters. Just a thought.

 

make sure the wire triggering the thing does in fact have voltage when you push the start button