Soo.. I'm working on my girlfriends EX 500, and I can't get it to start.

I was teaching her to ride the other day and she had stalled it a few times and then once it just wouldn't start again.

I turn the key on, and hit the starter, and it just clicks. Once. Nothing else...

I replaced the battery already cuz I was pretty sure it was weak... but now I'm still getting the same thing. I'm guessing it's a short and am gonna strip it tomorrow to see... any other ideas? I'm definatley not a pro mechanic.

Any help is appreciated.

 

did you charge the battery you put in as a replacement? Also it could be a loose connection on the starting solenoid, happened on my bike, just clicked, but once you tightened the nut it worked fine.

 

Is it a LOUD click....if so I have had that happen....the grounding lead from the starter was loose and it wasn't completing the starter circuit...so it would just click at the starter relay (which is the more 'heavy-duty' relay...thus the louder clicking noise)

hope that helps.

 

Turns out that the motor seized... We could get it to crank if we turned it by hand with a ratchet... but the starter wasn't powerful enough to do it by itself... anyway now we need a new engine... I can get one of these Vulcan 500 ones cheap... it looks like it matches up.. anyone know for sure? Thanx

 

looks the same, but i couldn't tell you....

 

so you can still turn it by hand? then it wouldnt be seized right? maybe you just need a new starter motor.

 

makes sense????

 

i heard somewhere the vulcan 500 is a direct swap..not for certin tho

 

I could turn it by hand, but then after a few tries it jammed completely, and when my buddy pulled the engine apart, he found lotsa metal shavings in the oilpan... And thanx Doodle, thats good news...

 

heya,
before you go motor swappin(thats illegal in some states) take your starter to a shop and have it tested.......and check the voltage to the starter...... its not that hard..... buy the book and follow the directions...... its going to be alot cheaper than major stuff....... if all is good there....... jump out the starter selanoid and see if that works........ always rule out the small stuff first...... then spend big money.
hope it helps..
mark

 

lol, these last two posts were at the exact same time! I did jump the solonoid before we realized that it was seized.. and I'm in Canada, so hopefully I can swap away! Thanx though!

 

The EX/ Ninja 500 and Vulcan 500 use the same motor, just the case covers are different...at least I have been told. I am thinking they might have a different cam though, but everything else should be the same.

 

Sweet... thanx I just found this too incase anyone else cares...



If you need a replacement motor, and can't find one from a Ninja 500, look for a Vulcan 500 motor, or a motor from an older 454 LTD era bike, which came out before the Vulcan and Ninja lines did.

If you pick up an engine from a '96-05 Vulcan LTD, you only need to swap the cams, carbs (32mm vs 34mm), and the intake boots to get the engine to work exactly the same as your Ninja motor did when it was healthy. Heck, you could keep the Vulcan cams, and get more torque down low if you are willing to sacrafice a bit on top.

If you pick up an '89-96 Vulcan 500, you only need to swap the carb internals (needles, main jets, jet holders, needle jets) since they are the same size carb body. Same thing with the cams, although this Vulcan motor is much more powerful than the newer motor, so you won't be sacraficing nearly as much on top as you would with the newer version.

 

why dont you part the bike and sell me the rims...i heard that you can put ex 500 rims on dirtbikes instead of spending multiple g's on rimmies for em.

 

Actually my buddy stripped her engine yesterday and found it was a spun bearing... not having any spare bearings for it hanging around...he took an old honda civic bearing he had laying around, cut it, and slapped it in... It was the most ghetto fix.. but the engine runs again!

 

i don't know how that would work... but if it worked