V-Twin Forum banner

98 " starter question

870 Views 13 Replies 8 Participants Last post by  woodwalkertc88
i have 1000 miles on a 98" kit with cometic gaskets , stock heads and new gear drive 26g cams , about 1 in 10 starts the starter will drag before it spins the engine over , will this get better in time or do i need to start thinking about upgradeing the starter clutch or even getting a bigger starter ?
1 - 14 of 14 Posts
woodwalkertc88 said:
i have 1000 miles on a 98" kit with cometic gaskets , stock heads and new gear drive 26g cams , about 1 in 10 starts the starter will drag before it spins the engine over , will this get better in time or do i need to start thinking about upgradeing the starter clutch or even getting a bigger starter ?
If it begins to get worse you can go to comp releases like those spyke items.........this should cure any starter woes.

All the best, Ozzie
Which pistons do you have low or high compression?

You said stock heads, but do you mean untouched stock or modified stock that have been milled? If milled, to what cc?
Ozzie, I read the article that Hot Bike did on the Spyke units (December issue). The article states that they were designed for Evo-type motors that accept 14 mm sprark plugs. Do the Twinkies take the same plug? If so, I be interested in a set for mine. I searched the Spyke web-site, but there was no mention of a twin -cam fitment. Ive only hit the starter 3 times so far on my new build and the starter is definitely working harder. Im at 9.7 or somewhere close to that. I hope I dont end up regretting not putting in compression releases.
i have cp flat top pistons and the heads are all stock , the only change was the cometic gaskets , i was guessing 9.7 - 1 too , i really wasnt expecting this at all
i would chalk it up to a starter with 37 k miles on it except my buddys bike is same model and year with the same build and 12k less miles and his is doing the same thing , i would almost rather do a bigger starter than compression releases
i was hoping someone might relate theirs did the same till it was well broken in
HarleyHeevo said:
Ozzie, I read the article that Hot Bike did on the Spyke units (December issue). The article states that they were designed for Evo-type motors that accept 14 mm sprark plugs. Do the Twinkies take the same plug? If so, I be interested in a set for mine. I searched the Spyke web-site, but there was no mention of a twin -cam fitment. Ive only hit the starter 3 times so far on my new build and the starter is definitely working harder. Im at 9.7 or somewhere close to that. I hope I dont end up regretting not putting in compression releases.
Thanks for pointing that out HarleyHeevo, I was under the impression they were made for both the EVO and the Twinkie.................

Unfortunateley.............a bigger starter may be the case if your hard starting due to high cylinder comp.

All the best, Ozzie
woodwalkertc88 said:
i have cp flat top pistons and the heads are all stock , the only change was the cometic gaskets , i was guessing 9.7 - 1 too , i really wasnt expecting this at all
i would chalk it up to a starter with 37 k miles on it except my buddys bike is same model and year with the same build and 12k less miles and his is doing the same thing , i would almost rather do a bigger starter than compression releases
i was hoping someone might relate theirs did the same till it was well broken in
Hello woodwalkertc88, it looks like my advice was incorrect.........sorry for that and you may be springing for a stronger starter after all.

Just seems a bit odd that many of the others using the same setup are not complaining of this as well...............maybe they are having the same issues but have not thought to air them.

Others will chime in with an appropriate response............Ozzie.
Try the hi torque starter from HD. Bolts right in. I have it in mine and when I forget to hit the comp release buttons, it churns right thru. The starter does work harder without the comp release, but the hi torque spins faster too. I'm at 10:1 right now.
spyke comp. rel

I believe they are EVO only. I have also heard they are not worth the money. There was alot of problems with them in the beginning.
After my engine work my starter started stumbling every once in a while. I put a high torqe Spyke (1.4 KW) in and havnt had a problem.
Bigtwin101 said:
I believe they are EVO only. I have also heard they are not worth the money. There was alot of problems with them in the beginning.
After my engine work my starter started stumbling every once in a while. I put a high torqe Spyke (1.4 KW) in and havnt had a problem.
was it bolt in or did you have to clearance the frame ?
woodwalkertc88,

Besides bigger starter or compression releases you have 2 other choices:

change cam to TW-37
or
change to .040 head gasket

So, easiest choice is starter and cheapest is head gasket.

The thicker gasket will loose you some power since it will lower your compression ratio.
See less See more
The 26 with anything under 10 to 1 should not be the cause of starting issues. You either have a worn starter and / or battery. Lots of times the easy fix is to run a separate ground cable directly to the starter to be sure that you are not losing power in the transfer. However if you need a new starter, might as well go with the Hi TQ models.
well the 26 g's are stayin cause i like em , i really dont want compresion releases , the battery is good and the starter was getting on in miles anyway , im eyeing a terry 1.8 kw thats supposed to fit in the frame
what the hell , its just dirty green paper
thanks
1 - 14 of 14 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top