St 1300 strange noise from starter (clutch)

[Marico]

Hello,

I have a chance to buy a 2009 ST1300 with low mileage (24k), but it has one issue. During a cold start, the starter makes a strange squealing noise for about 1 second when the engine fires up. It sounds like a fast-spinning, unlubricated bearing. The sound is brief and only occurs during a cold start. Could this be a serious problem? The motorcycle may have been unused for a long time.

 

[RaYzerman]

Possible sticky residue on the starter clutch..... best go ride it on some longer rides and it just may go away once the heat and oil circulation help clean it up. After a couple of good riding sessions, perhaps change the oil if it's anywhere near due.

 

[SMSW]

Any bike that has not been used and maintained for long periods of time will need a thorough going over. STs have a few potential problem areas if it is allowed to sit, as you say, for a long time. First and foremost is the possible damage to the Secondary Master Cylinder for the linked braking system. This can lock up the rear wheel and cause an accident if the brake fluid is very old and clogs some of the tiny ports. You can also plan on a complete fluid change, battery, maybe tires, etc. A Guzzi I bought that was about 25 years old had calipers that were so corroded that I had to replace them, but nobody has complained of this particular problem on STs.

I've not read about a similar noise from the starter on this forum. Is the clutch fully releasing? Someone reported a sticking clutch on a bike that sat for years, unused. This might fix itself as @RaYzerman suggested.

Other guys will chime in, I'm sure. Meanwhile, read this article (you might want to browse other articles about the bike (top of page, blue band, click on Articles > ST1300).

Article - Maintenance Items Needed for a New (old) Bike | Articles

This article is the result of collaboration by Andrew Shadow, CYYJ, jfheath, Max Pete, SMSW, and SupraSabre. Igofar’s list was copied from the first link listed above. Click on the attached file. This one is V.11; in the future, any changes will be noted in the title on the first page as the...

www.st-owners.com

 

[Marico]

Indeed, after starting the engine a few times—even when cold—that strange noise stopped being audible. For now, I don't really want to drive it more and test starter until I change the oil and fluids.