Starter Question

DonB recently hooked his garage door opener to his starter relay. Now when he returns to his house, he hits the starter button (with the engine idling) and the door goes up.

If you hit the starter in a car with the engine running, the bendix gear hits the spinning flywheel with a loud GRAUNCHHHHHHHH.

Why does this not happen on the ST1300? What does the starter's bendix gear spin?

motorcycle starters have a centrifugal clutch, that can only hook up to the motor shaft at slow rotational speeds. Once the engine is spinning at idle or above the starter gear will just freewheel on the starter motor shaft. Its always turning with the flywheel, it doesn't retract back after the engine starts.

On a car starter motor, I think the starter gear that hooks up with the flywheel retracts back into the starter housing once the engine is running. If you hit the starter switch it pops back into contact with the flywheel, but can't sync up to the flywheel speed and you hear the grinding noise.

On the ST1300 - The starter does not turn if the bike is in gear and the clutch lever is not pulled in. The headlights go out as if you were actually trying to start the bike when the starter button is pressed, like a flash to pass headlight option. Depending on where he tapped into the starter button wiring, the 12v could be passed to the door opener without the starter actually being energized. It is not recommended to use this little pass to flash with the HID bulbs as this is hard on them.