[mathewmerrin]

Recently I have been noticing that at times when I use the self start, the bike makes a loud metallic sound, like some gear or metal has broken inside the engine. Has happened couple of times.

When I again press the self start the engine starts without any fuss.

I was wondering why this happens and any way to avoid it. Would it cause any serious engine damage.

Now most of my weekends are spent attending to the bike and my neighbors are damn sure that I'm crazy. I don't want to open up the bike unless its absolutely necessary.

Experts kindly share your valuable feedback. Thanks

[tooseevee]

Recently I have been noticing that at times when I use the self start, the bike makes a loud metallic sound, like some gear or metal has broken inside the engine. Has happened couple of times.

When I again press the self start the engine starts without any fuss.

I was wondering why this happens and any way to avoid it. Would it cause any serious engine damage.

Now most of my weekends are spent attending to the bike and my neighbors are damn sure that I'm crazy. I don't want to open up the bike unless its absolutely necessary.

Experts kindly share your valuable feedback. Thanks

               Well, if it was an AVL we'd know it was the sprag clutch which is a horrendous noise that makes your brain hurt, but I'm not sure how the starter mechanism works in a UCE so we'll have to wait and see from the experts.

[gizzo]

My sprag has made that noise a couple of times in 30,000. I know what you mean, it's a bit frightening.

[mathewmerrin]

Thanks guys, but I thought that sprag issue was sorted out by RE.

They had introduced some kind of newly designed sprag and I thought that the latest batch of UCE engine's didn't have the problem but again I'm not sure.

[Arizoni]

The sprag clutches used after 2010 in the UCE  were greatly improved but even the best sprag clutches can occasionally have problems.

You might limit using your electric starter to cold starts or times when you engine dies while your waiting at a stop light and use the kick starter for the other times you want to start the engine.

The fact that the electric starter is working normally when the engine isn't making the strange sound says your clutch is not broken.

If it was actually broken, it wouldn't work at all.

[Ice]

 Use the kick starter.
The noise will be avoided altogether and onlookers will be in awe.

[mathewmerrin]

Yeah Ice...very cool advice. Thanks.

Thanks Arizoni, from now ill limit my use of the self start, earlier I wasn't aware what caused the issue. Very useful advice guys.

[mattsz]

The sprag clutches used after 2010 in the UCE  were greatly improved but even the best sprag clutches can occasionally have problems.

I think the early, "unimproved" sprags were used beyond 2010...

Would a weak battery cause even one of the improved sprags to act up?

[KD5ITM]

Could it be the decompressor?

[Kevin Mahoney]

The good news is that the sprag on the UCE bikes is dead simple to change unlike it's Iron Barrel and AVL cousin.

[hpwaco]

Have always heard a loud "click" when I release the starter button on my 14 gt.   Assume that it is the starter relay.   Never have been able to kick start it warm or cold.   Manual compression release like on my previous  02 Bullet ES would have been nice.

[Kevin Mahoney]

When we were the seller of OEM parts we used to say that tarter relays were
"the gift that kept on giving". Our Christmas bonus's were dependant on sales of them.
When you replace one buy a universal one from anywhere. I had trouble kick starting a UCE until one of the boys at CMW showed me that you have to kick it all of the way through.
If you replace the sprag, any that you buy from a US dealer will be a model that most likely won't fail until you're 89 years old.