Just installed a fresh battery in my old Yamaha but it still won't turn over. The starter motor just clicks once or twice and nothing happens. Could this be a bad starter, or is there something else I'm missing?
When you turn the key, does the headlight dim at all, or stay bright while you hear those clicks?
That clicking pattern is pretty telling - it usually means the solenoid's firing but the starter itself isn't engaging. Before you tear into the starter motor though, double-check your battery terminals. Even with a fresh battery, corrosion or a loose connection can cause exactly this. Make sure both cables are clean and cranked down tight. Also verify the ground cable running from the battery to the frame is solid - a bad ground will kill your cranking power even with volts showing up fine.
If the connections are spotless and tight, then yeah, you're probably looking at a starter issue. But one more thing worth trying: tap the starter gently with a wrench while someone tries to crank it. Sometimes an old starter gets stuck and a light tap can free it up temporarily. If that gets it going, at least you know for sure it's the starter and not something wiring-related. That'll save you from replacing parts you don't actually need 🛠️
I've dealt with this exact situation on older bikes before - that single click or two is usually the starter solenoid, not the battery itself. Before you assume it's the starter motor, check your battery terminals are clean and tight (corrosion kills connections even with a fresh battery), verify the ground cable from the negative terminal to the frame isn't loose or corroded, and make sure the kill switch and clutch lever safety switch are both engaged properly. If those all check out and you still get just a click, then yeah, the solenoid or starter itself is likely the culprit, but those other things catch most people first.
The solenoid angle makes sense, but before you go down that road, test whether the battery's actually holding a charge when the bike's sitting - sometimes they'll read fine on a multimeter but tank under load. I had an old bike do exactly this where the battery would show 12.5 volts but couldn't deliver enough amps to engage the starter, even though it was supposedly new. Check your battery terminals too, especially if the bike's been sitting around; corrosion can kill your cranking power even with a fresh battery installed. If the headlight stays bright when you hear those clicks, it's definitely pointing at the solenoid or starter motor itself rather than a power issue.
A single click followed by silence almost always points to one of three culprits: a dead cell in that new battery, a corroded ground connection, or a stuck starter solenoid. Most people jump straight to "bad starter motor" but that's usually wrong - a truly seized starter would either click repeatedly or do nothing at all.
Here's what everyone seems to overlook: check your ground cable first, especially where it bolts to the engine block. On older Yamahas, that connection gets corroded from the inside out, and a brand new battery won't overcome a loose ground. Unbolt it, scrape the connection point clean with a wire brush until it's shiny metal, then torque it back down. While you're there, trace that cable to the frame and make sure *that* connection is solid too. I've seen people waste hours chasing electrical gremlins when a ten-minute ground cleaning fixed everything.
If the ground checks out, pull the starter solenoid relay (check your manual for the location - usually near the battery) and rap it a few times with a wrench handle. Sometimes they just stick, and a little percussive persuasion frees them up. After that, if you're still getting the single click, you can swap the relay with another one of the same part number to test it. Only after ruling out the solenoid and ground should you assume the starter motor itself is gone, because that's a much bigger job on most bikes.
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