I was not aware that a complete starter had a part number. A second hand replacement should at least be better than the one you have in the short term and may prove to be a long term solution. Or alternatively, disassemble the one in your bike and replace the defecting components.

FrisianVFR wrote:I think it will be suitable, problem is the fact that it's a second hand part so I might run into the same problem I have right now sooner rather than later with it. I've been looking around for a new part though, and they're extremely expensive for a university student like me, so I'll have to make do with a secondhand part!

Starter clutches seldom fail so you are really unlucky if that is the part, its not super uncommon but quite rare.

15 months is long time for a battery on a bike to die.

Id do a full test of the electrical system and check your earths just to rule out any electrical issues, odd it bump starts easily.

and it shouldnt die with choke on, thats really odd.

vaccum pipe ok? fuel flowing ok?

So I've made a recording of me trying to start the engine, which I've uploaded to Vocaroo. It isn't a great recording, because I used my iPhone, not some actual sound recording device. The engine sound was recorded from the right side of the bike and you can clearly hear thumping sounds which come from inside the engine, trying to engage. It's impossible in the recording, but the thumping sound seemed to be the loudest from the 2 forward cilinders.

I've focused my attention to the engine itself (soundwise), and like Nesophist says a starterclutch is unusual. I'm quite sure it's not the starterclutch, so I must've been mistaken. The engine seems to be turning over when I engage the starter motor, but the engine does not fire up. I now suspect that it may be either spark or carb related, neither of which I have checked/touched since I've owned the bike.

I'm not very experienced with this, and feel dumb for coming up with premature conclusions .

As for Nesophist's points: fuel does flow well (the engine doesn't suddenly cut out under power or when idling), battery is charged, and once it's started it runs smooth as silk. I ride it almost every week for at least 100 km. I have not checked the vacuum pipe yet, will do!

Hi Frisian. Apologies but my post is totally unrelated to your problem. Do you have any more high quality pictures of your NC24? With your permission I woukd like to have a very simikar paint job done on my Wife's NC24. Sorry all to take this off topic...

Hi MrLucky,

Yeah sure, I'll upload some photos to imgur and put the link to the album here!

Edit: Well Imgur didn't work so here's a link to a dropbox folder, some pics are low quality, some are a bit better. Hope this works for you https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8zsipz0374ve ... NSMpa?dl=0

Thanks Frisian, they are fantastic. I never realised when you first posted it up that the blue is a metallic. Looks superb! Anyway, back to your thread, sorry about the thread jack...

MrLucky wrote:Hi Frisian. Apologies but my post is totally unrelated to your problem. Do you have any more high quality pictures of your NC24? With your permission I woukd like to have a very simikar paint job done on my Wife's NC24. Sorry all to take this off topic...

that bike is standard paint job

To recap on the problem:
1. starter motor does crank engine every time you press start button, engine hot or cold
2. engine sometimes starts but if it does not, then bump starting is 90% successful
3. checked fuel flow and with vacuum applied to fuel tap hose, fuel flows freely

Is this correct, any other symptoms?
y