About two weeks ago it started sounding like the slip gear isn't even TOUCHING the flywheel, and I'm about to start taking it apart tonight. This video has just given me a huge head start on what kind of mess I'm about to work on.. Thank you for the help, I'm definitely subscribing!

I love the fact that you are making a living out of that small of a shop ! Way cool ! Thanks for the videos !

thanks so much Randy. Perfect explanation of how that bendix works. Really helpful explaination of what causes the problem that has developed and finally stopped my bike starting. Brilliant.

Ok, thank you, yea I found that out. Anyway I had a mecanic work on it for me, and fixed it, but for some reason even with a newer starter put back on, it still grinds sometime and does not stop right away after it starts. I wish I would have kept my 1998 kawasaki concours 1000. Anyway thank you your video was very helpful.

Good lord is he fixing bikes in a tornado?!

thanks for your help.thanks a lot

You wasted 10 minutes of my life with a promise of a fix it video and all you did was try to sell me a book

Thanks for the video. My starter would mash AND run on after release of starter button.I drained oil and removed the timing cover and found a starter clip missing, (presumably to slow starter and allow timing gear to throw idler back out) and a mushed idler gear. Bought idler gear and clips from dealer, reassembled and bike started instantly. BUT I do not know what the three shim theory is all about. Is it to tighten the planetary set?> If so, mine does not seem to need it. What exactly does the 3 seemingly unrelated shims actually do?

I had a real hard time hearing you over the background noise.

Hey daggerdarts, great video! I understand the function of the starter/bendix operation, except for one thing. With the clips (brakes) held in place by the slots inside the case, how are the gears able to turn. I have taken my bendix gears apart and simulated the motion by hand like you did in you're video. If those clips remain stationary, I just can't wrap my head around how the gears are able to spin. The clips mount inside a groove right on the gears themselves. There is no bearing where the clip connects to the gear, so does that mean that the race (groove) spins around the clip?

The video was probably filmed inside the plane during a Luftwaffe bombing raid. Thank you for the noise!

A friend just picked one up I think the statewide is bad but it looks new it invades but turns very slowly if at all sometimes it just clicks. Using car battery on starter should have no problem turning over.

I have a 1985 yamaha virago 700, what is an easy way to put back in the starter without taking the other side cover off. I hope to get an answer on this before tomorrow. The clip sticking out on top is what is making it hard to get it back in there.

This video is so informative. Just bought a Virago with this exact problem. Replaced the Power Stop Clips and starting got better but still grinds 1 out of 3 attempts. Do you think that the the return spring needs to be replaced also. Can not wait for part 2 since I think you may reveal some more info. You are a god send at the moment.

Randy, where can I get these replacement parts? Thanks for the great video!

please help. I have a 96 virago 750 Andi open mine up and the startee gear doesn't have a spring. is that normal for a 96?

I'm pretty sure it seemed like a good idea at the time... to film this video right on the transnational highway.

Hi there I have a 1981 Yam 750 I believe its a R/S or virago. When I hit the started button it some times grips and try's to start, then other times it sounds like the starter gears does not engage the crank shaft gears and sounds like things are getting tore up. Would this problem be that clip or you call it a brake? Thanks j

The "clips" are brakes as you described, however they in no way stop the starter gear from rotating as it rides down the spiral gear that its spinning on, centrifugal force sends it out to the flywheel however without enough force to force the engagement as they are grinding, the clip adds drag to the starter gear which assists the centrifugal effect upon the gear by the spiral gears spinning. with no clip on the starter gear it will free whel and maybe not even grind! mine was doing this, freewheeling essentially, I looked ito the oil fill hole and saw the assembly and put a screwdriver to the starter gears back side and added force towards the engagement for the gear, it was kind of scary to hold it as the starter motor was spinning but it actually engaged my starter and got my bike running! I was thinking I was going to have to do it every time to start it however a few more attempts to force the gear down was not successful, so its possible but no slam dunk manually, but you can see into the motor to view what is or is not going on pretty much. My 2 clips were actually GONE! both of them! I assumed some body removed them but I found 1/2 of a clip in the bottom area of the motor!! 1/2 of 1 clip! so I guess it has alot more in there remaining but to date has not caused any harm, cross fingers. I used a Dremel tool on my mushroomed starter gears teeth and tried beveling it o the engagement side, I made them a bit wider in doing so but it works, it does sound pretty clunky but they all do to me, not unlike old Harleys. hat wimpy compression spring you would not imagine was going to dis engage by shoving a gear laterally however the engine pulses must be how it dis engages with no spring which is how mine is for now, I did not want anything countering my engagement as at that point I was not engaging, but with no clips I see why! centrifugal force alone will not even grind the gears it simply freewheels as mine did with zero clips. weak clips will probably grind as most do apparently, my magnet looked like a tiny Armadillo it was covered in metallic filings scary to realize but it seemed to have caught and kept it all some how, terrible design in my book but without it the motor would grind to pieces quickly. I wish now I had put the compression spring in as it does hang up for a second sometimes after the motor starts. My 1st time my clutch would not work! I had to remove the side cover and do the clutch part inside correctly, I didn't think there was a wrong way to do it and really not sure whats different now except maybe not set right somehow, anyways in my mind alll mine really needed was the clip and filing the gear.

I have a 81 virago and I am reading mixed reviews about the dr virago power clip set what is the real fix for the bike can I get a more powerful starter or what do I need to do just sell the bike and run from it?

Good Video. Gould you make One like this for the 1100 Drag starr? Greetings from Germany;)

Hey randy. I'm actually having the same problem with my bike. It's a 1982 virago. I pulled the starter off not knowing what I was doing. Now it seems after watching your video, the cover must come off. I herd of a Shim kit to correct the problem. Have you used them before? Anyway great video. I'm looking for part 2 now. Take care.

@ChgoSTrider i wish i could actually hear his voice over that shit in the background

awesome video ...however this is NOT the same starter gearing and setup on the 1983 vx500 which i own and am having the same issue on...on the 83 none of the brake springs exist and neither does the return spring...ive been at it all day and have not found a way to fix this on the 83..most people just cut in half the return spring to fix the model years shown in the video..does ANYONE out there know how to solve the problem for the 83 xv 500!!!

Hey guys. could any of u help me out here please. I got a 1999 virago 125cc. The starter wont start the bikeIt wont even make a noise nothing. I have to hit second gear and run with the bike to get it to turn on. After its turns on everything works geart and when it gets hot the starter will work just fine... I changed the battery spark plugs cleaned out the carburetor and i even took a part the starter from the handel bars apart and cleaned it. Nothing is working and i reallly dont know what else to do here. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!!!

so where is the video that shows you how to fix it?.....

The upgraded gears do away with the spring. They changed the angle of the shaft on the gears.

Alot of times that if u pull the clutch box off the bendix slips out.. so take it out and check the teeth on the bendix and the variator to make sure there isnt any damage. If no damage u didnt put it right...

HELLO.MY NAMES VIOREL .I HAVE A VIRAGO XV 750 SE 81 -83 .I WANT TO KNOW IF THERE IS ANY CHANGE IN OR HOW CAN I FIX THE STARTER CLUCTH ,MECHANISM AND HOW IT CAN SOLVED .THANKS.

First off there should be a warning that says this is an advertisement trying to sell your product, not very well done by the way.the audio at the beginning is terrible, and it doesn't get much better, but it got worse after you tried to sell me something, and that really pissed me off!!

It would have helped if you had shown the fix from the very beginning....taking the cover plate and clutch adjustment cover off too !

WHAT?!?

your video is very good and you are an expert but...the background sound sucks destroys the video :(

Thats a bendix gear man I had the same problem.. in the gear box

so on these cruiser bike the starter clutch is located outside not inside like my ninja zx7 93. That's should be easier to fix compare to the ninja you have to split the whole crankcase. I just bought his book off Amazon for $30. He charged way too much for intermediate info.

I had a 920 Virago years ago that I really liked, except for the *%#$@ POS starter. I wish I had access to this info back then. Because of the starter, that bike was completely unreliable. And I really like old bikes.

I need some help

hello, i have 750 virago and i spend a lot of money for the engine, i don't know how to fix this, hard to start all the. can anyone help me this

you cant that clip has to go in a slot inside the case and your not getting it in without taking the cover off

oh gee so thats what all that noise is. Im guessing if you just pulled the started out and that clip came off, its pretty impossible to get the starter back in, and the clip go into the right place without pulling the other side cover off

is that santa?

I presume by 'Bindex'... you meann 'BBendix'....

You should overlay a subtitle bar for everything you are saying because the audio is so bad on this video its really not worth watching. A for effort. F for execution.

If you thereis damage to the teeth go get a new one there now expensive

Really bad audio!

Stop, stop, Stop man I have watched soo many of these virago starter issues,and man I gotta tell you, they are all a bunch of nonsense. I've been through three verago idler gears,clips,spring on spring off,voltage stabilizer nonsense, it hurts my brain. I've done everything, checked everything and came up with nothing. I guarantee you'd be throwing your fists up at the issue I'm having with mine. It loves to eat gears for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Audio is shit....

Unwatchable with all that background noise! Bye!

useless info

please help. I have a 96 virago 750 Andi open mine up and the startee gear doesn't have a spring. is that normal for a 96?