How the Starter System works in a motorcycle

In this video I explain how the battery, ignition switch, starter solenoid and engine start button work together in the low current circuit to supply power to the starter motor through the high current circuit to get your motorcycle engine turning over.

I wired up all the components in two basic circuits on my work bench and connect them to a real engine to demonstrate it all working.

Note that on some motorcycles there is additional components in the starter system which can further complicate the circuits. Components such as the clutch switch, the neutral switch, the kill switch, the side stand switch and so on. As these components are not on all motorcycles I didn't include them in the discussion but I hope to do videos on these additional components in the future and explain how they affect the starter system.