I have a '86 kawasaki bayou 300. 2x4, shaft drive, electric start and have a question. it's always been slow to start, which i attributed to a weak battery and have lived with that. well today went to start and after a bit of the starter turning i heard it finally get a good spark and go to start, then nothing. now when the key is on, button is put to run and i push the start button nothing. no clicks, no whine, no starter... silence. i'm getting power to the key as the neutral light comes on. what i'm thinking is:
-battery too low to spin starter
-starter frozen
-start button burned out
-possible cylinder is stuck and starter gear is engaged

i don't think there's a starter solenoid on this machine as i'm used to dealing with. any thoughts before i start digging in? thanks

 

look for the wire that goies to the starter and fallow it to the starter silinoid. try to jumd the silinoid at the two post and see if the starter turns over. what that does is bypass the starter button the silinoid and sends power strait to the starter

 

Does it have a pull start?Did you try charging or replacing battery-try jumping it?

 

THere is a solenoid and you should hear a click at least. Check your fuse. Charge your battery. THe alternator on the quad is NOT a battery charger. Pull the rope a couple times to make sure the starter is free and not in a bind.

 

no pull or kick start on this one, only electric. will charge the battery tomorrow and try to jump the solenoid. thanks for the real quick replies. let you know how it goes. sounds like it might be a fuse or such as no clicking whatsoever.

 

got the plastic off, disconnected and blew out a few connections. then moved out back. looks like the ignition coil was a bit loose. ended up being just a bad connection.
got it running. time to buy a new battery though. thanks for the help.

 

No problem!

A weak battery will heat up an alternator and shorten its life. Better to buy a new battery or charge the battery real good than it is to buy an alternator later.

 

Question? Where is the fuse? I have the same problem but when I try to jump the solenoid it does nothing. It's my first kaw and bayou and I kinda got taken for a ride buying it.. my fault so whatever but any help would be great. I put a new starter in it.

 

Can't remember where the fuse is on a KLF, but shorting something metal across the solenoid terminals will by-pass the fuse anyway, the bike won't start, but the engine should spin over on the starter. If it doesn't, you have either got a very flat battery, bad connections to it, or the engine is seized. Charge the battery, check those thick wires to earth and solenoid, and if it has a pull start, pull it to check the engine turns over.

 

Engine is free. I have voltage going going to the starter circuit relay and negative volts coming out? Click at tje relay when i bypass the key and tap the 2 ignition key wires together. But the starter won't turn and the relay makes a click.