TOPIC:

Another day and no start. I can hook a wire up from the positive end of my motorcycle battery straight to the starter motor and it turns fine and will start the bike. I put my jumpbox on the battery and tried starting with the button. I tested the post on the starter motor and it was at 14.5 volts. How is it not turning? It must be faulty wiring but I don't understand why the volts are there but it won't turn.

You may have voltage, but without a good current transfer cable, the solenoid may just click without turning the starter motor over. I'd make sure your battery cables do not have internal corrosion, as this reduces their current carrying capabilities.Check the ones going to and from the solenoid, and to the starter motor too. All must be clean and tight.

Ah. So I have proper voltage, but not enough current. I believe everything is ground correctly or the starter wouldn't turn when I jump it directly from the battery. The problem lies in one of those wires. I'll check it when I get off work today.

Just looked at the main battery cable from positive post to solenoid. It has two red/white wires crimped in with the main wire. Looks like 1 red/white wire goes to the fuse box while the other goes to the rectifier according to diagram. Could these red/white wires be a source of my problem, or should I focus on the large wires from the battery to solenoid, and solenoid to starter motor? I pulled the rubber boot off the thick black wire from battery to solenoid and it looks clean as a whistle. The wires bend and no crunch. Is there any way I can test these wires or perhaps test how much current is going through them with my multimeter? The wire going from the solenoid to the starter motor looks good too. This bike only has 6,000 miles on it so everything is fairly clean. Been in garage entire life.

Most multimeters will not work above 10 amps, you'd need one that should be rated for at least 100 amps(the current draw will depend on having a cold engine,how thick the oil is,and the compression).

Ha ha!!! Fixed it. Turns out the wire from the starter motor to the solenoid was no good. I substituted a known good wire in its place and it fired right up. Thanks everyone for giving me some more options to look at. Everybody has been extremely helpful. I'm only a few more fixes away until I get her back on the road. If I need anymore help I'll start a new thread in the appropriate section. Thanks again!!

See, that's what troubleshooting and using different ideas will accomplish.

..try a thirty amp fuse.. 10 blows because incorrect amperage on number two down fuse slot..>yes i know post is old ,though someone might need this info...thanx