Motorcycle Repair: 84 Honda CB700S Nighthawk Stater problems, honda nighthawk, starter clutch

Question
Mark,
I just bought my first bike, a 84 Honda Nighthawk 700S.  The pervious owner "just wanted to get on it and go" and had problems with the starting the bike from the starter.   He could pop start the bike andit would run just fine for a while until the bike drained the battery and then it would die.  Put a charer onthe bat, giv it a charge and the same thing all over again.  YOu can hit the starter button and you can hear the starter do its thing, but I dont' think it is turning over the engine.   I've pulled the starter and everything looks fine.  I've then went and tried to pull the alternator but can only get it to come about 1/16" out.  But I've noticed that the alternator shaft spins freely along with the gear on the back side of it that the starter would engage into. I've seen diagrams that show the Alt with a starter clutch. But I'm not sure how all this works.  Could this be as simple as a bad Battery adn its turning over the starter but not enough to engage the clutch or is the clutch messed up and I have something more serious on my hands?  It seems that the Altenator isn't supplying enough juice to the battery to keep the bike going for more than 10 min.    A point in the right direction woulkd be greatly appreciated.  

Thanks

Answer
Hi Tom,

It may be simply a defective or weak battery, but I suspect the charging system is defective.

Get a copy of the Service Manual (repair manual) and learn about testing the charging system.

Start with a fully charged battery in good condition. Using a weak or defective battery will yield inaccurate meter readings.

Perform an output test to determine the condition of the charging system. If test results are not favorable, continue testing individual components and verify their integrity.

Visit Electro Sport's website and follow their "Fault Finding Chart" for intel on testing the system.

https://www.electrosport.com/electrosport_fault_finding.html

I return tech information files by email. There was no email address with your question as requested and explained in my instructions.

Respectfully,
Mark Shively