The ATV Starter
The ATV engine starter was a wonderful invention...Read More ↓
Cheap ATV Starters
This is a great source for cheap ATV starters for Chinese and generic brand quads including universal electric starters as well as OEM, stock starters.
There is an opportunity here to find starters for many of the budget brands and defunct Chinese ATV's from names like Apex, Panterra, Baja, Eton, Sunner, Herchee, etc. These universal starters however may need to be matched up by engine size and other specs.
The eBay website has added some new features including an email notification system. This enables you to be notified by email when a certain starter or part is listed by a private party or commercial seller.
OEM ATV Starters
OEM ATV starters are available from the larger Japanese, American, and Canadian manufacturers. Although they do stock various aftermarket ATV starters, they are the prime source for OEM starters selected using online parts fiche for all Honda, Kawasaki, Polaris, Suzuki, and Yamaha quads.
They do stock some universal starters, solenoids, and strarter components for those customers with off-brand ATV's. Pricing is in line with other suppliers but they claim to have the fastest order fufillment. They ship orders from the West coast.
Remember, you're not going anywhere without your sarter except downhill...
About ATV Starters
Think of yourself out in the wilderness on your ATV, you press the start button on your quad, as you are about to head for home, and nothing happens. The sound of a quad that doesn't start at the push of a button can be deafening. Thank goodness you've got a kickstart or pull cord backup... you do have a backup starting method don't you?
What is a starter anyway? A starter is a small electric motor used for turning a combustion engine before it has ignited its fuel. An ATV starter is typically smaller than most automotive starters, essentially because it is scaled to the engine size.
The ATV, or quad engine operates exactly like its big brother, the automotive engine. The starter gear is thrust forward to mesh with the flywheel gear by a solenoid. The solenoid is basically a 12 volt coil which creates a magnetic field and pushes the spring-loaded bendix gear outward where it can engage the flywheel.
The starter motor then begins turning to initiate the combustion process inside the quad's engine. Once the engine has fired on its own and begins to turn , the starter motor is de-energized and stops turning. The solenoid coil is simultaneously de-energized and spring returns back to its original position out of mesh with the flywheel gear.
At this point, the starter's job is done and the ATV engine is running. Most quad starters are sold as a complete unit, that is, the starter motor and solenoid as one complete part. There are however some starter motors and solenoids that are sold as individual components depending on the particular quad.
ATV Questions?
The team at KQS will do our best to answer questions in a timely manner, however we make no guarantee we have all the answers, (we hope to get input from community members when possible) especially regarding the availablility of parts or other products for obsolete quads and ATV's. Post your questions in the Chinese ATV forum.
Elsewhere in the ATV World
- ,em>Avooid mistakes wen buying used quads. r/ATV is a great place to start if you need some solid advice on buying a used quad.
- 250cc ATV Parts Parts for a 250 sized ATV that was manufactured in China can sometimes be difficult to find... The 250cc is one of the more popular engine sizes since it's a moderate size. Some random parts are listed at Universal.
- Is one better than another? ATV Reviews It may be worth your time to read some reviews before buying a Chinese ATV. The quality Chinese and Taiwanese ATv engines has improved over the years, some more than others. It's worth a read...
- Wait... the history of tires? Rubber Tire History Unless you have tires on the brain, day-in and day-out, you probably don't put a lot of thought into the origins of the tire. Cool article on rubber car tires which of course would preceed ATV tires.