Unusual Problem-Removed Starter Motor to repair- Now Have Battery Problem

Hi All,

Firstly this isn't a Motors problem as such but is probably some how related as its to do with a Quad bike, so Mods if it isn't for here then please feel free to move as required.

I have a Honda TRX-350 Quad bike.

It has the infamous clicking noise when pushing the electric start button, and by troubleshooting all the likely causes, it ended up being the starter motor. So I disconnected the negative terminal from the battery, and proceeded to to remove the air filter/box and finally got to the starter motor. Removed the live wire from the starter motor and took out the Starter motor where I cleaned the armature and freed up a sticking brush thinking this would solve the problem temporarily. However the wire that connects the cap of the starter to the brushes broke off. After several attempts to solder it back on with no luck; I ended up soldering a longer piece of copper wire onto the brushes connection wire and used a longer bolt which I wound the copper wire around, replacing the original bolt which the live wire connects to, which was a copper plated bolt with an ordinary bolt that was bit longer to accommodate the wire wound around it.

To make sure it still worked I used jump leads from a car battery on the starter and it worked no problem. So put the starter back on the quad, reconnected the live wire and then the battery, turned the key on, pressed the electric start button and not a thing. No clicking from the starter solenoid even. The dash lights (Green Neutral Light etc.) dimmed, flickered, go out and slowly come back on again dimly.

I have no idea of what is going on with it, the battery is fully charged and it reacts the very same way whether the starter is connected or not. After trying the starter motor in the quad with no luck, I removed it and tried to power it using the car battery and set of jump leads method but now the starter motor won't spin so it seems the starter is finished altogether.

Just tried placing the battery into the quad there again without the starter motor in it, the dash light up with the usual oil/neutral etc. warning lights but went out after a couple of seconds without me touching anything and did not come on again until I switched off the ignition and turned it back on again and same thing happened.

I am starting to wonder did replacing the bolt in the starter casing (Which was copper plated) with an ordinary bolt do the damage?

Totally at a loss here, but if you managed to read this far, then I really would appreciate some insight/advice.

Thank You.