Starter not staying engaged while cranking

[HoldenBoy]

Hi all,
Looking for some help on a starter/bendix issue. Can Am outlander 450 2017. While cranking to start, the starter spins and engages into the ring gear. After a few seconds the bendix retracts while still spinning and there is no damaged teeth on the drive pulley.

[Mech]

If the bendix has a sprag/one-way clutch, it may be that playing up.

[Gwbarm]

Check the bendix to make sure it is working properly, you might pull the starter out and check it out to make sure all the parts are in place and and no slop in the engaging gear.

[HoldenBoy]

I tried starting it a few more times and finely got it started and it now starts first time.

[Mech]

Ok. Things like to be used..  They get rusty and unreliable sitting around.

[Gwbarm]

Thats good, it may have just been sticking a little not moving freely.

[Mech]

Sounds like me Gw..  Old age and lack of use.. 

Now where's that shovel...

[HoldenBoy]

Thanks everyone i just have one more problem. The speedo is blank so i don't know mileage or the hours. If i replace the speedo with a second hand one will it read the mileage of my bike or of the previous bike?

[Gwbarm]

Have you tried putting voltage directly to speedo to see if it will come on, if so then you know it works and you can start tracing wires to see where the fault is, if not it just might be an internally shorted speedo. You could try taking it apart and see if the circuits are coroded and clean them up and see if it helps. Just some thoughts..

[HoldenBoy]

The speedo lights up but only shows gear position, high beam and fuel level. I have taken it apart and i could not see anything wrong.

[Gwbarm]

Thats not all bad at least some activity out of it, it sounds to me like the sensor that send the speedo information is shorted out. You might locate that and make sure it has a good ground. 

[Slitzer]

Put in a new starter to eliminate further probs.

[HoldenBoy]

That was the first thing i tried but it didn't do any good. It starts now, just takes a few go's.

[rjsummer]

For what it’s worth, I have an 05 Outlander 400 with the exact problem, bendix not staying engaged more that a second or 2 when starting. I order a new one and replaced it. 
Same symptoms. 
Turns out my battery was on it’s last legs. It cranked, but not hard enough I guess. Put a new battery in, bendix never disengages now. Oh, and I now have a spare bendix… 

Edited May 18 by rjsummer
Missed a word.