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Picked up an Odessy battery for the 3 1/2 and it works great! Here is a link to the model I purchased in case anyone is interested: PC545.

So now the bike is running great and I can even kick it over with the lights on. I tried the starter, which has never worked on this bike before, but makes a lot of noise, and now it spins over and even tries to start the bike. The problem is, it is not spinning fast enough or not making enough friction to spin the engine fast enough.

Here is what I have done already:
-adjusted the chain tension on the starter motor (less noise now)
-put oil in the gearbox for starter motor
-cleaned the inside of the drum that engages the shoes for the starter clutch
-roughed up the shoes with emery paper

It still doesn't work. Do I need new shoes? Should I replace the starter brushes (not spinning fast enough)? Any suggestions?

Cheers,

LTR

P.S. with the engine running I get 14.6V, so I now know the charging system is working.

Welcome to the world of the Morini starter motor.You have done right so far. If the shoes still slip and there's a horrid threshing noise, then the motor is not spinning fast enough. I have tried spinning up the motor with the cover off and the motor out of the case. unfortunately I have no idea how fast it should spin,nor how to measure it.I guess you can tell by the sound if you had another to compare.I did have the motor completely apart, cleaned it out and put it back again. I don't think it spins very quickly, in my case.Only a few revs per second I think.As I may have said best thing was new "LATER TYPE" starter clutch shoes. Another contribution to the NLM Christmas meal fund..........
Are the contacts good on the cables? The retaining bolt on the live feed to the motor from the solenoid on mine is perilously near the frame. I have now had more than one solenoid apart to try and clean up the internal points.A rather unpleasant business. I did get an alternative solenoid but not at all weather proof.Tried to find a better location for it but ran out of ideas,so sticking with an original.
I think my time would be better used painting my skirting boards or something (so I am told) but I like electrics to work.
At least on my old beemer all this lives nicely inside the top of the motor away from muck,oil and filth.

make sure clutch shoes are the right way round !!!! ie leading into drum i think its poss to fit them wrong way round try that cheers alf

Just a quick update - with the new battery I have the juice to get the starter going consistently, but it still doesn't spin fast enough to start the bike cold. If I have been riding, I can get it to start, but just barely. I think the shoes are not gripping well enough, so I will replace them, but I also think the starter is not spinning fast enough - how about replacing the brushes? Is that the fix?

LTR