kenfain

That's typically what the bendix sounds like. At this point, assuming the cable is indeed good. It seems to be narrowed down to either the solenoid, or the starter motor.

That should be plenty

Where was this click at? If it's a single click at the battery, it's usually a bad connection. Single click at the solenoid might indicate that part is bad. Single click in the starter is the bendix. Usually a sign that there's not enough amps. Sounds to me like a true intermittent problem. You'll have to diagnose it on the fly, as it acts up. That ammeter should provide some insight.

Let's look at these one at a time. Starting when shorting across the solenoid doesn't really mean much at this time. Since it started just fine before...and later on, after doing this. Now if that were the only way it'd start. That would be something. But that neither rules out, nor indicates a bad solenoid. But I agree, it does seem suspicious all the same. That fancy ammeter would tell you the amperage under load of both sides of the solenoid. The second item about the key, and the lack of current. If it's multiple clicking, it's getting current. Just not enough amps to start. Is it getting insufficient amps to start? Or is there a reason why the starter is now requiring more amps? You could take it apart and see if you can see anything obvious. Maybe lubricate the bearings. But since chinese junk is delicate you run the risk of causing other problems. Like a cracked magnet, or even something crazy. Like the thread where another member had his starter run backwards. And last, about the ignition getting amps. Those amps are very low. Evidenced by the small wiring. Lots of amps, equals larger guage wire.

Could be the starter's mounting angle. Some cars have shims for this issue. Or maybe an internal manufacturing defect. It could be the solenoid, or the wiring. Or the ignition switch itself. Possibly the relay. One thing that can cause intermittent electrical problems, is the grounding. There should be a braided ground strap, or wire, in addition to the main negative terminal cable. Most vehicles have them for a reason. All this speculation is the reason I mention the amp draw first. That's a real number, and not subject to change with each start. So it isn't affected by anything else. It quickly rules out, or points to the starter as the culprit. Because the engine takes the same effort to turn over, each, and every time. Unless you're ready to start replacing parts, hoping to get lucky. You'll have to test each component individually. Also I'd load test the battery. Voltage testing isn't enough. I test my batteries three different ways. Hydrometer, voltage, and the load test, which is the best for knowing battery condition. These tests all tell something slightly different, while confirming what the other tests show. A new battery isn't really proof of anything. It's unlikely, but they can go bad early on.

I had a similar start/no start issue with my wife's civic. It acted the same way. A starter can test good, but still not work properly under load. Higher than normal starter amp draw can cause diagnostic headaches. YouTube had several good videos for testing the starter amp draw. It's a very easy test. Unfortunately it takes a type of multimeter that most people don't have. It has to have a hold function, and also be able to work with very low amperage. The low amp capability is the hard to find part. A fluke meter that fits those requirements, is several hundred dollars. But I found a cheap Chinese meter for around fifteen bucks. You just have to look around on the internet. They're out there, and it can be a handy tool for just this sort of thing. I was working with a known starter amp draw value. So I knew exactly what it should have been. With yours, you'd have to do some research. I'd probably start with trying to contact the company that sold it. Since you're working with all new parts, it could be just about anything. That's why I'd replace all the things that just work without any chance of malfunction. Things like cables, that when new, have almost zero possibility of being the problem. It also gives you a chance to reaffirm that all the connections are good. My thoughts would be that the starter is the most likely problem. But that makes me wonder why your machine is suddenly so hard on starters?

It's probably not the cable, but nine bucks is cheap enough to be certain. With something like this it's sometimes hard to tell, unless you have diagnostic equipment. It could very easily be something as elusive as heat getting to the starter. But if you've got a hot battery, which is easy to check. And new cables. That only leaves a few variables left. Eliminating as many things as possible makes finding the problem much simpler.

I wish mine was that cheap. Factory cable for mine is a bit hard to find, and over a hundred bucks if you find it. I didn't do a hard target search, for the absolute lowest price, but looked for a bit, when my terminal went bad. Saw the price, and made other plans. Back to yours though, nine bucks is cheap enough. Then you can move on to more expensive possibilities. Like was mentioned above. You should check the amp draw on that new starter.

I'd replace it just to be sure. Several clicks usually means insufficient power. So you should probably eliminate some possibilities here.

Brand new cables?

So I've been chasing this leak for a year or so. It'll leave a few drops underneath the front end. Right on the concrete where it's parked when not in use. Nothing bad, but it's been getting worse. So with some time on my hands today, I decided to solve this once and for all. So I spent a couple hours removing the front grille. To get everything fully exposed. Before, I was having to blindly reach into cracks, and tiny holes to tighten clamps. This thing is sealed up pretty tight. Removing the front grille is a tedious process. Where there's several things that have to be removed, to expose the bolts to remove what you need to actually get to. So after all of this, I put the pressure test on it. Looks like it's holding pressure so far. The moral of this story is. I probably should've just replaced the cap, and hoped for the best lol. Just kidding, I knew it was probably leaking at the cap. I just wanted to make certain that it wasn't leaking anywhere else. But since it's never been flushed. I'm going to take advantage of the open access and do that as well. Another reason for pulling it apart. Side note; if you don't absolutely have to disassemble the front end... I highly recommend that you don't. Kawasaki did not make this an easy task.

Nice stone work. Side note...If that's a typical flow there, then you've got enough to generate some free power. Even more so if there's a substantial drop from the source. But with just what you have there, you could easily power enough lighting to nightlight that beautiful stone work. With a ten foot or so drop from the source, you could power most of the house.

Welcome to the forum!

I would suggest milk crates for holding a rock, or anything that might roll around. They're more easily secured too.

Welcome to the forum! Sorry we didn't see you until now. Hope you found your answer, because it's a curious combination of issues you've brought up. Making this a tough nut to crack, using a proper long term solution. What you'd need is a new wiring harness to do what you've suggested. The problem would be in finding it. Most of these types of off brand buggies are tough to find some parts for. And a wiring harness would be one of the harder parts to find. Not being familiar with the brand that you've mentioned. The only thing that I could offer, in the way of finding a full harness. Would be to say that some of the Chinese models are Yamaha Rhino clones. And if that's the case for yours, maybe you could find a solution in the Rhino aftermarket. They make generic harnesses for the auto market. But I'd be surprised if that's the case for the s×s market. But maybe you could use another harness from a similar buggy in that same generic fashion.

Welcome to the forum! Hopefully it's something simple, as Travis has suggested. Check the fuse, and the relay first. After that you'll probably need a good service manual, with a detailed wiring diagram. It makes it much easier to chase that fuel pump power wire.

I sometimes do that after using the grinder...seems like it happens a lot too. You'd think that I'd learn.

Welcome to the forum! I really don't know much about the rhino, but have you checked for trouble codes?

Dunno about that. But I have outsmarted myself on occasion. Causing me to be amazed how stupid I can be sometimes. It's always fun when it costs money too lol.

Welcome to the forum! Do yourself a favor, and don't buy one of those Chinese brands. Massimo, and Hisun come to mind. They look good, and probably run good when you buy it. But typically there's little to no factory support. Several of these have some real horror stories. People can't find things like CV axles or shocks. The service manual is little more than an owner's manual. And due to price, and availability, a necessary diagnostic tool isn't an option for most people. If you have above average fabrication, and mechanical skills. Then go for it. Otherwise get a name brand. Exactly which one is subjective. It all depends on intended use, budget, and taste. Having a competent local dealership is always a plus too. Good luck in whatever you decide!

Nice work, but I probably would've made it a drop in. Using square tubing, and the bed corner posts as a pocket. That way it could be stored out of the way, in the front corner tubes of the bed. Upright against the back "window", up against the screen. But as long as it works, it's all good.

Looks like a good fit. You could carefully apply a blow dryer to help straighten those wrinkles.

Turning the housing, is what it takes to reverse the spin on a starter??? Okay...I guess I'm out of ideas here.

If it was starting, and all you changed was the solenoid. I see absolutely no way for it to suddenly start turning backwards. But then, I can't see how it would turn backwards anyway. I could see how something could've broke inside the starter though. Something that attaches the shaft to the gear maybe. Only one way to find out. But I'd still give it a chance to be something simple. Like a new solenoid that's bad right out of the box. Especially since that's a ten minute test, where you don't even get dirty.

Dunno how they managed to make it run backwards. Sounds like a case of reversed polarity. Maybe put the magnets in opposite? Whatever the reason they had that problem. I don't think that it's what's going on in yours. Mostly just because it was working before. Maybe try giving the starter a light tap.