It is not common.
Does it have 6v or 12v bulbs (head lamps are the easiest to check on this).
If it is 6v (with a 12v power "enhancement" to a 6v starter), you can get a good 6v battery (like an Optima), get proper 6v battery cables (0 or 00 gauge), and clean all cable/ground connections, and get it to reliably start as a 6v system.
If there is a metal ID plate on the body of the starter, what color is the plate (6v is black and 12v is red)?
