Kill Switches

deviant56 · 05-20-2007, 11:59 PM

Just to put a little warning out there for you guys. Watch out for the kill switches on the clutch and kickstand to start acting up and going bad. It happened to me with the clutch switch on saturday when I was running just under 100 mph on a straightaway. The engine coughed then died and I couldn't do anything to make the bike run until I was able to get some tools and take apart the switch to fix it.

To be fair, I have 20k miles on the bike and they have not been particularly easy miles. Still, for something like a kill switch to randomly kick in and kill the engine in the middle of running those kind of speeds is some scary business.

brandon2286 · 05-21-2007, 06:12 AM

im not following you there what do you mean?

deviant56 · 05-21-2007, 09:19 AM

On the bottom of your clutch perch there is a switch that detects whether your clutch is pulled in or is out. The switch can kill the engine electronically. Over the weekend, mine went bad while I was riding.

Marina1 · 05-21-2007, 01:02 PM

My clutch sensor is not funtioning properly either, but it's more of a problem when I start the bike, than when it's running...
It's a cheap fix, but what a time for it to decide to konk out! Glad you're alright deviant.

SundayDriver · 05-21-2007, 01:13 PM

I've got 2500 miles on mine, and it seems to do the same. I'll start it with the stand down, and kick it up and it'll kill it. Might just be the Kawasaki switch, as I was able to do it with my 'zuki.

dubbs693 · 05-21-2007, 01:14 PM

Hmm.. Ever since I switched my levers to pazzos I can't start my bike unless the kickstand is down, the bike is in N and I NEED to have my hand off the clutch..

So.. Either mine is fucked up, or somethin else...

daqq · 05-21-2007, 01:57 PM

I think a clutch sensor only kills the engine if the kickstand is down... otherwise, it doesn't play a role in the engine cutting off...

AWDimprezal · 05-21-2007, 02:16 PM

agreed, im thinkin you got another problem

deviant56 · 05-21-2007, 03:24 PM

The problem was fixed by bypassing the clutch switch. If you think it's something else, I'd love any suggestions and can give a detailed list of symptoms, but I would bet anything the switch is the problem.

daqq · 05-21-2007, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deviant56

The problem was fixed by bypassing the clutch switch. If you think it's something else, I'd love any suggestions and can give a detailed list of symptoms, but I would bet anything the switch is the problem.

I bet its the kickstand switch...

OreoGaborio · 05-21-2007, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daqq

I bet its the kickstand switch...

yup.

I could be wrong, but i'm pretty sure the clutch switch only prevents the starter from engaging, so the clutch switch shouldn't kill the engine. Plus, when it goes bad it shouldn't affect the bike if the clutch is engaged (lever released), especially if the bike is already running.

Check the connections on your side stand, that's where your problem is.

Greg in H-Town · 07-11-2007, 12:25 AM

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I found this while searching for information about this problem because my bike has now developed a starting problem. I've been looking at the wiring diagrams from the service manual trying to figure out what each switch really does. Basically, there are three switches of interest (other than the kill switch); the sidestand switch, the neutral switch and the cluth lever switch. All it takes is for one of these switches to be 'true' to ground and it will complete the circuit to the starter circuit relay and the bike should crank.

From what I can gather, the sidestand switch is the only thing that can kill the bike if it's running. Remember, only one switch has to be closed to ground, so if the sidestand is up (switch closed) then the other two switches don't matter. In fact, they CAN'T matter because you wouldn't be able to shift if they did.

xZeler8 · 07-11-2007, 10:59 PM

agreed...definately your stand switch...on a side note, bypassing the clutch switch really isn't a good idea...scenario: you park the bike in gear, come back later and start it up while standing next to it talking to someone, boom, many hundreds of dollars in plastic damage (if you're lucky that'll be it)

OreoGaborio · 07-11-2007, 11:03 PM

For the sake of clarity, if you're talking about rigging it up so the clutch switch is always active, then yes, I wouldnt' do that.

but if you're talking about just intentionally disabling it, then the clutch switch is a fail safe system. If it fails it doesn't start if it's in gear or if the clutch lever is pulled in. So simply disabling it wouldn't create the scenario you brought up.

akjitsu · 07-12-2007, 08:54 AM

I have a similar problem. Starter won't engage if the clutch lever is pulled in. Now that there is a damned safety issue. To wit; if I kill the motor at a stop light, by my calculations I'll get mowed down from behind by 3.8 cages before I can effect a neutral re-start. And the idea of having the motor quit when I'm in the middle of a two lane pass and staring a semi in the face doesn't appeal much to me either.

Screw this lawyer-inspired bullshit. I'm gonna just wire around both those damned switches. Yes, I know they're "safety" items but I've managed to ride since 1964 without them and predict I'll make it a few more miles without starting the bike in gear on the kickstand. And even if I do something that lame-brained it seems vastly preferable to sitting alongside a desert road, 87 miles southwest of Squawscunt, Arizona with nobody in sight, in 120 degrees trying to figure out why I'm dead in the water (and there ain't no water).