Starting Circuit Issue

[stevewaclo]

Hello all, been a while since I’ve posted and looking for some insight on my issue. Nothing turned up in search.

Yesterday, I fueled up and hit the starter switch to depart and…crickets. Neutral light is on. No luck pulling the clutch lever either. A nice lady came over and gave me a push, and I caught the engine in 2nd and got home.

I’ve had somewhat similar issues in the past and ended up replacing the neutral switch, which was telling the system the bike was in gear and locking out the starter, even with the clutch lever pulled.

Will be pulling out the schematic and my multimeter soon but any advice is welcome.

Ride safe, all.

 

[stevewaclo]

Don’t know how many times I have told myself, “Every problem diagnosis begins with a thorough visual examination.”

Removed the seat and located the starter solenoid. Jumped the main contacts and the starter came alive. Noticed that at some time in the distant past, I must have had a need to do some rewiring on the solenoid connectors and a dodgy solder connection had come apart. I held the two wires together, turned on the ignition and hit the starter switch. Bike started!

I’ve owned the bike for just over 30 years and 125k miles and sadly, have never been one for logging my many efforts to keep it on the road, including major diy work after I hit gravel in the Sierra 15 years ago and totaled it. Can’t recall why I would have fussed with the starter solenoid wiring, so maybe it was the PO, but I doubt it.

At 81, my memory ain’t what it used to be.

Ride safe, all!

 

[Old_Crow]

I'm 74 and I 've been riding since I was 13 or 14. At least twice in that time a sudden failure like that has been the result of inadvertently hitting the kill switch. At least one of those times a visual inspection showed the switch to be in the "run" position, yet cycling the switch solved the problem.
Even if I live to be 90 I'll never forget that particular failure as when I got the bike (Harley Superglide with 18" ape hangers and 2" open straight pipes) to crank there was a Tennessee state trooper standing there watching my every move. Much to my surprise, when the bike fired off he said, "That's music, son." instead of "them pipes are too loud, Boy".