Serious warning

[florence]

I felt I should share a scary experience with you because I don't want it to happen to anyone else.

Basically, whilst going round a corner in the dark last night all of the electrics went out, lights, engine, etc.  It was a very dark, rainy night and there was no moon or streetlights to help.  Luckily for me I knew the road well and wasn't going too fast and there were no cars around so I managed to blindly get round the bend and stop safely.  If it had been a sharper corner I would have ended up in the hedge.

On inspection the fault turned out to be with the ignition switch.  The barrel seems to have become worn because when I wiggled the key everything came back on again.

I would say that anyone who hasn't replaced their ignition switch recently should have a look.  Switch the bike on then apply slight pressure to the key.  If it goes off you will see what I mean.  This is obviously very dangerous and until last night the switch had seemed perfectly ok so be warned.

[SteveD CB500K0]

On my 500, the solder connection on the back of the ignition switch fractured. Similar results.

Tried everything to solder it back on but ended up with a new switch.

[florence]

Thanks Steve, I'm going to look at it today, probably replace it with a toggle switch for the time being until I can get the proper part.  Luckily for me 500/4s in a condition like mine are not really a target for bike thieves.  Having said that someone did try to hot wire it once and messed up all of my coil wires; so annoying.

[florence]

Huzzah, I have found an old ignition switch from an Austin A35 which will be just the job!

Re-use is more efficient than recycling after all

[Bryanj]

Thatl do it as long as you dont want to leave it with side lights on----which i always thought was a damn stupid idea anyway

[matthewmosse]

My  550 did this on a motorway but in daylight so not so bad, wd40 down the ignition barrel sorted it, fuse went on my 500 in the dark once, wasn't fun, I've still got a spotlight that I intend to fit on a seperate fused circuit, one day

[Dave M]

That happened to me a few years ago on a CB750 so I removed the lock part and opened the ignition switch up and found the the contacts in the switch bit were burnt out.

Tried to get the just the switch from a scrappy but they were adamant that the lock part didn't separate from the switch bit so I had to have the whole unit. Got it cheaper cos there was no key.

Once home I did what they said was impossible and removed the switch. The switch was in excellent condition so I fitted the old lock to it and all was well again and still is to this day.

I would imagine if the contacts hadn't burnt out they could probably have been cleaned up.