strange starting problem

[kemp2368]

hi all,since i am still learning about this bike i get a strange problem now and again when i start her up
it is that when i press starter button she just turns over without engine firing, neutral light is on,almost like electrical fault
i then shift through the gears and then back to get neutral light back and she then is fine
i have read tha haynes ,and noticed there is a clutch fail safe
anynone got any ideas

[pae]

Could be the infamous starter clutch, they are prone to fail. Do you hear anything, like a whirring or fast clicking, when it fails to spin the engine?

If I remember, the clutch failsafe means that the clutch needs to be pulled in the bike is in gear. There's a neutral interlock that stops you from turning the engine over with it in gear, and this can be over-ridden by pulling the clutch lever in. The neutral connection is behind the front sprocket cover, the clutch interlock is on the clutch lever.

Phil

[kemp2368]

hi there,thanks for the reply
there is no clicking or whirring,the engine still turns over as normal,also if i try to start it in gear the same thing happens if i pull the clutch in(engine turns over fine but does not fire)then i shift  through the gears then try it when neutral   light is back on and all is fine,i might try and have a look at the neutral connection when i get a mo


Graham

[notobikeparkingtax]

Do you normally leave the bike with the fuel tap turned off? Try leaving it in the ON or PRIME position and see if it starts easier.
Sounds to me like slight fuel starvation. Running up and down the gearbox will have no effect on starting, it will however give the float bowls a little extra time to fill up.

What happens if instead of going up and down the gears you just let it sit for a few seconds ?

[Spitfire]

Sounds really strange this one, so the starter turns over but the engine does not fire as if the kill switch is in the off position, and a quick cycle through the gears resets it. Most peculier !

Cheers

Den

[kemp2368]

Do you normally leave the bike with the fuel tap turned off? Try leaving it in the ON or PRIME position and see if it starts easier.
Sounds to me like slight fuel starvation. Running up and down the gearbox will have no effect on starting, it will however give the float bowls a little extra time to fill up.

What happens if instead of going up and down the gears you just let it sit for a few seconds ?

hi there,it makes no diff if i leave fuel tap on or off,it only happens twice a week if i use it every day

[kemp2368]

Sounds really strange this one, so the starter turns over but the engine does not fire as if the kill switch is in the off position, and a quick cycle through the gears resets it. Most peculier !

Cheers

Den

yes you have nailed the symptoms on the head,it is  like the kill switch being on,as it is at the moment i can put up with it,but its just a bit strange
i don't have a kill switch button at the mo as the button was not there when i got the bike

[pae]

I wonder whether the neutral interlock is playing up, and running it up and down the gears shakes it back into life. Although you say the neutral light shows on when it's happening so possibly not, but maybe the light is OK but the interlock circuit isn't always breaking (or making, not sure which it does)...

Let me have a look at the manual and think about it.

When it next happens, put it into first gear, pull the clutch in, and see if it starts then.

[kemp2368]

ok it happened when i  started it to come home from work so when the neutral light still on i pulled the clutch in and she started 1st time
so does this mean the neutral interlock is playing up??

[pae]

Could be, as pulling the clutch in should over-ride the "not in neutral" signal from the gear selector. So although your neutral light is on it seems that maybe the interlock thinks it ain't in neutral.

I still need to check the manual though as I'd have thought it's the same circuit and therefore both signals (whether right or wrong) should match.

Phil

[kemp2368]

hi all,at last i have found the problem
as i said before i have not had the bike for long and started to explore when the problem happened again,i traced a few wires from clutch lever etc and found that every time i turned the handle bars to the left all the lights etc went off,when i straighten them it would all work fine
so loose wire somewhere
i found it
it was the earth to the coils underneath the tank,someone has had a right go at this as found 5 green earth cables had been soldered(not very well) see pic

[pae]

Oh, that's a nice spot of re-wiring you've inherited! Still, all valuable experience, you'll know the bike inside-out soon... glad you got sorted though,

Phil