Circuit Wizards please

[tdragger]

Here's a new twist on the old "Rocket won't start" issue.

I went out this morning to ride my 2006 Standard to work. Turn on the key, all lights come on and normal gauge sweep. Hit the starter, nothing. No joy. Lights stay on. The starter switch is just dead.

I think, oh s..t, not the ignition switch again. Can't be, I have the EB relay kit.

Kill switch? nope, it's in run position and I get the gauge sweep.

Clutch switch? mmmm...can't tell at this time. Possible culprit.

Sidestand switch? nope. put bike in neutral and no change.

Gear Position sensor? maybe but very unlikely. would require a bad sidestand switch in this scenario.

So, I slowly turn the bars to the right while punching the starter switch. nothing.

Turn back to the left and at about 15 deg left, the starter kicks in. WTF?? Bike starts right up. A few more degrees to the left and no joy.

This is starting to sound a lot like a bad ignition switch even though I still have gauges. Then I remember, I have the Rivco ignition switch relocation kit so the ignition switch is not on the steering head. Turning the bars wouldn't affect the ignition switch.

Clutch switch is starting to sound more like the problem.

On the left side of the steering head, the gauge wire harness wraps around and disappears under the frame to the connectors under the tank. Where the frame cover mounts, the harness cover rubs and has worn away. I'm beginning to think that the wiring to the clutch switch has broken and it only makes contact with a certain position of the bars. Sound possible?

I'm obviously getting power through the ignition switch, through the headlights and gauges. Are the other safety switches downstream of the gauges prior to powering the starter relay?

 

[Gothlander]

Sounds like you are on the right track, could also be the wire from the starter button. Failing that I would try the starter relay (the handle bar thing could be trick to throw you off the scent). If you suspect a broken wire you could cut the loom where the witness marks are and check the wire by seeing if it bends easy.

 

[idk]

Worn wiring could be the problem, but it could also be the starter button. The contacts can get dirty or oxidized and so contact intermittently.

 

[HellFire]

You and Goth make sense to me from what you say, Only two things left in the wire loom and that's the clutch and starter switches. Probably just have to run continuity tests on those wires until you find the problem.

 

[bagman]

does your headlight turn off every time you push the starter button? if it does, then it's not your starter button. If it doesn't, then that's where you need to look.

 

[atomsplitter]

does your headlight turn off every time you push the starter button? if it does, then it's not your starter button. If it doesn't, then that's where you need to look.

+1

The starter button actuates a cross-over relay that kills the lights. If the lights stay lit then the relay hasn't picked up the starter circuit. The starter button is the only thing that would cause the lights to go out (assuming the relay is good). When you turned the bars you also changed the starter button wiring position as well. The starter button has two wires, white/red and black. You can guess what the black goes to like every other black wire. If that ground isn't good then mashing the starter button until your eyes water won't get anything the happen. So assuming you have power to the button, you don't have a ground from the button. You can test this hypothesis simply by opening the starter button housing and using a test wire with double alligator clips connect the black wire connection to the engine (anywhere convenient, (you have jumpered the installed ground doing this)) and then close the gate on the switch with the ignition on. If the lights go out and the engine spins you found your problem.

I don't suspect the hot is grounding out but you can check that easily with a volt meter. Set the meter for 12VDC and with the ignition on touch the red probe to the white/red connection and the black probe to the engine case (or battery negative terminal). You should read 12 vdc differential. You can test the black wire terminal in the button by touching the black probe to that and the red probe to the battery positive terminal and get the same reading. Either one showing less than 12vdc differential (or the same voltage reading) and you found your problem source.

 

[UNCLE JESSE]

Had a 1500 intruder that a wire wore the insulation off under the tank like to have never found it would just happen every now and then taped it and put plastic around it so that it did not happen again but it sounds like a short in the wire to me

 

[atomsplitter]

Had a 1500 intruder that a wire wore the insulation off under the tank like to have never found it would just happen every now and then taped it and put plastic around it so that it did not happen again but it sounds like a short in the wire to me

A shrt in the hot lead would engage the cross-over relay and start the bike as soon as you turned on the ignition. More like an open on that part of the circuit (you can test that by resistance, if the resistance is infinite ohms it's open if the resistance is 0 it's a short).

 

[tdragger]

thanks for the tips. haven't had the opportunity to test yet.

having to ride my wife's 750 Virago which I have to admit is a lot of fun sometimes.

 

[Kmutt]

thanks for the tips. haven't had the opportunity to test yet.

having to ride my wife's 750 Virago which I have to admit is a lot of fun sometimes.

Cheating on your rocket only leads to bad things.......

mutt