Topic: Clutch/Starter safety interlock switch busted - How to fix?

[ev0lve]

Just looking for some opinions. My situation


Do I need to pull the perch off of there to get access to the wires or is there a reliable fix I can do in place?

If I don't fix it will it stop me starting the bike in gear with the clutch pulled (thinking about killing it on a hill or something and needing to get going without shifting back into neutral).

Thanks!

[750goes]

The ends of your switch push out from the outside to the clutch handle section - or pull out with a pair of pliers... you will need to get a replacement part and insert it from the clutch handle side - they are buggers to get in properly as well..

[ev0lve]

Agh. What are the downsides of leaving it be?

[750goes]

you may not be able to start your bike unless it is in Neutral.... or do what I did - bridge the two wires - problem solved...

follow the wires back to where they plug in- and join both where they come from the main harness.. you can now run without the safety switch - but you can then use the starter, and it will engage when the bike is in gear if you ever forget it will throw you foraward a bit...

just remember - clutch in then press the starter button if you cannot remember if you are in neutral or not ....

[ev0lve]

  Bridge it is!

[Terry in Australia]

Yep, not really a problem, but just to tell you a related story, when I bought my Suzuki GS1000S I decided to attempt an impromptu speed test, so I found a (fairly) quiet piece of nice straight road, and "Gave it the berries" in every gear.

I took it up to about 140 MPH and backed off, even though it felt like it had more to go. I could see I was getting low on fuel, so I pulled into a gas station and refuelled it, but when I hit the starter button, nothing happened? Oh dear..........

I bump started it and it fired up right away, and the next day I pulled the starter out, it had virtually exploded! My theory is that when I was changing my position to get as low as possible at speed, I managed to touch the starter button, with very violent results! Now it has a lockout switch too, but a PO had bridged it, as it turns out.

Even though I wasn't hurt, I suppose could have been, and I paid 200 bucks for a replacement starter motor, so I thought I would add this just to give you an idea of what could happen if you bypass it. Cheers, Terry. 

[750goes]

Terry,

you were probably pissed and trying to hang on when you hit the eject button 

[ev0lve]

Duly noted, Terry. I'm thinking that's kind of an edge case 

My patience for fiddling is coming to an end the nicer the weather gets though so I may come back and do it right this winter if I don't fry something in the meantime.

[Spanner 1]

Bit scary I think...if ya pressed the starter with the bike at any kind of speed....ouch.
I would leave it like it is, just disconnect the broken wire in the headlight, then it can only start in N...

[Bodi]

The Honda SOHC4 starter motor (excepting the GL, not sure about them) has a sprag clutch, a one-way drive from the starter motor to the crankshaft. The engine can not force the starter motor to turn, so there is no risk of damaging it if you engage the starter with the engine running at any RPM. Starter motors can also have a pre-engaged solenoid switch that forces the gears to mesh before applying power... that would not be good if engaged at high RPM. There's also the Bendix starter drive with a spiral spline pushing the starter gear out on acceleration - that type makes a nasty noise if engaged with the engine running but doesn't cause overspeed damage to the electric motor.

[Spanner 1]

I stand corrected !, so as soon as the motor fires to run its rpm is already above the clutch engagement speed ?, is that how it works ?, and if you pressed the button, motor running, it would spin away and not engage ?....

[ev0lve]

Bit scary I think...if ya pressed the starter with the bike at any kind of speed....ouch.
I would leave it like it is, just disconnect the broken wire in the headlight, then it can only start in N...

Well, the right answer is to fix it properly but after 7+ months twiddling I suspect I'll want to ride it at the earliest opportunity. Best scenario if I stall it for some reason in traffic is some mild embarrassment - worst would be stalled with something bearing down on me while I frantically get it into neutral.

I'll bridge it for now as I'm putting the bucket back together and note where stuff goes.

Thanks everybody!