Help please - bike will not start

[Throttled]

Back to work this morning, but the bike would not start. On turning on the ignition a red and amber light came, as usual but on pressing the starter button nothing, not even a click or attempt to turn over the engine. The lights stayed on, but they do not go off until the engine starts anyway. I had to take the car to work instead.

It has been recently serviced, was running fine the day before, suggestions please.

Thanks

[davefly76]

First place to look would be the battery. It might have enough juice to put the ignition lights on but not enough to turn the starter. Check the connections too. Have you got an optimizer? Put that on for a few hours and then try. It could be the *alternator (I forget the name for the bike version and I spend too much time working around cars..) That could have failed yesterday and not charged the battery whilst you were riding..

[iiisecondcreep]

First time my bike wouldn't start it was a fuse. Hope you get it working soon

[Fast Eddie]

In some order of what i checked on Gayle's bike:

Fused, Battery, Starter cirtuit (jumping the starter motor direct from battery, plus volt meter on all switches).

eventually fixed by unplugging things a few times and plugging them back in.

Hope you fix it quickly.

[Guest]

Sounds stupid and very obvious, but is it in gear?

[guybandit]

Sounds stupid and very obvious, but is it in gear?

or the kill switch, do you have to engage the clutch to start it? There's a switch in the clutch lever on mine and when it broke it did the same as yours

Guy

[Tango]

Or a dodgy Sidestand switch......

[Fozzie]

I echo the above...

Check kill switch, sidestand and is it in gear

If not check fuses and work from there.

[mattycoops43]

Yep-thats the main points, also, due to bikes getting wet allt he time, not uncommon for simple bad connections to relays etc under the seat, due to too much water around. I have fixed this kind of problem with wd40 and a wiggle of all the connector blocks.

I reckon as has been said before, primary candidates are the safety features, neutral indicator, sidestand, and clutch lever switches. If any one has failed, you could have probs, but try the wd40 on them first.

[Throttled]

Thanks for all the suggestions. It was the old man's birthday today so no time to check anything, but I'll start to work my way through the list tomorrow.

[TC]

Oooooooooooooh Please let it be the kill switch

[MattB]

If it was the kill switch then surely the engine would turn over but not fire

[mattycoops43]

Not on my bike, kill switch stops starter turning too!

[Throttled]

Sigh It was the side stand switch again. Even though I had the stand up and down a few times and it looked OK it was so gunked up it cannot have been fully engaging. I'll need to see if I can give it a good clean or fit a new one. But I am working again.

[mattycoops43]

Least you got it going!

[Fast Eddie]

glad you figured it out.

[Throttled]

Thanks.

Is there anything that is safe to use on electrics that will degrease the switch (well its more like a plunger, you know what I mean)?

[mattycoops43]

wd40 would be fine for that. Electrical cleaner leaves it too dry in my opinion. wd leaves a very light film that stops corrosion.

[Throttled]

Thanks, I'll use that then

[Stu]

personally

electrical cleaner followed by a good coat of electrical grease

while WD40 is good, it doesn't take long for it to dry out

[mattycoops43]

Totally agree, but 90% of people don't have either in their toolbox!

[Throttled]

personally

electrical cleaner followed by a good coat of electrical grease

.........

 

Any particular product recommendations? Thanks.

[Stu]

Totally agree, but 90% of people don't have either in their toolbox!

 

this is very true and I think this would be a great opportunity for the OP to buy some

 

Any particular product recommendations? Thanks.

 

just some contact cleaner from halfords and any electrical grease will do not sure if halfords would sell it

if you already have WD40 use that it will last a few months then when you get chance get some propper stuff and do the job right

[Throttled]

Thanks, I've got and used WD40 to free up the switch but was looking for a longer term solution. Off to Halfords after work.

[Colin the Bear]

Common problem is chain lube flyingb off and gunking switch. Any way to cover the switch. I cable tied a small poly bag over one of mine mine.