Categories: all aviation Building a Biplane bicycle gadgets misc motorcycle theater
Thu, 14 Aug 2014
The new SV650 was refusing to start. The internet suggested that maybe the clutch switch connector was the first place to look. (The switch tells the system that the clutch is disengaged, and the starter won't go unless the clutch is disengaged.)
Sure enough: I glanced down at the clutch switch connector tonight, and it was dangling loose from its pins. I jammed it back in place, turned the key, and the bike fired right up.
I do love the easy solutions.
Posted at 21:03 permanent link category: /motorcycle
What is it With Me and Starter Motors and SV650s?
I've been riding the new SV650 the last few days, trying to wrap my head around it. I think I'm succeeding, but last night, ran into a problem: the starter motor wouldn't go after a stop.
I had hoped there would be a number of people with this problem, and that it would have an obvious solution: a similar thing happened to me in Europe, on my 2002. In that case, I was riding along, came to a picturesque spot in Switzerland, and stopped to take a picture. When I went to start the motor again, nothing happened. No click, no buzz, no lame attempt at starting. The switch went in and it was as if it never happened.
I was able to bump-start the bike (endless fun when it's packed with 50 lbs of stuff on the passenger seat), and got going again after about 10 minutes' delay. Once I was going, I decided to do a test, and pulled in the clutch and hit the kill switch. The engine died (as it should), and I tried using the starter to get it going again. Nothing. I let out the clutch and restarted the motor using all that kinetic energy I'd stored up by getting up to road speed. I thus rolled along in consternation, wondering how I was going to finish my trip (with something like 10-12 days left, each day involving at least one start). I tried again, this time paying careful attention to turning on the kill switch before hitting the starter, and to my surprise, it worked.
I tried it a few more times, and it worked every time. I decided that whatever the problem was, it had sorted itself out, and decided that, aside from parking uphill if possible, I'd take the optimistic path, and not worry about it.
Thinking back on this experience last night, I decided to do the same test. Maybe SV650s just lose their starters every once in a while? I finally found a clear enough road, killed the motor, and tried to start it again. Nothing. Again, double-checking the kill-switch: nothing. Crap.
So, I turned around and headed home. I checked the intarwebz for information on the problem, and was greeted by the standard scattershot of questions and answers you see when there's not a known typical problem. Fortunately, I knew all that (check the interlock switches; check the fuses; run a jumper to the starter and relay; etc.), but it means no shortcuts in my troubleshooting. Ah well. The previous owner also says he never saw the problem, so there's no obvious history to provide a clue.
I guess I have some troubleshooting to do.
Update: Some more searching around suggests that it's actually fairly common for the clutch switch connection to have problems, so it may be that there's an obvious and short path to a solution. I'll post my results once I figure the problem out.
The clutch switch acts as an interlock with the neutral switch and the sidestand switch so that the bike can't be started in an unsafe condition, such as in gear while on the sidestand.
Posted at 09:37 permanent link category: /motorcycle
Categories: all aviation Building a Biplane bicycle gadgets misc motorcycle theater