cavedog Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 Hey guys, I've been having this problem all day today, I was actually stranded for about 30 minutes before the bike let me ride it. It starts perfectly and idles perfectly in Neutral, always. The second I put the bike into first gear (or second from neutral) it dies, instantly. It did this 30+ times in a row, I let it sit, then it worked fine. I was extremely frustrated, since the bike is pretty much brand new, and I have an EJK so I know it's not a fueling issue. I got home and did some research and it looked like it was the kickstand sensor. I know for a fact that I did NOT have the kickstand down any of the times it died, so my only conclusion is that the sensor is sticking. I went back on to the bike just now, and it started and shifted into first gear, no problem. I put the kickstand down and it died exactly the same way it had been doing before, so I'm relatively sure this is the sensor that's giving me problems. My question is this: how do I disable it? Is there a plug I can undo that won't interfere with anything? I am 95% sure the sensor just doesn't extend back to the full position after the bike has been sitting. If there is no plug I can disconnect, I'm going to cut the wires. This is seriously pissing me off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yamahaha Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 Before you cut wires can you lube the plunger on the micro switch with something. It must be sticking. The old Kawasaki klrs were rreally bad for side stand switches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavedog Posted June 12, 2015 Author Share Posted June 12, 2015 I've seen a few videos on those kawi's. The plug is behind the chain cover, above the sensor. I cut and soldered the wires together and shrink wrapped it, and put everything back together. No more problems, now I just can't forget to put the kickstand up ever I went into town looking for the same type of connector but it's one I haven't seen before, and nowhere had it. Bike runs well now, shifts into 1 or 2 from N without problem. I just really didn't want to be stranded again... it's not like you can put the kickstand up then mess around with the sensor while balancing the bike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmwpowere36m3 Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 Try jiggling the sensor "tip", make sure it's not sticking, take an ohm meter and test it, or grab a piece of wire and jumper the connection to rule it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Eastern Kayaker Posted June 13, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted June 13, 2015 Sounds like the clutch switch is not connected. You will find the clutch switch under the clutch perch for the clutch lever. Just push it back in so it makes a good connection. Here is a link to a thread that covers this problem: Clutch Switch Link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yamahaha Posted June 13, 2015 Share Posted June 13, 2015 I remember when motorcycles had no such switches. I never dropped a bike because of the side stand but it sure startled the hell out of me. Soon learned to double check. I'm wondering about the liability of selling a motorcycle with a disabled side stand switch. Could the buyer sue you if he had an accident? Would not be an issue if trading in. The dealer would be responsible for fixing it before reselling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmwpowere36m3 Posted June 13, 2015 Share Posted June 13, 2015 I remember when motorcycles had no such switches. I never dropped a bike because of the side stand but it sure startled the hell out of me. Soon learned to double check. I'm wondering about the liability of selling a motorcycle with a disabled side stand switch. Could the buyer sue you if he had an accident? Would not be an issue if trading in. The dealer would be responsible for fixing it before reselling. Maybe in today's world, but they have to prove you did/modified it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yamahaha Posted June 13, 2015 Share Posted June 13, 2015 Maybe in today's world, but they have to prove you did/modified it. Very true. Just pull a Sargent Schultz. " I know nothing, I hear nothing, I see nothing ". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattonme Posted June 13, 2015 Share Posted June 13, 2015 "It came that way". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick Posted June 13, 2015 Share Posted June 13, 2015 Those side stand switches have a notorious reputation for failure. Think about it, an electrical switch at one of the dirtiest spots on the bike And instead of wiring those switches such that the circuit is opened when the stand is up, raising the stand closes the switch. Get water or chain lube or road grime into the switch and it'll fail to close - stalling the motor. The switch won't care if it's dark, raining and in the fast lane or going slow around a turn. The motor will just shut off. The lawyers who forced this safety device on us will not be there to help. I was forced to undo the bypass I had for my Aprilia last year in order to pass the state safety inspection. The same place inspected that bike for a lot of years with that bypass hooked up and never said a word about it. And the dash on that bike also has a warning light that I allowed to continue working. They now test to see if the motor will stall (or not start) if the stand is put down while in gear. So if you live in a state where they get fussy about such things, do that switch bypass in a way that's easily reversed. Aprilia even has a part # for a plug to bypass that switch. That Aprilia shop, of course, did not know of this nor did they care. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavedog Posted June 13, 2015 Author Share Posted June 13, 2015 Sounds like the clutch switch is not connected. You will find the clutch switch under the clutch perch for the clutch lever. Just push it back in so it makes a good connection. Here is a link to a thread that covers this problem: Clutch Switch Link I don't think it was the clutch switch, that would not kill the bike if I went to first gear from neutral it just wouldn't let me start the bike in neutral. I was not able to switch from neutral to 1st nor was I able to start the bike in first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavedog Posted June 13, 2015 Author Share Posted June 13, 2015 Those side stand switches have a notorious reputation for failure. Think about it, an electrical switch at one of the dirtiest spots on the bike And instead of wiring those switches such that the circuit is opened when the stand is up, raising the stand closes the switch. Get water or chain lube or road grime into the switch and it'll fail to close - stalling the motor. The switch won't care if it's dark, raining and in the fast lane or going slow around a turn. The motor will just shut off. The lawyers who forced this safety device on us will not be there to help. I was forced to undo the bypass I had for my Aprilia last year in order to pass the state safety inspection. The same place inspected that bike for a lot of years with that bypass hooked up and never said a word about it. And the dash on that bike also has a warning light that I allowed to continue working. They now test to see if the motor will stall (or not start) if the stand is put down while in gear. So if you live in a state where they get fussy about such things, do that switch bypass in a way that's easily reversed. Aprilia even has a part # for a plug to bypass that switch. That Aprilia shop, of course, did not know of this nor did they care. The switch by the kickstand was pretty dirty when I removed it. I did notice that it has a sort of "step" to the actuation where it actuates smoothly, then feels like a mechanical resistance inside for a brief period, then continues to actuate smoothly. I wonder if it wasn't this part of the actuation where it was getting hung up. I definitely see how it could get gummed up from dirt or grime though. While I see the need for something like this from a safety standpoint, it's not worth the potential inconvenience. I did keep the sensor, in the event I ever sell the bike I'll just remove my solder joint and solder the wires back to the sensor. It's a bit of work, but I kind of enjoy soldering, oddly. How do you like your Aprilia by the way? I've never seen one in person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yamahaha Posted June 13, 2015 Share Posted June 13, 2015 While I'm not anxious to bypass the switch, I will try to trace the wiring up top so I can find an easy spot to jumper the wiring in case mine gives trouble. Nothing worse than lying on your back, in the dark, with mosquitoes, trying to fix something. I've had to fix tires off road while its raining with every bug within a mile converging on my location for a feed. Sure takes the fun out of an outing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 While I'm not anxious to bypass the switch, I will try to trace the wiring up top so I can find an easy spot to jumper the wiring in case mine gives trouble. Nothing worse than lying on your back, in the dark, with mosquitoes, trying to fix something. Smart and oh, how true. There's a plug somewhere on the loom for this. The Aprilia made jumper is just a plug with a loop of wire. Might be worth making one up and stashing it in the kit - just in case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavedog Posted June 29, 2015 Author Share Posted June 29, 2015 While I'm not anxious to bypass the switch, I will try to trace the wiring up top so I can find an easy spot to jumper the wiring in case mine gives trouble. Nothing worse than lying on your back, in the dark, with mosquitoes, trying to fix something. Smart and oh, how true. There's a plug somewhere on the loom for this. The Aprilia made jumper is just a plug with a loop of wire. Might be worth making one up and stashing it in the kit - just in case. I basically converted my sensor into this. Also just an update, I've put a few hundred miles on the bike since removing the sensor and still no issues. An aftermarket jumper would be ideal, since you can just plug the sensor back in if you want. I will need to re-solder mine if it comes to that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattonme Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 another no-mod method might be to just unbolt the sensor assembly, clean it, and then zip-tie it to some place out of the way on the side of the engine. zip-lock baggie optional. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member adv42 Posted July 18, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted July 18, 2015 Smart and oh, how true. There's a plug somewhere on the loom for this. The Aprilia made jumper is just a plug with a loop of wire. Might be worth making one up and stashing it in the kit - just in case. I basically converted my sensor into this. Also just an update, I've put a few hundred miles on the bike since removing the sensor and still no issues. An aftermarket jumper would be ideal, since you can just plug the sensor back in if you want. I will need to re-solder mine if it comes to that.Were there just two wires to solder together? On my BMW there were three. Two had to be wired together. The third wire just had to be shrink wrapped by itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavedog Posted July 19, 2015 Author Share Posted July 19, 2015 I basically converted my sensor into this. Also just an update, I've put a few hundred miles on the bike since removing the sensor and still no issues. An aftermarket jumper would be ideal, since you can just plug the sensor back in if you want. I will need to re-solder mine if it comes to that.Were there just two wires to solder together? On my BMW there were three. Two had to be wired together. The third wire just had to be shrink wrapped by itself. There are only two wires on this bike. Remove the chain guard and you can follow the wires from the sensor by the kickstand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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