Kickstand kill switch preventive maintenance

[Norbert]

Hello folks.

As you probably know there's a safety switch/kill switch for our side stand.
Every once in a while I read on this forum that corrosion from water or road salt has gummed things up and cause the switch to work incorrectly.

Does anyone here think it's good preventive maintenance to spray the switch down with WD-40? Maybe after washing the bike?

Thanks! :BLAA:

 

[Fred]

You're better off with dialectric grease. Clean the switch with contact cleaner first, and then you may be able to get some grease inside it on the contacts.

Dialectric grease is designed to protect electrical connections and switches from corrosion without shorting them out. Other greases and cleaners may conduct, which would cause problems.

 

[Norbert]

Yeah that grease looks like a good idea.

So possibly dumb question: is it ok to just smear the grease all over the connectors? I mean, doesn't there need to be metal to metal contact between the two connectors?

I also checked the Yamaha service manual. It says to use the dielectric grease on the battery terminals, too.

Is there any other place where it would be prudent to apply the grease? Like maybe the connectors in the red engine switch assembly on the right handlebar? That is probably less prone to corrosion since it doesn't get hit by any road spray.

 

[Fred]

Get the grease all over the connectors. It won't interfere with the connectors working, but at the same time, it won't create a short circuit between two pins on a connector. It's great stuff.

As for where to apply it, you can put it inside every electrical connector on the bike, including the caps for the spark plugs. (It has the added benefit of keeping the spark plug caps from sticking to the plugs.)

Fred