gnyce
Site Supporter
- Joined
- Nov 29, 2015
- Messages
- 338
- Reaction score
- 195
- Points
- 43
- Location
- north of Philadelphia PA, US
Lovely day for a ride. About halfway through, saw the engine light was one. Pulled over immediately, suspecting overheating/fan not running. Pulled off helmet and realized that engines sounds 'odd'... even though the engine was running, the starter was engaged. Turned off key... gave a visual all around... turned key on, and starter kicked in immediately. Messed with the starter rocker/switch, could _sort_ of toggle it. Finally pulled out the tools under the seat, took off the cover/shroud, and messed in there. Dilemma... I could disconnect one of the wires (blue/black), but how would I know if I could get it started again? I could let it start and them fumble will pulling a wire out. Sidenote: off all the tools included, no pliers? Need to put a needlenose in there,or maybe a leatherman. Sidenote: I stopped using the kill switch about a week ago, after reading warnings here about how this was a known-issue with the bike... so some irony here.
In the end, I decided to try to limp home (about 5 miles) and use my thumb to try to keep the starter from engaging by wiggling the switch. Was saved by two guys that pulled up, on one a hayabusa all decked out. They didn't have a pliers, but they did have a wire-stripper. So I exposed the blue/black wires as they run out of the switch... cut the blue... stripped it a bit back on both sides... touched/arced it to start the bike and then pulled them apart (and wrapped them up as best I could). Ride home was fine.
Questions:
1 - based on my description, any reason to think it is something _other_ than the starter-switch?
2 - what should I have done instead?
3 - did I cause myself any other issues by my actions?
4 - have the bike on a battery-charger, just in case
5 - could I have jacked up the starter, having it run and run while the engine is already running?
6 - what other tools should I have under my seat?
In the end, I decided to try to limp home (about 5 miles) and use my thumb to try to keep the starter from engaging by wiggling the switch. Was saved by two guys that pulled up, on one a hayabusa all decked out. They didn't have a pliers, but they did have a wire-stripper. So I exposed the blue/black wires as they run out of the switch... cut the blue... stripped it a bit back on both sides... touched/arced it to start the bike and then pulled them apart (and wrapped them up as best I could). Ride home was fine.
Questions:
1 - based on my description, any reason to think it is something _other_ than the starter-switch?
2 - what should I have done instead?
3 - did I cause myself any other issues by my actions?
4 - have the bike on a battery-charger, just in case
5 - could I have jacked up the starter, having it run and run while the engine is already running?
6 - what other tools should I have under my seat?