Non Starter - Help!

Stephen_Spencer

VIP MEMBER
Joined
May 31, 2017
Messages
2,299
Country flag
Hey guys, I was just musing to myself how few problems i’ve had with my 2015 CR as it exits its warranty period this month. Went to try and start it and nothing on the button.

The bike is always on a tender and previously never fails to start, first push. There is plenty of juice in the battery, lights on, horn works, fuel injection pump operates as normal. Engine neutral, side stand up, pull in clutch (or leave it disengaged) and nothing whatsoever from the starter switch. Almost as though the sw was disconnected. Total silence.

Unfortunately electrics is not my strong area. You can’t see it, and it can kill you!!

I had just finished cleaning the bike, degreasing the front end, and fitting new Rizoma CR mirrors, although I feel sure that I ran the bike afterwords.

Any technical wisdom would be greatfully received as I think my warranty ran out last week!! Sod’s law of course!

Regards.

Steve
Sunshine Coast
 
check kill switch, in gear with stand down. Check stand switch isn`t loose .connection on clutch lever ???.

I`m not a fan of the drip chargers , especially leaving them on for a long time. I have had a line of 9 batteries lined up and all £$%^$%^&*()
Try another battery if possible .....
 
Non Starter - Help!
Non Starter - Help!
Thanks Piper, you nailed it first go.

The clutch micro switch is not being engaged when the clutch is pulled. It appears that when the clutch lever is pulled the leaf spring is released but is not travelling sufficiently far to depress the microswitch. Top image is clutch in, lower clutch out.

Can anybody please advise how I can effect an adjustment of the clutch micro switch. Has anybody else encountered this problem? I have not disturbed these components at all,so really am unsure how this failure has occurred.

Thanks

Steve
 
Assuming headlight and display comes on can you hear any clicking whatsoever? Does the display dim when you press the start? What is the voltage showing?

And don't get scared about 12v you can't get a shock from it - it only gets a bit cross when you start introducing Mr positive and Mrs negative directly to each other and then its the wiring that suffers.

First need to establish whether there is a fault in the starter circuit (relay, starter solenoid, starter) or whether there's something which makes the ECU not want the bike started (as piper's suggestions above).
 
Great - fixed it while I was posting. Haven't ever taken the switch off - I assume it has moved a bit. Looks like you can spring the microswitch lever back the other side of the pin initially.
 
Thanks Clive, lighting is not too great in my garage so I’ll have another play tomorrow morning.

Can’t see any way to adjust th microswitch though. It appears the actuating spring has lost tension. I may be able to flex it past the spigot and re-form the spring. I’ll let you know how I go.

Steve
 
Steve

My Clutch switch didn't work the day I picked it up from the dealers .
A bit of bending and twisting and it has worked fine since .
Even when cleaning the bike the cloth could catch the metal tang and bend it .
A popular mod is to disconnect the switch and join the cables .
Personal choice really,
When are we having a catch-up ride ?
Coming up to a Motorbike swap-meet on Sunday at Samford village. if your free :)

Cheers
Paul
 
The clutch micro switch is not being engaged when the clutch is pulled.

You learn something new..... I didn't know that switch existed. Just had a look at mine and it's a different setup with no leaf spring. As others have said, yours looks like a simple fix.


Non Starter - Help! Non Starter - Help!
 
Thanks guys,

Very strange Comet, earlier models obviously have a different setup. May sort the wiring as you suggest Paul, seems the best way of avoiding a recurrence.

Will catch up soon however, I’m out of action currently with a recurrence of old fart screwed back syndrome. Heavy pain killers and bikes don’t really mix. We’ll arrange something soon.

I just tried to flex the spring somewhat and it pushed to the other side of the operating spigot. Pulling the clutch lever now operates the microswitch. Mmmm, now really don’t know what is going on.

Can somebody with a later model bike please check to see which side of the spigot the spring sits? My spring only just reaches the spigot, hence the ease of flexing it to the other side - has it snapped and ended up on the wrong side of the spigot?

Thanks guys

Steve
 
Where there is no adjustment movement for the switch body you could put a small cable tie tight around the spigot.
 
Can somebody with a later model bike please check to see which side of the spigot the spring sits? My spring only just reaches the spigot, hence the ease of flexing it to the other side - has it snapped and ended up on the wrong side of the spigot?
Steve,
From a non specialist perspective, the spigot will be unable to depress the spring and activate the micro switch if it sits on top - there is no pressure to depress the spring. That said, if it has snapped, the end could have sat on the spigot (p shaped?)
My clutch lever is different again with the lever directly depressing a spigot into the micro switch!

Non Starter - Help!
 
Sport or SF will not be the same as CR for sure . Has the leaf or switch lever gotten past that post and needs to be put back ?
 
I am at a bit of a loss guys. If the spring is supposed to be above the spigot as shown in my images, it could only function if there were sufficient spring pressure to depress the microswitch when the lever is pulled, removing the spigot downwards. If this is the case then it is not functioning because the spring is damaged in some way.

I am beginning to think that the spring has somehow bypassed the spigot in error and it belongs below the spigot. Only way to tell is to look at another model of the same configratuion. We have three pictures so far and all are different. Anybody else got the same setup, noting mine is a 2015 CR.

Really appreciate your help guys.

Steve
 
Sport or SF will not be the same as CR for sure . Has the leaf or switch lever gotten past that post and needs to be put back ?
I agree Tony, logic suggests that the spring should sit under the post (spigot)
 
Steven,
My '14 SF has a different switch but, I've worked with microswitches quite a bit and the spring (inside the microswitch) pushes the arm AWAY from the switch to break contact. An outside source (the pin on your clutch lever) pushes the arm down to activate the switch. I have no idea how the arm got into the position it's in at this time but for the switch to work properly the arm will have to be relocated to the other side of the pin. Test pulling in the clutch lever to the grip and see if the pin could possibly go past the arm allowing the arm to get out of place. Then you need to find out where you can make any adjustment ( move the microswitch or make an adjustment to the clutch lever) to prevent that from happening again. Good luck.
Charlie
 
The hinge lever has definitely moved to the other side of the actuator. Check to see that the entire switch is loose and if it can be re adjusted. Cant see how its attached from the picture
 
My 2018 CR with brembo clutch looks to be the same actuation as yours Stephen. The lever has a pin which pushes on the leaf spring to engage the switch when you pull the clutch lever in, it looks like yours has jumped to the other side of the pin, possibly you snagged it on a cleaning rag, I remember catching mine when I first got mine and thought it was a curious setup just ripe for a future failure. Sorry no picture, it's a bit too dark n my garage.

Edit... my leaf spring is same as yours, flat and straight, no U or P type bend to mate with the pin
 
Thanks guys, that appears to solve it. No idea how the spring has ended up above the pin - the cleaning rag scenario seems plausible. I am often accused of cleaning it more than riding it. Sad I know!

Will try and work out if the switch is adjustable; it is not immediately apparent how it is affixed. The switch is not loose currently. The spring barely reaches the spigot, only just covering the spigot width - reason why the spring moved over the spigot maybe. I have seen other similar microswitches where there is a v or u-section at the end of the spring to engage the spigot.

I’ll let you know what I find out. Thanks for the advice - awesome resource as ever.

Steve
Sunshine Coast
 
My levers are factory billet which they fitted to the Anniv. models, it may be that my pin is in a slightly different position and makes more contact than yours because of this, won't know for sure until daybreak.
 
Back
Top