LeMans won't start

[Paul Guzzi]

I bought a 2002 LeMans a few months ago. Now we have some OK weather. Put on the helmet, jacket, gloves. Bike stalled. Dead. Battery and oil light on, but not neutral light (yes, it was in neutral). Push the start button and nothing. Turn key off and back on, no FI sound, no clicks, no start. Rolled it back in and hooked up the battery tender again until the light was green. disconnected the BT and turned the key. Oil light and battery light, no neutral light, no FI sound, nothing when I pushed the start button. Put meter on the battery. Reads 13 volts. Lights work, horn works, turn signals work, fuses are good.

 

SO, what's the most likely place to start? I'm no mechanic, but I pretty much get how internal combustion engines work. I own 13 of them. Just new to this fuel injected Guzzi. Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Paul

[Admin Jaap]

I bought a 2002 LeMans a few months ago. Now we have some OK weather. Put on the helmet, jacket, gloves. Bike stalled. Dead. Battery and oil light on, but not neutral light (yes, it was in neutral). Push the start button and nothing. Turn key off and back on, no FI sound, no clicks, no start. Rolled it back in and hooked up the battery tender again until the light was green. disconnected the BT and turned the key. Oil light and battery light, no neutral light, no FI sound, nothing when I pushed the start button. Put meter on the battery. Reads 13 volts. Lights work, horn works, turn signals work, fuses are good.

 

SO, what's the most likely place to start? I'm no mechanic, but I pretty much get how internal combustion engines work. I own 13 of them. Just new to this fuel injected Guzzi. Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Paul

Replace the relais by decent ones. Do a forum search for Siemens relais and you'll be sorted.

[dlaing]

Try putting your sidestand up when starting. If it starts, you likely have a bad sidestand relay (actually it is neutral switch relay but manual refers to it as sidestand relay), or a bad neutral switch.

If it does not start, let us know and we will go from there.

[pille]

dlaing, the neutral switch, where can I find it on the bike? I have the same problem with my bike. relays , battery, microswich on the clutch are ok. is it an easy fix, the neutral thing? sometimes it just won't start.

pille

[macguzzi]

problem really crap components connected to really crap components by realyy crap wire

[stormsedge]

sounds like the neutral switch symptoms I experienced...located on lower left rear of transmission---look under the starter...make sure you are in neutral, disconnect wire and run to a ground...it should start. it's a simple screw out, screw in change...you will lose only a little trans fluid if you are quick. k

[twhitaker]

Try it again with the clutch lever pulled in.

[Paul Guzzi]

Try putting your sidestand up when starting. If it starts, you likely have a bad sidestand relay (actually it is neutral switch relay but manual refers to it as sidestand relay), or a bad neutral switch.

If it does not start, let us know and we will go from there.

 

Thanks. I put up the side stand and it started. I put the side stand back down and it instantly stopped. Now that I know what I'm looking for, it should be easy to fix. Best Regards, Paul

[renato]

Im having a similar problem,turn key and hit starter button nothing,bike in neutral,side stand up or down,ive turned the cutoff switch on and off many times then it will start ????? can it be a bad relay?

[Richard]

I had a similar problem, it turned out to be the kill switch on the right hand controls which was at fault. I am on my third one. I ended up taking it apart and found that the contact which needs to be made on the switch for the bike to run was only just making contact, however it would make a good contact with the other contact when in the other position, so I swapped the wires to the switch over (so now run is kill and kill is run) and all is right and well with the world.

[raz]

I swapped the wires to the switch over (so now run is kill and kill is run) and all is right and well with the world.

that may be a nice anti theft device too

[JackBoots]

I read on here somewhere about a connection under the tank that gets loose or corroded.

 

Turning the handlebars full left puts tension on the connector and allows the bike to start.

 

I've been too lazy to pull the tank and look for it, but this is indeed a technique that I use to start my bike probably 20% of the time

[JackBoots]

I finally took off the tank to clean and lube the bullet cable connectors from the clutch lever switch.

 

Problem solved!! I no longer have to slam my handlebars to the left to start my bike! (of course now without Guzzi's secret kill switch feature I will actually have to lock up my bike)

 

Another problem that cropped up was that the neutral light wouldn't come on making it impossible to have the bike running with the side stand down.

 

I pulled the neutral switch and sprayed it down with WD40 while operating the plunger up and down numerous times. It worked like a charm!! All good now!