Relay(s) or Sidestand Switch?

[P3GA]

Here's a good one: Went for a ride Sunday, bike started & ran just fine.

 

Stopped for about 20 minutes, tried to restart the bike. No luck. Turned on the ignition, heard fuel pump do it's thing, checked to make sure bike was in Neutral, raised it off & retracted the sidestand, pulled in the clutch, pushed the start button and..... Nothing.

 

Turned everything off, went through the same exercise a few more times, zip.

 

Tried the drill one last time, but forgot to retract the sidestand, lo & behold it started & ran just fine.

 

I'd say the sidestand switch would be suspect, but considering it started with the stand down (instead of not starting with the stand up), I'm scratching my head on where to start.

 

Thoughts, ideas, & input appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Phil

[jrt]

First assumption is that you are indicating the starter is not engaging. Second assumption is that the neutral light is/was working.

The starter should work with the sidestand down or up- it only cuts out ignition when the bike is in gear and the clutch is let out. The clutch switch has to be activated every time for the starter to work, so I would suspect that or the relays. Since you 'went through the excercise a couple of times', that might have worked a bit of dirt or something out of the clutch switch.

Someone on this list posted a story about getting a bug caught in the switch and that messed it up. Otherwise....just short the clutch switch to eliminate it as a potential problem?

[dlaing]

Second assumption is that the neutral light is/was working.

Tricky problem.

Keep an eye on the neutral light while starting.

The neutral light going out will tell you if the neutral switch is bad.

Otherwise, starter relay, kickstand relay or clutch switch are the most likely culprits.

It sounds like the kickstand switch is doing its job, as it worked when it was down.

I am going to assume that the neutral light is working and put my money on the sidestand relay.

The relay failing will not effect the Neutral light.

Note the term sidestand relay is misleading as it is really a neutral relay, designed to bypass the current when the sidestand is down.

Your symtoms indicate that the current was not bypassed.

 

You may swap relays with an identical one. But make sure it is identical. The starter relay requires 5 contacts, while the others require 4.

Somewhere in the forum is listed which relay is which...

[francesco]

funny just happened the same to me, went for a 2 hours ride come back home, let the bike hiddle for 10 minutes and the engine turns off I tried to restart the bike and nothing did > the clutch swicht is working.

now I'm serching about those relays. anybody can pintpoint me to a tread?

oh i forgot was a great ride

[Mike Stewart]

I say, clutch switch.

 

Next time it happens, while holding the clutch lever in, hit the starter button and turn the bars lock to lock. It the motor starts to crank, then you have a bad connection at the clutch switch connector located under the fuel tank. I bypassed my clutch switch on my 03 Rosso (at the clutch switch connector) and have had zero problems since. Nothing like being at a gas station, trying to get your bike started while your buddys have already left down the road.

 

Good luck,

Mike

[callison]

I say, clutch switch.

 

Next time it happens, while holding the clutch lever in, hit the starter button and turn the bars lock to lock. It the motor starts to crank, then you have a bad connection at the clutch switch connector located under the fuel tank.  I bypassed my clutch switch on my 03 Rosso (at the clutch switch connector) and have had zero problems since.  Nothing like being at a gas station, trying to get your bike started while your buddys have already left down the road. 

 

Good luck,

                Mike

52464[/snapback]

 

And of course Moto Guzzi just had to make those connections with the cheapo unreliable bullet connectors instead of with an Amp connector like everywhere else on the bike. And then, to add insult to injury, placed the connectors out of reach unless you remove the tank.

[francesco]

oh man ok, any pics at all of this thing. I can't find it on the shop manual,

and about those relays I want to get some spares, where I get them and what I ask, on the owner manual I didn't find them, and if this info is hidden in that last folded page, please help me because I get dizzy just to look at it.

[dlaing]

I don't know about pics.

FWIW Carl's site has wiring diagrams and links to manuals:

http://home.pacbell.net/guzzi007/

http://home.pacbell.net/guzzi007/schematic...9_V11_sport.gif

http://home.pacbell.net/guzzi007/schematic...4_V11_sport.gif

For relays

http://www.dpguzzi.com/relay.htm

But you could also find other cross refs at http://www.guzzitech.com/

or if you search the Discussions here.

[P3GA]

Problem was isolated & solved last weekend - it was loose bullet connectors on the wires to / fr the clutch switch......I think Al had written in another post that if turning the bars to either side miracurously brings it back to life when the starter button is hit, the problem is there. And it was.

 

While the tank was off, I also removed the sidestand switch & tied those wires off. So with all this & new relays to boot, I should be in good shape until the next adventure starts.......

 

Thanks for all the input.

 

Phil

[Guest Ken Bruce]

Problem was isolated & solved last weekend - it was loose bullet connectors on the wires to / fr the clutch switch......I think Al had written in another post that if turning the bars to either side miracurously brings it back to life when the starter button is hit, the problem is there. And it was.

 

While the tank was off, I also removed the sidestand switch & tied those wires off. So with all this & new relays to boot, I should be in good shape until the next adventure starts.......

 

Thanks for all the input.

 

Phil

52576[/snapback]

 

 

I've had exactly same symptoms... my solution was remove the clutch switch and sidestand switch from the system... i wired them out ...small italian switches in wet dirty places will fail for sure... not a failed start since...