Engine Stop Switch Sticky... Sucks.

hi, all.

my engine stop switch located right above the electric ignition button is sticking and sometimes won't move.

it is quite handy to using your right thumb to flick to kill ignition as opposed taking hand off grip to turn key.

anyone have an idea why and what i can try to do to remedy this?

Post edited by: R3SP3CT™, at: 2007/02/15 23:32

R3SP3CT™ wrote:

hi, all.

my engine stop switch located right above the electric ignition button is sticking and sometimes won't move...

Hello R2D2C3PO and welcome to the forum.
Spray it!!!
Give it a shot of PB Blaster or 2-4D. These sprays are electrically non-conductive, so it will harm nothing to try. You don't even need to work switch at the time you spray, just let the lube do it's thang for a day. If it does not loosen up, then you can disassemble to see what is rusted or broken. Make decision at that time whether to repair or replace.
If you disassemble, use some white lithium assembly grease on contacts and each rub point before reassembling.

Post edited by: JimatMilkyWay, at: 2007/02/16 00:03

The switch should be taken apart and inspected. You will note that there is a contact which allows current to pass through and two non-contact positions. The top of the switch has a spring and there is a slot with a "BB" riding in it. If the switch is sticky, the slot is either worn or the spring has lost its tension. If the slot is worn, seems to me you can shim the switch with a thin and flat washer to lift it some so it will ride in the slot better and put in a new spring or stretch the old one to restore some of its springiness. Since these kill switches are old, I avoid using mine to stop the bike and use the key instead. Once the switches start getting buggy, the bike may start dying out on the road, more or less on its own so it is best not to wear the switch out any more than necessary.

I guess what you're saying is that you leave your switch on 24/7?

Mine's frozen in the ON position. If it's gonna be stuck, that's the postion it should be stuck in.
If you use it all the time, it may get loose, and could bounce to the OFF position when you're riding. My advice is don't use it.

JimatMilkyWay wrote:

R3SP3CT™ wrote:

hi, all.

Hello R2D2C3PO and welcome to the forum.

Just saw that. . .

Kind of reminds me of alphabit soup

alpha betcky jekyl menopkee steuartwitz

loses a little in the translation, sorry

thanks for the input george + all.

i think maybe ill let sleeping dogs lie and leave 'er be for now until i really want to take 'er apart.

ill use the key so i can keep ridin'.

cheers,
c.

Too bad you are so,o,o, far off.
If you want, load 'er up in the truck and head down here to the nice, warm, sunny south and I would be more'n happy to help you out with it. It really is a cinch to check out. Getting a little wiggle room from the wires is probably the hard part.

If you are "handy" with things like this, I'd recommend taking it apart for inspection and cleaning. My switch had a similar problem.

I took it apart and found that not only had the switch gotten all gummed up, the wire's insulation had also warn thorugh where the wire pokes through the hole in the handlebar, causing a potential short.

It wasn't too difficult to clean up and put back together. Just be careful to not let the little parts (the spring & BB)go flying when you open it up. I replaced the bad wire, and put it all back together. It now works perfectly.

I just had to replace my kill switch, and I found out the plastic knob was getting cracked. Look closely there if you do take it apart. I wound up buying an ebay throttle assembly and replaced the switch and starter button too.

i have dismantled it and the plastic knob internals had cracked into a few pieces. if i had left it would've probably been fine but at least now i know. for now i am connecting the 2 wires with some wire and electrical tape in order to keep the current constant so i can start the bike.

now i need to either replace the switch knob or just leave her be without it.

if anyone has an extra or suggestions...

thanks for all the input.

c.

g,day to our mate in canada , mate i had the same thing happened
the kz or as we say z 9,s and 750,s all had the same kill switch
try a wrecker or let me know i have an old guy in town who has boxes laying under old gum trees and lean toos
can post ya bits for not much canga i,d say
let me know they are easy to fix
graeme