Kill switch doesn't work

The kill switch on my 77 KZ1000 does not work. Turning it to either off position does not shut the motor off. Any thoughts before I start chasing wires?

Thanks

Someone(previous owner)may have bypassed it internally.
Remove the 2 (phillips-head)screws holding the assembly onto the handlbars,and take a look inside.

Or it could just be that the contacts are worn out,or even just dirty(corroded).

Either way...pull it apart and have a look-see...

I would just shut it off with the key, that switch has been a pain for me in the past

As has been noted, the switch has been bypassed. It normally doesn't help to clean the contacts although that should be done when you clean up the switch. The normal reason that the kill switch stops working is that there is a small BB used as a detent. The BB rides along a channel in the plastic. As the switch wears, the channel wears and gets deeper and the top doesn't fit as tightly against the bottom of the switch and the contacts don't work as good. To fix the problem you can use a spring loaded wave washer and install between the top and bottom. Bend the contacts where they will touch and the spring remove the sloppiness from the contacts and stiffens the turning of the knob. I have fixed switches in this manner and it works fine. The problem with not having the kill switch working is that if you kill the engine and forget to use the key to turn the power off, the coils will eventually melt from heat built up because the bike isn't running... they are air cooled.

wiredgeorge,

Thanks for the great info. What exactly is a spring loaded wave washer and where would I find one? I'd like to hook the switch back up.

Thanks

A wave washer is a spring as well... looks like a washer but isn't flat... has a wave in it that causes it to spring and add tension. Not sure where to get one. I just have a lot of this type junk... perhaps a hardware?