Safety switches?

I pulled my tank, bars, side covers and seat to do some clean up. I just reassembled tonight, and it won't start. Nothing happens when I hit the starter button. I was out of time to look much into it. I am hoping that I pulled the wire harness apart when I was shifting the tank around.

But if I didn't, what safety switches, if any, exist on my bike that would cut out the starter? I know that some bikes have a kill switch that kills the motor if you put it in gear with the kickstand down. Are there any safety switches that won't let the starter work? All the lights and horn and everything work.

#1 go to your profile and up date ur signiture so they know what bike ur talkin about. it is helpful

#2 did u pull the clutch when trying to start it.

thats about all i can help with i figured i would state the obvious and leave the major knowledge the rest and there is a pretty big pool of it on this site im sorry i cant help much other than that tho.

welcome to kz.

Won't start by will not turn over or won't run?

This covers the starting solenoid and motor:

Starter Solenoid Checkout

Some simple steps to determine what is working and what's not:

1.Fully charge and test the battery(most bike shops can load test the battery, and then use a floating ball hydrometer to check specific gravity in the charged cells).

2.Clean all battery terminals of corrosion.

3.Tighten all starting related connections(Positive RED(+) battery terminal, Negative BLACK(-)terminal) and from the terminal to the engine case. All connections must be clean and tight.

4.Clean the cable from the starter solenoid to the starter motor.

5.Clean and check the "bullet connectors" going to the coil side of the starter solenoid.

6.Try again to start the bike,make sure the clutch lever is squeezed as some Kawasaki's had this as an interlock to prevent cranking the engine in gear.

7.If no luck, go to step #8

8.Wearing eye protection, bridge with pliers or a screwdriver the two heavy duty(large)terminals on the solenoid. If the bike cranks, your solenoid may be bad.

9. If the starter won’t turn over, one of several things has happened; The starter motor has seized due to brushes binding up, lack of lubrication in the bushings of the motor, the battery is weak , the engine has seized or it could be a combination of any of the above. Some websites for starter motor rebuild kits are:

A. www.mawonline.com/newsite/rick_s_motorsp...-starter_brushes.htm

B. www.cyclewareables.com/pages/street_star...kits/startmtrkit.htm


10.The dealer may want $$$ for a new solenoid, but take your old one along and visit the nearest riding lawn mower shop. They have solenoids for about $15 that with a little work will fit. Be aware that the new solenoid from the lawn mower shop may require a ground wire for it to work.

11. I’d recommend upgrading from the existing battery cables to at least 6 gauge welding cables.
They are available in two colors(RED and BLACK) have more flexibility due to being constructed with finer conductors, and will fit in tighter areas.

12. The welding cable is sold by the foot, so take careful measurements or bring your old cables along. Most battery shops might be able to supply the cable too, so call to find out. The battery shop should be able to crimp/swage on the end of the welding cable the terminal ends or lugs using either a dedicated crimping machine or a tool that looks like a bolt cutter that has special dies to terminate the cable.


If this works, then check the input voltage to the coils,have the run/stop switch in the "Run" position, the tank off, and check the RED primary wire with a multimeter
to ground or the Negative(-) battery terminal.

You should get battery voltage at these areas.

Since this happened after you removed and reinstalled the tank my guess is that you accidentally disconnected the clutch safety switch.

The safety switch sits in your clutch perch and interrupts the wire going from the start button to the starter solenoid. Trace the wires coming down from the clutch switch, they connect to the harness with two bullet connectors right below the left front tank mount.

If you don't have the clutch switch it may have been bypassed - this is done by simply connecting the two wires the switch is supposed to plug into to each other.

Sorry, I thought I had my bike listed in my sig. Must have been a different forum.

Anyway, I push the starter button and nothing happens. I had disconnected the wires from the starter/kill switch box when I was re-routing everything. I know I plugged it back in, but perhaps it pulled apart when I was messing with everything.

I did mess with the clutch wires as well, perhaps I broke a wire?

Look inside the headlight housing as this is where a majority of wires go that connect with the main harness.

Hi:
My 1978 KZ650B2 has a faulty clutch/starter lock out switch.
I a have working replacement that is installed in a spare clutch lever perch. How do I get the lock out switch out of the perch. Is it just pressed in?

The switch has little tabs that stick out. When the switch is pushed into the lever assembly, the tabs pop out and fit into recesses in the holder. To get it out, you should really press the tabs in before pulling the switch out, but it may take three hands or a makeshift tool of some kind.

Found it. I broke the wire on the clutch switch. I jumpered it for now.

It ran (after I jump started it with my truck), but it still won't run right at low RPMs. I have to rev above 2500 to take off in first.