kill switch

Quick question for you guys, If the kill switch is on, will there be any power at the start switch?
drove to the gas station today just fine, and then when i went to leave the engine wouldn't start, not trying to turn over at all.

Walked it back down the street to my house, and checked at the switch and I had some minimal reading .15 volts at the wires going into the pushbutton start. So then I tried to jump the solenoid, it turned over just fine, but that's it, turned over forever and never fired.
My guess is that I am grounded out somewhere (same thing as the kill switch being on) but I was wondering if that kill switch is on, would the start button do nothing? or should it turn over and just not start?

Did you pull in the clutch when using the electric starter? Ed

Yes, i have it tied off at the moment,
I've got some sort of electrical problem, just not entirely sure what. But when i use a jumper wire to jump the solenoid it turns over but does not fire, it's like the kill switch is set to kill.
Oh and nothing happens when you actually use the start button.

I can just see Ed's fingernails rapping against the desktop now. So I'll spare him the question that you will have to answer before anyone could possibly help with some knowledgeable base...

What model and year is your bike?

There are some great wiring diagrams available (Ed may even provide a handy link here for you) but without the above model and year known, it's a guessing game.

its a 77 kz650
i have wiring diagrams but they are pretty useless as this bike has been rewired by someone, almost every wire is red. but if i sit down i could figure them all out.

mine was really just a general question.. if you turn on your kill switch and then hit the start button, does it turn over and not fire, or does it do nothing? right now mine is doing nothing, But when i use a wire to jump across the solenoid it will turn over all day long, but not fire.
Weird that it worked fine, and then i stopped for gas and all of a sudden ive got some electrical issue.

Ah. I see.
OK. Well then. Kill switch to run, clutch lever pulled in, starter button pressed will roll the starter and the engine will (hopefully) fire-up.

Given your description, it sounds perhaps like a wire has come loose and made an open in the starter circuit. Probably one of those "rewired in red entirely" wires the PO left for you to decypher...

EDIT: Wait a sec... You do have your ignition key on too right? Kinda' assumed this but hey, you never know... Maybe it got flipped over by accident?

Exactly

When the kill switch is at On or Run then it supplies power to the ignition coils ( you should see 12V at the red wire at the coils) and also to the start button. Between the start button and the solenoid you have the clutch lockout switch.

It sounds like you can bridge the solenoid and turn the motor but it wont fire/spark. Probably because no power at kill switch then no for sure no powerat coils.
Trace back looking for voltage and connectivity between ignition switch ( big connector in headlight bucket) and kill switch . Probably a bad connection or broken wire

Kill switch off nothing will happen. On the starter will work as well as the coils. If they don't, that's where to look.
Steve

Thanks, you have answered my question, at least I now know where to start looking. Was really hoping to ride this thing for the year and then try to take rewiring it next year. But it looks like I might have to at least tear it down and try to figure out what PO did.

Does it have points?
Steve