Side Stand Safety Switch?

[APDDave]

I bought a 2004 RT-P a while back and had a slight mishap with it yesterday, here is the question. I had the bike parked on a slight decline so I left it in gear when I cut it off to keep it from rolling forward off the kickstand. A short while later I got on the bike to leave and forgot that I had left it in first gear, hit the starter button like I have done a million times before and CRASH, the bike went foreward and crashed hard as I had the wheel turned to the left. Now in the past on any other bike I have ever owned, including my other two BMW's, the bike would not have started in gear with the kickstand down. Is there a problem with the safty switch on the sidestand or is it possible that on the RT-P that this feature is disabled for some unknown reason.

[KER]

If I read this correctly, you tried starting the bike (without holding the clutch) in gear and the started engaged and kicked the bike forward? If so, sounds like you clutch safety switch is bad(not the sidestand switch), since the engine will turn over with the kickstand down and in gear as long as you have the clutch pulled in (it wont start but will turn over).

[APDDave]

I was not aware that there were two diferent safty switches, clutch / sidestand. I just know that the bike should not start with it in gear, clutch not being held in, and the sidestand down. I was thinking that since it was an RT-P that it might be set up different than a standard bike. I have an identical 04 RT and it wont start with the sidestand down in gear unless I pull in the clutch.

[Woodie]

RTP's do have a slightly different configuration: They can start/idle with the side-stand down.

[KER]

RTP's do have a slightly different configuration: They can start/idle with the side-stand down.

 

Unless the sidestand switch has been bypassed,the bike cannot run (in gear) with the sidestand down, civilian or police bike.

 

--If the bike is in neutral, it will start with the side stand down, and without pulling in the clutch.

--If the side stand is down and in gear, you CAN engage the starter by pulling in the clutch (closing the clutch safety switch)but it will not start.

so if your clutch switch is broken or shorted (closed) it will let you enagage the starter ALL the time, regardless if its in gear or sidestand down.

 

--the clutch safety switch is there to allow you to start the bike IN GEAR with the kickstand up, otherwise you would constantly have to be in neutral to start the bike.

[APDDave]

Any idea as where to look for the switch or how to tell if it is the switch that is bad when I find it?

[dan cata]

Follow the wires from the side stand to the connector, unhook the connector, use a DVM and set it on the diode function, then play with the side stand, put it on and then retract it an see if that makes any difference on the DVM screen.

 

This might help you

 

http://advwisdom.hogranch.com/Wisdom/SSIBD.pdf