No Neutral Light = No Start Help

[djbock]

So loving my recent acquisition of my 1100RT so far. Almost everything is working perfectly so far and and reading many posts on here have projects planned. Only one bothersome issue so far that I tried searching for but haven't been able to find so hoping to get some assistance.

 

The bike goes into neutral fine and shows a "0" on the RID but the neutral indicator light will not come on unless I roll a few feet. Unfortunately this results in the bike not being able to be started until I can get the neutral light on. Any suggestions? The only electrical work that the previous owners mentioned was the bypass of the side stand safety switch.

[Trobinson]

This is a common problem. Until you get the switch fixed just pull in the clutch and it will start.

[szurszewski]

This is a common problem. Until you get the switch fixed just pull in the clutch and it will start.

 

UNLESS the clutch switch is also on the way out (or gone). If you can't start the bike even with the clutch lever pulled, you can either replace that switch (it's at the lever) or clip the wires before the switch and splice the two together on the bike side of the cut. If you do that though remember you can now also start the bike in gear without pulling the clutch ... And in your case, also with the sidestand down - you'll surely be dead by the end of the weekend

 

 

[Jim Moore]

This is a common problem. Until you get the switch fixed just pull in the clutch and it will start.

 

UNLESS the clutch switch is also on the way out (or gone). If you can't start the bike even with the clutch lever pulled, you can either replace that switch (it's at the lever) or clip the wires before the switch and splice the two together on the bike side of the cut. If you do that though remember you can now also start the bike in gear without pulling the clutch ... And in your case, also with the sidestand down - you'll surely be dead by the end of the weekend

 

 

Yep. You can also pull the starter relay and jump hole 2 to hole 6 with a thin piece of wire (key on).

[tvpierce]

My 1100RT has an intermittent neutral light too -- has for as long as I've owned it. But I've never experienced any problem with it, because I've never tried to start it -- or any motorcycle or manual shift car/truck -- without first disengaging the clutch.

I guess that's because I learned to drive on vehicles that didn't have neutral safety switches.

Just seems like a bad practice to have the clutch lever out when hitting the starter.

[djbock]

Unfortunately I cannot start it with the clutch lever pulled in either. So guess I have to at least replace that switch.

 

Trobinson, which switch are you referring to?

[szurszewski]

Unfortunately I cannot start it with the clutch lever pulled in either. So guess I have to at least replace that switch.

 

Trobinson, which switch are you referring to?

 

That would be the neutral safety switch, which is located on the back of the transmission. Here's some info on it. My neutral light goes through periods where it decides to be flaky. That's how I found out my clutch switch was bad...and so I replaced it...and then that one failed too, so I spliced/shunted the wires together. So far, in the years that has been done, I have only tried to start the bike in gear and without pulling the clutch lever once. Actually that was a good safety feature then because it pointed out that I was both tired and losing focus.

 

Anyway, here's some more info on the matter:

http://bmwsporttouring.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=250490

[Trobinson]

Unfortunately I cannot start it with the clutch lever pulled in either. So guess I have to at least replace that switch.

 

Trobinson, which switch are you referring to?

As szurzewski said above the clutch switch would be first to replace and this is at the clutch lever. Should be pretty simple. I also have an intermittent neutral switch, but I just start with the clutch pulled in.

[Jim Moore]

Unfortunately I cannot start it with the clutch lever pulled in either. So guess I have to at least replace that switch.

 

Trobinson, which switch are you referring to?

A few guys have mentioned it, but the simple fix to that is to cut the wires going to the clutch switch (two yellow wires (iirc) in a black sheath on the left handlebar), strip them and wire them together. That should allow you to start the bike, whether you in gear or not. It takes ten minutes and it's free.

[AndyS]

Hmm, Jim in my manual I have the colour of those wires as:

(feed) Brown with a yellow trace and (return) brown.

 

There may be yellow tails on the switch, but I don't know.

[Jim Moore]

Hmm, Jim in my manual I have the colour of those wires as:

(feed) Brown with a yellow trace and (return) brown.

 

There may be yellow tails on the switch, but I don't know.

 

They might be. I did the mod about 15 years ago to my RT. I can't really remember the colors, but I thought they were both yellow.

[szurszewski]

Hmm, Jim in my manual I have the colour of those wires as:

(feed) Brown with a yellow trace and (return) brown.

 

There may be yellow tails on the switch, but I don't know.

 

They might be. I did the mod about 15 years ago to my RT. I can't really remember the colors, but I thought they were both yellow.

 

My recollection is two different colored wires, but that's about useful as any of my other recollections.

 

The important thing is that there are only two wires in there, and if you shunt them together on the bike side (doesn't matter what you do then on the switch side) the bike will think the clutch lever is being pulled...and you can start your bike (or, if you forget that it's in gear, run it into the wall of your garage ).