Faulty Neutral Light

[choldy]

My neutral light seems to have packed in :( When I mess with the sidestand switch it sometimes kind of flickers. I can start the bike as usual with the stand down and the clutch in or the sidestand up but either way there's no neutral light. Is the neutral light and sidestand switch connected in some way, if its dodgy might it affect the neutral light?

[choldy]

Any electrical experts in the house? In order to do some problem solving I want to eliminate the side stand switch as the cause. The switch is connected to the main loom by two bullet connectors beside the battery. I'm assuming the switch works by effectively completing a circuit when the side stand is up and depressing the switch if I get a short length of wire, put the appropriate bullet connectors on it and connect the two ends of wire that feed the sidestand together to make a continuous circuit that should fool the bike into thinking the side stand is up all the time? At least that would allow me to start the bike with the sidestand down to warm it up, is this the way others have eliminated the sidestand switch????

[jape]

Choldy, I have forgotten all I knew about electrics so I hope a real expert comes along. I just try it out and with bikes it is rare I do anything really bad, however with modern electronics that may be a risk ... my car still hasn't fully recovered, 'sort of works' but that is better than 'stopped working' which was the original problem! Sorry.

It may be the other way around in your case. Just disconnect and see. I say that because although I agree with your logic mine got 'eliminated' when it was ripped off in the bush ages ago and the bike still works without any re-connection of wires needed.

I take about fifty attempts to find neutral anyway on the Kinlon, especially in heavy boots. Usually I just stall it out and restart with clutch in. Doesn't always let me do that though, has its own mind and logic so then I fiddle. Flicker? Well at least the bulb is OK. Check the switch if you can locate it. The side-stand switch may be connected as on some bikes the neutral switch is also meant to isolate the start circuit so it doesn't start in gear. Which actually means the fault could be neutral switch, sidestand switch or elsewhere in that particular circuit. My logic is always flawed, so I just reckon if it works, leave it alone, if it sorta works, leave it alone, if it breaks, try anything and everything in despair. That goes for anything once you start DIY. I recommend DIY as it saves a lot of money and can be rewarding but there is a risk of harm, self harm and ending up spending more than it would have cost in the first place to get a proper job done. If you can find a 'proper jobber'.
You can set fire to things with bad luck or judgement. Use your nose a lot.

[choldy]

Cheers Jape, I know what you mean about fiddling. But I can't help myself, stuff that doesn't do what it should just irritates me and I have to fiddle with it till I get it working, even if, as you say, I break some stuff on the way. I actually stripped all the bodywork and worked from the headlight to the taillight last weekend packing every electrical connector I could see with dialectic grease. It may turn out to be as simple as a connector that's come undone, I'll let you know once I've isolated the issue. I translated a bit more of the portugese manual and I've traced the wire for the neutral sensor so provided that is still properly connected I'll just follow the wire round the bike to see where it leads me:)

[jape]

A truly dedicated DIYer! I wasn't trying to put you off, I take things to bits all the time, just that despite good qualifications in electronics and so on I reckon over a life time I have probably only managed to get half of them working again. Started when I set fire to the house accidentally, then I 'fixed' my pushbike and the loose light-clamp on the fork turned into the wheel and I ended up unconscious with a broken nose at 12. Still didn't stop me, just made me more ugly, but I do have a shed full of half-done 'projects' that are unsaveable. Probably enough scrap and copper cable there to buy a new m'bike. Hmmm. I shall follow that thought up. Luckily I don't presently have a wife to nag me so the sheds are all mine. Anyway, some of that stuff is valuable 'one day' material.

I admire your pluck, just suggest you keep the fire-extinguisher and first-aid kit handy mate. Looks like we don't have any electrical experts on forum at present to assist you, so you are doing it right. I would take shortcuts, you don't, so you have a good chance of a win.

[choldy]

ok so tonight I disconnected the sidestand switch and created a circuit by bridging the connectors. This is a 'little' better, now I can start the bike with the sidestand down and the clutch engaged. I can then disengage the clutch and the bike will continue to run, so at least I can now let her warm up on the stand. With the sidestand switch connected the bike will cut out when the stand is lowered even when the bike is in neutral.
I don't however have a neutral indication on the dash. Now my manual says that the sidestand switch, clutch switch and the neutral switch are part of a circuit. So I'm going to replace sidestand switch and see where I am with that fitted before tearing into the neutral switch.