Clutch Switch

Wondered why my bike didn't start when I got it going, and it was the clutch switch,

And it had a peace of wire in the small connector block just stuffed in there that got dirty

Why has this failed? Is it just a matter of getting a new clutch leaver??

[northwind]

The switch or contacts, generally- but IMO it's better to just remove it and bin the switch. One less thing to break... The only time it helps is when you try to start it in gear with the sidestand up- the sidestand cutout is seperate so even without the clutch one you can't start in gear on the sidestand, there's a bit of duplication there.

Remove the whole switch? Would that not require pulling something out of the loom? I don't really like tinkering with electricals I don't really understand.

[northwind]

The switch just plugs into the loom. If you want to retain it, and the switch has failed, just replace the switch- but if you want to lose it, you cna bypas the switch just by connecting the 2 wires, and once you've done that you might as well remove it.

makes sence to me

I just bought a used 2001 SV650 and was surprised to find out that the previous owner had bypassed the clutch switch. I couldn't startup at all unless I had the clutch handle completely released. I'm new to motorcycles, but I was told to squeeze the clutch whenever you startup for safety. This modification, combined with my own stupidity, caused me to drop the bike on my way home from the dealer (stalled at an intersection, remembered that I had to have the clutch out in order to startup, but forgot to put it in neutral first - i started in first gear and the bike jerked forward). Anyway, I was wondering - Are there reasons other than having startup issues due to a faulty switch to make this mod? Can you actually start it in gear like that and get moving right away?

Hi,

Sorry to hear about you dropping your new bike.

I've a 2001 Curvy too which I have modified to do away with the clutch switch. You should be able to start it with the lever pulled in (safest way) or out (lazy way). Can't see how the switch would work the opposite way.

Is the switch still attached to the lever mount?

[flymo]

Hase, this is the point of the switch in the first place. Its a safety feature to help you in case you forget to disengage the clutch (squeeze the lever) when you start the bike.

For the cost of one, why not simply just replace it with a good new one (?10 for genuine Suzuki spare). There is no reason why it should not be reliable. You may also be able to get away with just giving the little switch a squirt of WD40. Best way is to remove the switch from the bike (very easy, just one screw underneath) and then find somewhere you can squirt WD into. Once you've done this open and close the switch 20 or 30 times with your hand by pressing the little microswitch button. Pop it back on the bike and give it a go.

[northwind]

Originally Posted by hasek6

I just bought a used 2001 SV650 and was surprised to find out that the previous owner had bypassed the clutch switch. I couldn't startup at all unless I had the clutch handle completely released.

That's not right- if you bypass the switch entirely then the clutch lever makes no difference at all to how the bike starts. There's something else going on here.

I removed it, because it's annoying and it's a thing to go wrong and leave you standing in the rain working out why the bike won't start.

Thanks for the responses. My previous description was kind of vague, so I'll try to be a little more specific. I was having such a hard time getting the bike home that I took it back to the dealer where I bought so that the mechanic there could undo whatever the previous owner did (so I would be able to squeeze the clutch while I started the engine - useful, since I knew I would be stalling a lot for the first few rides). The mechanic wasn't able to easily identify what was causing the problem, but he was able to fix it, at least temporarily. There's a wire that comes out of the base of the handgrip on the left handelbar (kind of near the horn button) that is now attached to the handelbar with electrical tape. It looks like that wire, when it comes out at the other end of the electrical tape, ends in a plug that's meant to be connected to two prongs at the base of the clutch lever, but the plug is no longer connected. I'm not sure what's going on underneath the electrical tape, but there's a bulge in the middle of it (maybe he fused two wires together?). I can start the motorcycle with the clutch squeezed in now, and don't really want to mess around with what he did until I get a better feel for whats going on.
So, to answer petevtwin650, I don't think the clutch switch is still connected to the lever mount (is the switch the plug piece, or something else?). Also, I didn't know that a clutch switch was so cheap - I'll probably buy another one and try replacing the current one first. If that doesn't work, does anyone know how hard it would be to work on the wiring in that area? thanks!