Quick Help.. Hope I didnt buy a lemon

[brindle19]

Ok just bought the bike. I am havin carb trouble. Have a nice size leak. So the gas is extremely low in the tank if any.. but anyway. I pull the clutch in it starts right up. As soon as i hit it down or up into a gear with the cluth in yet it shuts right off.. this is my first bike am i doin something wrong do i have a major problem

[blazingkat]

is your kickstand down? if it is there is a killswitch on it when you put it in gear

[blazingkat]

if not your switch might be bad that is on the kickstand

[iwannadie]

check the clutch cable too it might need adjusting? could be that its not disengaging the clutch all the way when your popping into gear? just an idea

[The CyberPoet]

if not your switch might be bad that is on the kickstand

is your kickstand down? if it is there is a killswitch on it when you put it in gear

+1

The system has several safety interlocks. The basic five circuit parts involved are:
1. The ignition (key in the "ON" position)
2. The run switch (switch in the "ON" position)
3. The clutch lever sensor switch (only affects starting -- clutch must be pulled in, closing the switch).
4. The neutral sensor. This tells the bike whether the bike is in gear or in neutral.
5. The sidestand switch which gets switched on when the sidestand is up correctly. Any time the engine is on, the neutral sensor says the bike isn't in neutral, and the sidestand switch opens, the engine gets shut off. This is a safety feature to keep a dragging sidestand from catching something at speed and knocking you off the bike.

Usually, when something goes bad, it's either the clutch sensor switch not letting the starter engage because it's not closing right (and the bike won't turn the starter at all), or it's the sidestand switch open (and the bike kills itself as soon as it is popped into gear). You're describing the second situation.

Why sidestand switches fail:
(A) Previous owner may have used the sidestand as a pivot point to rotate the bike. Doing this tends to elongate the hole the bolt which holds the sidestand on goes through, causing it to mis-seat. Solution to this is a bit of a PIA - remove the stand, weld the hole closed (or down) and redrill/retap. Most owners with this problem tend to go the other way and simply disable the switch (which is a cheap fix, but not a good one, IMHO).
(B) Sidestand springs get old. The result is the sidestand hangs slightly limp in it's up position. Easy to test for -- tape the sidestand up and see if the problem goes away... and easy to fix -- install new springs to repair.
(C) The wires to the switch or the switch itself get damaged in a spill, or the wires get worn down on the engine over years of vibration. Easy to spot, easy to fix (cut & replace wires, heat-shrink over the new ones).
(D) The switch itself gets clogged with dirt or dried up chain lube. Spray with WD-40 while pushing the plunger in-and-out until it moves freely.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet