Opening Statement: starter switch story

[TX9898]

Hello, everyone. I'm new to the site and this is my first post.

I'll just relate a story from last week concerning a non-starting bike. It is further evidence of the weakness of the starter switch.

I came out to the bike for the first time in about four weeks, due to some cold weather and busy work. I anticipated that it would have trouble starting up and might require a charge. The battery gave a surprisingly good set of turns -- and the engine was very close to catching on -- but would sputter out. After about five attempts the ignition completely quit. The headlight and indicator lights were on...but pressing the starter switch did nothing.

I charged the battery and got the same result. I went out and got a new battery (since I can't remember installing the current one, anyway). Of course, it was an unlikely fix given that the starter wasn't even attempting to turn over. Furthermore, I would get no solenoid click when listening carefully. All fuses checked out...with special attention to the ignition fuse.

It seemed like a very suspicious situation. The bike had no trouble turning at first, but just gave out after about four or five attempts. I began to suspect the starter itself. Perhaps I had torn it up while starting and immediately applying gas.

In the end, I just took the starter switch apart, blew in it, and put it back together. The bike worked just fine after that. I'm still not certain what specifically caused the trouble. Maybe it's a weak contact or a loose ground. A few days later it acted up again. After banging on the right handlebar, the bike started with no trouble.

I suppose these are the trials to expect with a decade-old motorcycle.

[roboto65]

Yeah true and Welcome to the club a little dielectric grease next time in the switch will curb corrosion !!!

[Magnum Magna]

Welcome to the MOOT.
The kill switch I believe has been the gremlin for many but it is good you found the start switch as the problem.

[hootmon]

Welcome to the board from Safety Harbor, Floriduh
.. I have a '94 and replaced the starter switch a couple years back. Bought one used via the internet  - you get the whole right switch assembly.. Just replace the switches in your existing housing, that way you don't have to mess with the throttle cables..
Just my 2c
I've also had to replace my wifes starter switch on her '03 Sabre..

[Jester]

I had a problem with my kill switch.  I ended up taking it apart and putting a solder iron on the solder spots.   The factory solder didn't look like it should have.  Poor job on their part but after that little fix it ended my problems

[Smoked U]

My switch left me stranded 8 miles from the house one night.

At the dealership, I found out that the replacement part (whole switch/cable assembly) is a new part number that supersedes all of the older switches for the 3rd generation magna.

Soooooo...

Honda knows they have a problem with the original switch assemblies.

Feel free to tinker around with your old one as much as you like, but it is going to leave you crying some where you don't want to be one day in the future.

My advice is to go pony up the cash and get the new one.

[TLRam1]

On the bike I just bought I have a starter switch issue I will be working out. 

[Jester]

I dunno, any machine that is human made can leave you stranded.  When I first bought the magna it had a toggle switch in place of the start switch because it had failed.   After resoldering the contacts i rode over 4000 miles without any problems.  Then that bonehead lady wrecked me so I don't know how much longer it would have lasted.  I just didn't want to pay so much for a silly switch

[trapper]

On the bike I just bought I have a starter switch issue I will be working out. 

Grrrrrr.....lol   

[TLRam1]

On the bike I just bought I have a starter switch issue I will be working out. 

Grrrrrr.....lol   

I knew it going in so I'm alright, now when I see his spaghetti mess inside....lol I'm going to have to figure out what part is out and the wiring on this. He said he wired a button straight to the solenoid. If I hit the starter factory switch the lights dim, until I get in there, I dunno.

Is there an area of the starter circuit with known problems?

[Jester]

how did you do that emoticon pleaseeee someone tell meeee

[TLRam1]

         

All you have to do is pay the piper..... < Greg

[ezrydr]

The ignition switch on my old 750 Honda Four died on me on a very lonely road in Mexico with dark coming on.  Fortunately a couple of Mexican guys in a truck stopped and gave me a hand (their troubleshooting method consisted of taking a length of wire and jumping across various switches looking for a spark and saying, "Es bueno?"  "Si, es bueno," until they found the problem) and we managed to hotwire the bike well enough for me to make it to the border - the last about half an hour in the dark, a very interesting situation on a Mexican road because we hadn't succeeded in hooking up the headlight - and next day I built a jury rig to take me as far as Corpus Christi.  Where the Honda shop wanted a ridiculous sum for an OEM switch, so I went down the road to an Auto Shack and bought a generic pickup truck switch for $7.50 and it was still on the bike and working perfectly a couple of years later when a tard in a Silverado wrecked the bike under me.

The one on my GS1000 packed it in too, eventually, and I replaced it in the same way, but I never had as much success with the replacement.  I don't know what the difference was.

So far no problems with Maggie May.

[TX9898]

Real cool -- thanks for the welcoming. This is just the kind of conversation I was hoping would spring up.

The problem may be the starter switch or the kill switch. I only cleaned out the starter switch, however, at which point it started up.

My advice is to go pony up the cash and get the new one.

Yes, I'm in the market for a new switch. I don't want to know what it costs, though. I'll be asking my Honda shop in the next couple of days.

and next day I built a jury rig to take me as far as Corpus Christi.  Where the Honda shop wanted a ridiculous sum for an OEM switch, so I went down the road to an Auto Shack and bought a generic pickup truck switch for $7.50 and it was still on the bike and working perfectly a couple of years later when a tard in a Silverado wrecked the bike under me.

I'm not opposed to doing this as well. I wish I could take a look at a finished job like that. Did you rig the button into the existing housing and keep the kill switch together?

Ah, the Corpus shop...where it takes one hour to find the price and then another hour to realize they don't have the part in stock.

[hootmon]

Is there an area of the starter circuit with known problems?

Ahhh Yeeeeeahhhhh.. The starter switch and the Kill Switch..  Duuuuuhhhhhh...
That's my best Valley boy impression!!
Both my stater switch and my wifes had the same symptom.. IF you would push the switch all the way in, then let the switch out just a little and jiggle it around, you could catch a point where it would start.. This point became harder and harder to find as time went on.. I tried contact cleaner, etc..
Again.. Replaced with Used switch from Junk Yard (re-using my aluminum housing so I didn't have to play with the throttle cables..) The switches were $50 - $65 bucks.. and came with the entire right housing and switches.. I never heard of a kill switch going bad.. I hope I saved my old switches!!! Not sure...