Faulty ignition?

**Gareth123** · 21st November 2009, 09:58

My bike kicks over really sweet and easy. The problem is that the key is in the off position.

Any advice? Is it the ignition or something else? None of the lights light up when the key is off.

My bike is a GL145 but the barrel and piston are off an XR200. The new barrel and piston are only 450km old.

**F5 Dave** · 23rd November 2009, 15:58

You mean it starts?

So you have to kill teh engine with the kill switch?

on some cheaper bikes they just used the switch as a kill, so you could hotwire the bike by unplugging the ignition switch (course the lights didn't work). Japanese didn't understand that this would be an issue when the thieves found out.

Sounds like you have a broken wire or dirty contact that earths out the ign cct.

hmm, not sure if Honda did it this way on their 4 strokes. Dig up a wiring diagram on the net & have a look at the makes & breaks on the ign switch.

**kwaka_crasher** · 23rd November 2009, 16:20

Originally Posted by Gareth123

My bike kicks over really sweet and easy. The problem is that the key is in the off position.

Why is that a problem? Unless you want to start it or are already riding it, that's where the key should be.

**Gareth123** · 23rd November 2009, 21:29

Originally Posted by kwaka_crasher

Why is that a problem? Unless you want to start it or are already riding it, that's where the key should be.

Makes it pretty easy to steal though doesn't it. Don't need to hotwire the bike, its already done for you. Besides not being able to turn the engine off and having to stall it is a bit embarrassing.

Mechanic reckons I've earthed out a contact somewhere. Just have to find it.

**kwaka_crasher** · 24th November 2009, 00:07

Originally Posted by Gareth123

Makes it pretty easy to steal though doesn't it. Don't need to hotwire the bike, its already done for you. Besides not being able to turn the engine off and having to stall it is a bit embarrassing.

Mechanic reckons I've earthed out a contact somewhere. Just have to find it.

So by "kicks over really sweet and easy" you actually meant can be started without the key? Because any bike with a kick start will still kick over even without a key at all.

As Jules said in Pulp Fiction... "English, motherfucker! Do you speak it?"

I'm done with this.

**hayd3n** · 24th November 2009, 05:55

check to see if a yellow wire has been pulled from under the ignition that is how we rode my cousins dirt bike when we lost the key

**Gareth123** · 24th November 2009, 20:36

Originally Posted by kwaka_crasher

So by "kicks over really sweet and easy" you actually meant can be started without the key? Because any bike with a kick start will still kick over even without a key at all.

As Jules said in Pulp Fiction... "English, motherfucker! Do you speak it?"

I'm done with this.

Hey, I knew what I was talking about, not my fault if you can't keep up

Originally Posted by hayd3n

check to see if a yellow wire has been pulled from under the ignition that is how we rode my cousins dirt bike when we lost the key

Thanks for the advice. Will have a look tomorrow.