Bike will not start - Help!

I went for a 50 mile run yesterday, came home, and put the bike in the shed. It ran great all day, no trouble.

This morning I went out to start it and it just kept turning over but wouldn't start. All the fuses look good.

When I turn the key on the neutral light and oil light come on. The turn signals come on, front and back, but they don't blink. Tail lights and brake lights work. The fuel pump doesn't make a noise, windshield doesn't work, dash lights don't work, and headlights don't come on.

When I turn the bike off and take the key out, the neutral light and oil light stay on. I have to disconnect the battery to make them go off.

Any ideas? I've had the bike for 8 years and 50,000 miles with no problems.

Based on the fact that the neutral and oil lights stay on without the key seems to point to an issue with the switch the key controls.

I wonder if @jheath will pitch in as I believe he's dealt with this before.


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Also could be a failed ground wire in the wire harness. There are several threads you can find that show the melted green/ground wire, with lights/indicators similarly staying on.

Tomorrow i will try some contact cleaner in the switch. Where does the green ground wire come from the dash or the ingition switch?

I've fixed three with the same problem. It's a bad ground wire that has failed at a multi pin connector. It's either the 26? Pin connector under the left upper cowl, or the yellow multi pin connector behind the right headlight. The lights staying on is a sure sign. Here's what the right side connector looks like. You can see the spot where one on the wires got hot. On that connector, just cut all the wires loose, connect them all together, and add another wire connected to the frame.

I don't have a pic of the left side connector, but I think there's a picture, floating around here somewhere, from when I fixed the problem for Indian Express. (Fali). On that connector, you have to run a jumper wire around the connector, from one side to the other, bypassing the pins in the connector. It also helps to tie another wire to the jumper and take it to ground.

If you can remove/replace the Tupperware and can do some basic wiring, you can do this in about 4 hours. We can help.

Ride Safe
John

Pictures of the ground wire repair at the 24 pin wire harness connector. My symptoms weren't the same as yours but I'd still try this first. The green wire ground faults through the 24 can present differently but many are fixed by fashioning a low resistance ground.

https://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?124335-Fixed-my-electrical-problem-(headlights-dash-lites-horn-turn-signals-windshield)&highlight=

Thank you, i'll check out the connector. I've had the tupperware off and change the thermostat about 6 years ago. I printed out the tupperware sheet then.

Dave, thanks for finding some pics of the 24 pin connector. Zebman's bike is doing exactly what Seawalker's bike was doing a couple of months ago. His problem was the burned contact in the yellow connector, but I went ahead and jumped his 24 pin as a preventive measure. I fixed both on my ST1300 before they caused any problems, after seeing several bikes with troubles.

John

DavidR8 said:

Based on the fact that the neutral and oil lights stay on without the key seems to point to an issue with the switch the key controls.

I wonder if @jheath will pitch in as I believe he's dealt with this before.

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Yes, I'll chip in, but have no personal experience of it. There was a specific problem that BigBuzz had, and I was able to provide some theoretical insight into tests that could be carried out, based on the wiring diagram alone.

That discussion was here : https://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?161098-Electrical-Shut-Down-PLEASE-HELP!!!&p=2046556&highlight=#post2046556

And there is another one here : https://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?98008-Lights-stay-on-when-ignition-switch-in-Off-bike-won-t-start

Which may help.

But if the correct lights come on, but don't work as intended, that it suggests an earthing or battery connection problem - as suggested.

That yellow terminal block connects a whole load of earth wires together. Electrical circuits will find their own way to earth, often through other components, if a decent earth does not exist. (The sort of effect that you see when someone hitches a trailer up to their vehicle for the first time in ages). The yellow connector can fail if extra equipment is added using existing earth wires. All of that extra current goes through that terminal bock and it can overheat and melt.

Thanks for the info

Ok i just checked the 24pin connector did not see or smell any melted wire's. When i go to check the yellow multi pin connector behind the right headlight what will i to remove to get to it? Thanks again for all the help.

zebman said:

Ok i just checked the 24pin connector did not see or smell any melted wire's. When i go to check the yellow multi pin connector behind the right headlight what will i to remove to get to it? Thanks again for all the help.

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When we repaired Fali's bike, we just took off the right upper cowl, but when I worked on Seawalker's bike, I also removed the windscreen and upper front cowling to gain better access. It's kind of tight dealing with that many wires. If you have looked at the 24 pin connector, I would still put a jumper wire around the connector and also tie it to the frame. Only take a few minutes and saves worrying about later down the road.

Thanks, i'll have to wait till wednesday to look the connector. I got to work 12 hour days mon. and tuesday. Thanks for the help

Hi Zebman,
just a thought, try starting the bike with side stand up , and down, it may be something simple as this side stand switch failing... don't know if you have done / checked this already... just a thought.. i have been caught out before.. where the switch looks externally fine , but not..

regards

Tony

Thanks, the kickstand was the first thing i tried.

Nashcat said:

If you have looked at the 24 pin connector, I would still put a jumper wire around the connector and also tie it to the frame. Only take a few minutes and saves worrying about later down the road.

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This is smart advice. Somewhat tangentially related: my 'Wing buddy had an '85 'Wing. There was said to be a problem with the stators going out. It turned out the three wire connector's would corrode over time with the predictable results of increasing resistance. Eventually the contacts melt the connector and short causing the stator to get toasted.

He was planning a trip to Montana with his daughter as pillion and was concerned. The local Honda dealer said— 'Well it doesn't happen to every bike and you haven't had any trouble so far...' At that time a lot of dealers/mechanics apparently hadn't known that corrosion was the problem not the stator.

My buddy was still worried so the dealer had one of the mechs put together a splice-repair kit of everything needed to cut out the connector and crimp in three 'patches'. 'You probably won't need it but here ya go and here's what you do..."

If you jumped ahead and assumed it did have a melted connector somewhere between far from home and in the middle of nowhere near anything outside of MT you'd be correct. During daylight hours he lost power and lights. He immediately shut the engine off and that no doubt saved the stator. An hour later during which is daughter kept asking 'Dad are we going to die out here?' (she makes me laugh) they were on the road trouble free.

Too late for long story short: you're in there anyway. Take a few minutes for some easy preventive maintenance.