Ignition issues

[pitrage]

So let me tell you a little history... Bike was running a week ago but had to have choke on to get it to run. Stalled when taken off. Found to need new Pilot Jets. So I ordered those and new throttle cables. While waiting I did small stuff like cleaning everything and painting the exhaust. Parts came in I installed the jets and throttle cable. Afterwards I wanted to hear what it sounded like while the headers were still off. That is the point where the fun begins...

Turned the key the lights came on. Flipped the Kill switch to run. Pressed the start button.... Nothing. Not click no starter no nothing.

Been working on this with EagleRider but want some other inputs and Ideas.

First test done was the "key wiggle" test. No luck. 
Next took the right handlebar assembly apart to ensure that nothing had been pinched or broken.. Everything looked good
Starter was able to be jumped and worked fine while jumped. Though with the key on Bike wouldn't actually start while being jumped by the starter. Oh and battery is fully charged.
I did notice though that the white wire with the 30 amp fuse in it near the battery gets hot while the ignition is turned to the on position. 
Looked at all wires and can't find any issues. 

THis is just baffling me because all I did was carb, exhaust, and cables. Before that she started like a charm and now nothing. Any help would be greatly appreciated. 

[gonzo]

Hot wire is bad, resistance somewhere? Make a light bulb tester (I don't know the exact name for it) if there's a short in the wire the bulb will show it before a multimeater will / if a multimeater will at all, sometimes they don't as they don't load test.
None of the saftey devices have been messed with? Side stand or neutral switch?
I'm pretty sure that 30 amp wire shouldn't get hot though?
Good luck!!!

[pitrage]

Updates Updates Updates.... 

So the White positive wire is fixed. There is a wire coupling in the area that was heating up. It was originally at 24 OHMS. So I figured that was my issue. So I cleaned it with 1,000 grit sand paper put it back together. Ohms are now 0.1 through that section and it doesn't heat up anymore.

Did as close to a voltage drop test as I could without being able to start the bike. Ignition off was at 12.6 V. With ignition on was at 12 V.

Did a circuit test through the kill switch and start button. Both were at 0 OHMS (with a digital not OL). Then ran a voltage test though them Kill switch had 11.6 v start button when pushed had 11.4 v. 

Also checked all grounds and they looked good.

Atleast to me all of this looks good to me. I have no clue where to check from here. Please help...

[zekkfett]

My best guess.... Is that the white wire is now burned somewhere. 0.1 ohms of resistance is NOT normal. For that small of a wire, running the length that it does, it SHOULD have at least between 2 and 5 ohms of resistance. Sounds like maybe when your wire got heated up, it might have burned somewhere.... If you have soldering/electrical skills, you could try running a piggy-back wire (solder in a new wire at the start and termination of the white wire) along WITH the white wire, and see if that gets her going. My other suggestion, is if you have a Digital Multimeter, pop the ignition switch out and test it. See if you get connectivity between the appropriate contacts while the key is on. If the heat didn't burn the wire, it MIGHT have burned the contacts inside the ignition switch itself.... Either way, to me, it sounds as if something got burned somewhere. Might also replace all the fuses, whether they look good or not. Sometimes a fuse will burn, and not look like it's burned; but actually is.

[pitrage]

Zekk.... You might be my HERO. I think you solved it. It's the ignition switch. Talked to past owner and she had to giggle to start her at times. I went out and took the whole front of the bike apart before realizing that I only needed to take the headlight out. HAHA. Disconnected the wiring harness and checked the switch. In the off position the switch was good.. In the ON position I had 23.1 Ohms between y-w, 21.4 between b/w-w, and 11.6 between b/w-y. Other 2 wires were good. So in my opinion I found the short. 

I just asked this to EagleRider as well But is there a way to temporarily bypass the switch and hardwire the wires from the old switch together so that I can start the bike and finish checking other things? In my head if I cut the wires as close to the switch as possible I should be able to clean the ends and wire the 3 grouping together and the 2 wire grouping together and she should start. But I don't wanna create more of an issue so I figured I would ask you guys. Only reason I want to do this is because I'm tapped out this week and won't have the new switch for about 3 weeks. I don't want to wait 3 weeks to find out that there is another issue aswell and keep going on a downward domino effect. Would kill whats left of the main riding season. 

[zekkfett]

Jul 15, 2013 21:34:39 GMT -6 pitrage said:

Zekk.... You might be my HERO. I think you solved it. It's the ignition switch. Talked to past owner and she had to giggle to start her at times. 

No problem brother! If you don't want to go to the expense of replacing the ignition with an OEM style lock, you could always, as Eagle suggests, replace it with an H-D style ignition with the barrel key. That style is MUCH more secure, and you can hide it just about anywhere. The only drawback to that kind of ignition, is you can't lock the bars as you normally can with the Kawi ignition.

Good luck with the MSF course, and as one of your friends stated on FB, make sure you pay attention! Some of this stuff you will prob already know, but guaranteed, you will pick up a few tips along the way the are INVALUABLE!

[pitrage]

Jul 16, 2013 9:43:08 GMT -6 zekkfett said:

No problem brother! If you don't want to go to the expense of replacing the ignition with an OEM style lock, you could always, as Eagle suggests, replace it with an H-D style ignition with the barrel key. That style is MUCH more secure, and you can hide it just about anywhere. The only drawback to that kind of ignition, is you can't lock the bars as you normally can with the Kawi ignition.

I actually have a plan to have the best of both worlds. To disconnect the stock switch I just cut the wires under it. Yeah I was having a lazy moment. So I still have the OEM switch in place to lock the forks. Then once I wire the new switch and relocate it further back on the bike I will have the security of the barrel key. So in total I will have the Barrel key, the locked forks, plus the dumby ignition for people who want to do mischief.  

But I hard wired the Ignition wires like I talked to you about. Into the two test groups that are used to check the switch per the manual. Bike still wouldn't start. But then I jumped the starter. She started like a champ right away. So I did some more testing to the solenoid. Yeah basically it's shot. It's getting power when the start button is pushed to activate it and no click no nothing. So next pay I am buying my new switch and new solenoid. After that she should be good to go. 

But on the bright side she now starts every time I jump her. She wasn't doing that while the switch was hooked up. The exhaust paint is now cured. Yeah that was interesting first time she started in a few weeks and She smoked out the whole garage with the door open almost as soon as she started. But now I feel confident enough with things to start installing the new turn signals and putting her back together. Need to finish cutting in the fuel line too. But things are on the up and up. Hopefully soon I can start posting pics and modifying her.

[eaglerider]

Good news to hear!!!!