Bike won't start.

[downtime]

Okay,
   I was going to my work Sunday early in the morning around 5:30 am. Stopped at the corner and didn't realize road was uneven, lost footing, so I layed by bike on the right side(I'm 5,2 130lbs). After struggling to get my bike upright again, I tried to start it, and it did, but very low rpm, so I tried to put on the choke. The bike hesitated for a little and then died. So I tried to start it again, but this time it won't even crank. Had to push my bike uphill and to my garage and still had to work. Any Ideas what is causing this?

[ducati_nolan]

You could have lost the gas from your carbs. Put it on prime and wait for several seconds and try it again. If your battery is low, it sounds like you're at the top of a hill, so just get rolling and pop the clutch in second. It should fire right up. 

Will it crank at all? clicking noise? nothing? If nothing, check the wires to the kill switch and the clutch.

Part of the reason your batt may be low, is you could have lost some of the acid, so check that and rinse off the area under the battery if any acid has spilled.
Good luck.

[downtime]

You could have lost the gas from your carbs. Put it on prime and wait for several seconds and try it again. If your battery is low, it sounds like you're at the top of a hill, so just get rolling and pop the clutch in second. It should fire right up. 

Will it crank at all? clicking noise? nothing? If nothing, check the wires to the kill switch and the clutch.

Part of the reason your batt may be low, is you could have lost some of the acid, so check that and rinse off the area under the battery if any acid has spilled.
Good luck.

I was actually on the bottom of the hill. There's nothing at all. Not a peep. I press the ignition and nothing.

[makenzie71]

Are your lights on?  Do they dim when you push the button?

First thing I would try is checking the start safeties.  Clutch and kick-stand.  Make sure they're still connected.  Make sure the bike's in nuetral.  If all that lines up, short the start relay out and make sure current is moving propperly.

The bike probably idled low/rough after the fall because the carbs fouled a bit.

[Kaizer]

You could have MY previous problem. Replace the clutch switch on the LEFT side. What side did it fall on? If the bike won't start, take out the switch and check it if it moves easily back and forth. If not, then it is a $12-17 fix it yourself deal. Hope this helps!

[ducati_nolan]

The shock from the fall could hve blown your main fuse under the right side cover, or your batt cable may have come off. Various plugs coud come loose too. Of course, make sure your kill switch is in the run position, clutch is pulled in, and kickstand sensor works. (it would start in neutral and then die when you put it in gear if it was the kickstand sensor.

you'll figure it out 

[downtime]

Are your lights on?  Do they dim when you push the button?

First thing I would try is checking the start safeties.  Clutch and kick-stand.  Make sure they're still connected.  Make sure the bike's in nuetral.  If all that lines up, short the start relay out and make sure current is moving propperly.

The bike probably idled low/rough after the fall because the carbs fouled a bit.

My lights are on, but it doesn't dim when I push the botton. What do you mean by short the start relay and how do I make sure the current is moving properly? (I'm a newbie)

The shock from the fall could hve blown your main fuse under the right side cover, or your batt cable may have come off. Various plugs coud come loose too. Of course, make sure your kill switch is in the run position, clutch is pulled in, and kickstand sensor works. (it would start in neutral and then die when you put it in gear if it was the kickstand sensor.

you'll figure it out

I checked most of the wire connections and they are all in place. What does the main fuse look like? Really sorry if my questions seems really dumb, but like I mentioned I'm a newbie.

[makenzie71]

Can you find the start relay?  Look at your battery and follow the red (posative) wire...it'll lead you right to it.  It's usually a little round thing with the posative cable coming to it, a large cable going to the starter, 2~4 small wires going to a plug that goes in the top, and a fuse or two.

Check that fuse/those fuses and make sure it's ok.

Start relays have the big cables bolted down.  You short the start relay by connecting the bolts with a screwdriver...one with a plastic handle.

If the lights aren't dimming when you push the button make SURE your clutch wire is plugged in (comes out of the clutch handle), make sure your kickstand switch is plugged in (right there at the hinge on the kickstand), and make sure you're in nuetral.

[downtime]

Can you find the start relay? Look at your battery and follow the red (posative) wire...it'll lead you right to it. It's usually a little round thing with the posative cable coming to it, a large cable going to the starter, 2~4 small wires going to a plug that goes in the top, and a fuse or two.

Check that fuse/those fuses and make sure it's ok.

Start relays have the big cables bolted down. You short the start relay by connecting the bolts with a screwdriver...one with a plastic handle.

If the lights aren't dimming when you push the button make SURE your clutch wire is plugged in (comes out of the clutch handle), make sure your kickstand switch is plugged in (right there at the hinge on the kickstand), and make sure you're in nuetral.

I found the relay, fuse is good, clutch wire is plugged, I'm in neutral, and I shorted the start relay. It would crank a little. Now what do I do?

[makenzie71]

if it'll crank when you short the relay then it's a problem elsewhere.  There are other fuses...there'll be a fusebox under your seat I believe...someone here will have to confirm where.  check all of them to make sure none are blown.  If all those fuses are in propper order then I'm not sure where to tell you to look.

Are you sure the killswitch is set to run?

[downtime]

OK,
  I shorted the relay and it started for while(yipee!!). Small victory. It idles low once more so I tried to put it choke, it hesitates a bit then it dies. Got it out of choke and tried it again. This time I left the choke alone and tried to twist the throttle a bit and it dies on me again.

if it'll crank when you short the relay then it's a problem elsewhere. There are other fuses...there'll be a fusebox under your seat I believe...someone here will have to confirm where. check all of them to make sure none are blown. If all those fuses are in propper order then I'm not sure where to tell you to look.

Are you sure the killswitch is set to run?

Just to be sure. The killswitch is on the right side of the handlebars right above the ignition button, right? I'm not able to find the fusebox. Can somebody pls post pic.

[makenzie71]

Start her back up and let her idle for a bit...even if it is low and rough.  If she'll sustain, then let her do it.  After she gets warmed up then she'll be a little less sensitive to the throttle.  She's probably flooded all to hell so just leave the enrichener (aka "choke") alone.

If she starts and runs, and all the lights work, then it's not a fuse.  Something simply isn't connected propperly.

I'm going to assume it's one of three things:

Kill switch...yes, the kill switch is on the right hand control.  Down will be run, up will be kill.

Clutch switch...if you're SURE the plug is making contact on the clutch lever assembly, try unplugging it and using a paperclip to short out the plug it's self.  Like this:


(pic NOT of a GS)

Start button...all you can do is trace the wires and make sure nothing's unplugged.  Someone here might be able to tell you which pins to short out to activate the starter on the bike harness plug for the right control, and which pins on the control plug to test with a multimeter.  I find that any of this, asside being disconnected, an unlikely condidate, though.

One more thing, does your nuetral light come on?

[John Bates]

................. I'm not able to find the fusebox. Can somebody pls post pic.

There is no fuse box, only one fuse located on the start relay.

Shown in the first pic on page two of this thread

It's under the red cover at the left of the relay.  The fuse on the right in the pic is the spare fuse.