Starter Button acting up

[Sicarii]

When I try to start my bike it has been really finicky lately.  I turn on the kill switch, put up the kickstand, pull in the clutch, and the pushbutton start won't engage.  It just doesn't do anything.  Then after a while of engaging/disengaging all those things, turning the key on and off a couple of times it will go.  And then it'll run great.  Something is keeping the start button from starting the bike.  My thought is that it is the switch in the clutch that won't let it start unless it is pulled all the way in.  Does this make sense or could it be something else?  I don't think it's the kill switch because the bike keeps running and if that was a faulty connection it seems like it would shut off randomly.  I guess it could be the start button itself but pushing it harder or pushing it rapidly doesn't help and when it does go it seems normal:  just one push and off it goes.  Is it hard to get to the switch in the clutch?

[scratch]

Sounds like the starter button contact could be dirty, giving that intermittent start.

[MinnesotaCafe]

I had the same thing happen yesterday, I honked the horn, and Vroom!  While I doubt that had anything to do with it, you might give it a shot ...

[Boris]

It could be the side stand switch, as these bikes age (or get really dirty) tjhe side stand tends to sag a bit, it can cause embarrising cut-outs when you go over bumps as well. It could be the connections to the starter relay, if these get dirty you can hear the relay tick but it won't turn the starter motor. The clutch switch is built into the clutch lever just look for 2 wires coming from the base of the clutch lever pull them off and test the switch using a continuity tester on the 2 connections.

[nightrider]

also check the two wires that fit onto the two little metal tabs under your clutch lever. They are a little loose on mine and when I had intermittent starts it took me forever to figure out it was them. Handlebar position (new bars) fixed the problem, as well as just futzing with them.

Similarly if you've had a crash on the left side the clutch switch in your clutch lever may be shorn down (if your clutch lever got hit), the little white tab that moves back and forth when you pull the lever. If it's too short then it'll only catch sometimes, or at certain angles of pressure on the clutch lever.

[Unnamed]

I've had a Buddha Loves You of a time with that goddamn clutch switch. Even after replacing it its still giving me problems. I'd suggest unscrewing the little box with the wire on the bottom of the clutch and pulling out the switch. Then bridge the gap on the switch and try starting it. If it turns out to be that switch you'll have to figure out some way to bypass or replace the switch, perhaps a little solder on the gap.

[Paulmuphesto]

i had the same problem today at the gas station. thankfully it was pretty empty so no honking horns.  bike started fine first time when i went out, got to gas station and turned it off.  Filled up.  Payed.  Came back, put side stand up, made sure kill switch was off, was in nuteral, pulled in clutch, hit start button and nothing happened.  Nothing at all.  Now i know it was not the key because the lights for netural and oil came on when the key was in the on position.

So after pulling down side stand, turning key off and on lots of times. pulling key out and putting back in.  Hitting start button lots with nothing happening, it finally started like nothing was wrong.

Its really really warm here just now, so could that have anything to do with it?

[Unnamed]

I haven't really had weather be a factor before, but thats the same thing that my broken/ worn clutch switch would do. I'd take a look at the switch like I suggested earlier, and if you decide not to do anything with it make sure your tool kit has the right size screwdriver just in case you can't start it again and need to bridge the switch.

[Paulmuphesto]

is there an easy way to remove the switch from the clutch so it doesnt happen at all?