1989 GS500E won't start

[narsi]

I am a newbie to bikes and this forum. Thanks for all the responses.

The other day, I though i will clean the vehicle completely. I started with the exhaust. I removed the pipes, cleaned it outside and inside and put it back.  I removed the seat and sprayed with some cleaners but now the bike won't start.

I checked the following:
- Battery: The battery is almost new (didn't check using the voltmeter), fuses appears to be ok as well.
- With the key turned the OIL and Neutral indicators come up properly. With the switch in RUN pressing start doesn't make any difference. No sound or any attempts to start the engine.

I suspect the wiring under the seat that goes to the starter motor is gone bad.

Any ideas what i should look at?. Thanks once again.

Narsi

[TheMajekalBum]

i had a prob with this when i got mine....if the side stand is down it needs to be in nutrel...took me like 20 min to figure that out....not sure if this is the solution though

[NiceGuysFinishLast]

Check the clutch safety switch. It's on the bottom of the clutch, be sure it's clean and connected.

[blue05twin]

Check the safty switch by the kick stand also.

Will your bike start if you jump it?  Sometimes you will have enough power for the lights to come on and everything looks fine but the battery is almost dead.

1. Put kick stand up
2. Cut of engine to run
3. Pull in clutch
4. Press the starter button

When I first got my bike I can't remeber how many times I couldn't get it to start because I forgot one of those steps 

[narsi]

Thanks for all the responses.

- Yes, i tried jumpstarting the bike and it won't.
- Yes, the side stand was up, keys turned on (lights on), switch was ON, clutch lever fully pressed.
- The clutch switch is something that i need to verify. I gave a quick look and all external wiring appears ok.

Appreciate all replies. So far the clutch switch is the only thing that i didn't verify. Any other clues?

[TheMajekalBum]

have you tried BUMP starting it???...maybe the starter switch went bad or something

[Jared]

Did the bike start or turn over before you did your cleaning?


Do the lights dim when you try to start it? Did you hose the bike down in the underseat area profusely or just some spray cleaners?

If the bike has sat for awhile- the contacts in the various switches can get corroded. I've had to clean a  few contacts on the starter switches before.
Put the bike in neutral and try it ( and for fun put the sidestand up too).  You can bypass the clutch switch- the wires are behind the headlight- tho I don't recommend it personally- but for diagnostic purposes it will eliminate (or point out) the problem.


FYI if you are trying to jumpstart your bike from a car... DO NOT have the car running while you do it.

[narsi]

Thanks to everyone for the response.

- I didn't try BUMp starting the bike. I will do it hopefully tomorrow.
- The bike started everytime i tried before removing the exhaust pipe.  I removed the bike to paint it black and removed the carbon.
- Interestingly, the lights (the oil and nuetral)  doesn't dim when trying to start. Also, no other lights light up. Should the horn and headlights turn on?
- I just sprayed the bike and definitely did not overdo.
- The whole exhuast pipe cleanup and other things made the bike sit idle for about 10 days. I will try cleaning the contacts and bypassing the clutch switch.
- I jump started the bike from my SUV without running which didn't help.

thanks once again.

[NiceGuysFinishLast]

If the lights aren't dimming, that means it's not even engaging the starter. My money is on clutch switch. Jiggle it a bit, or remove it, and jump the two terminals together with some wire. Five bucks.