Nothing happens when i hit start, PLease help

[jesselee101]

i just got my 2004 suzuki gs500f and i love it. it runs/ides fine everything is good except, starting it can be a pain in the ass. sometime it starts right up but other times when you hit the start button nothing happens. IM doing everything right (clutch,kickstan,nuetral,choke) it seems to be the hardest to restart after it is stalled. if anyone has any idea what this might be let me know. i dont think its the battery i gave it a good charge. PLEASE HELP

[DoD#i]

It's almost always the clutch switch - either the switch itself, or sometimes the wires to the switch get pinched. Can be other switches or wiring, but that's the usual one.

[scottpA_GS]

If you are getting nothing at all did you check the starter switch itself? May be a loose connection on the starter as well? You are on the right track.. re-check all the electrical connections 

[Weepeel]

This video should help you:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHm15O8Yd0E

It walks you through a diagnoses of starter problems.

[respite]

Are you flipping the kill switch?

[jesselee101]

yea im positive im doing everything right. KIll switch, sidestand etc. im been hearing alot about the clutch switch does anybody know what i can do to fix it or get a new one. I dont even know where it is on the bike (04 gs500f) Im not very mechanically inclined on motorcycles. if someone can let me know that would be great.

[joshr08]

its on the bottom side of the clutch lever perch.  it has 2 wires on it and 2 philips screws that hold it in.

[Xyloft]

if you put the bike on the center stand and look at the side stand you can see the side stand switch at the base of the side stand.
but if it was that switch it wouldn't even try to start you'd just click and nothing. 

being a 2004 (like mine) my guess is a bad/old battery.  i had that problem last year:  i would have the engine running for like 20 minutes and then it woudl die and i couldnt even jump it.  new battery solved that problem.   even after i got it jumped it would just click and not start.  eventually that happened even when i had a running car hookedup and at that point i decided a new battery was in order.

good luck

[DoD#i]

My experience. If you use the search funtion and the words "clutch switch" you get a fair choice to choose from...

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=43024.0

If you have an intact one (and the wires to it are also intact) often just opening it up and cleaning the contacts, then putting it back in correctly solves the problem. It's located on the bottom of the clutch perch (the thing the clutch lever is on) and is mounted with two small phillips screws. Put something down on the ground to catch small parts before you unscrew it. The switch part it self is driven by a groove in the bottom of the clutch lever.

A more general "won't start" troubleshooting list:

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=39675.0