I had a weird starter situation on Saturday. Both times this happened, it was after I killed the engine in the not-usual way (i.e.: first time I put the kick stand down while in gear; second time, I let go of the clutch and stalled it - I can't remember the last time I stalled the GS, so maybe the issue is related to killing the ignition in a way that I don't usually do i.e.: the engine kill switch). Here's what happened:
Engine is off, key is in and on, fuel is full, engine switch is on and I press the start button. Click. Nothing - no turn-over.
I put the bike in 2nd gear, roll it forward till it locks, put it back in neutral and it starts up fine. Should I be worried about the starter, or is it acting funny because of the way the bikes was last turned off?
Are the sidestand up and the clutch engauged ?
Yes - The sidestand was put back up and I held in the clutch. It has started perfectly every time other than the two times that I turned it off in funny ways. It's odd...maybe when I get home I'll try to replicate those scenarios. Don't want to try now in case I can't start it (I'm at work) ;) .
The way the engine is killed shouldn't have much effect on whether the starter spins or not. You may want to check the contacts of the clutch and especially the kickstand switch. It may be possible for the kill switch to not be fully in its run position. :cheers:
I shut-off my GS by lowering the sidestand about 50% of the time. It does not cause any problems for me. I wouldn't trust the neutral selector to know when you're really in neutral: my green neutral light fails to indicate neutral about once a month, usually for a couple of days in a row.