I have a 97' gs500e. i was out riding the other and went to take a turn on some gravel and the bike came out from under me. all i did was lay it down on its side. it died after hitting the ground. i picked it back up tried to start it again but could not get it to. i dropped it on the left side. i rolled it home and have been trying to figure out the problem ever since.

i checked for any visible cracked or broken pieces and didn't see any. i checked the fuse and it was fine. when i turn the key the lights, horn, oil and neutral lights work but when i pull in the clutch and try to start it nothing happens. no clicks, nothing. its like I'm not even hitting the starter button. i have no idea whats wrong. this is my first bike so I'm not much a mechanic so any help would be appreciated! Thanks!

Try looking at the little switch under the clutch and the wires for it. Perhaps it got damaged and the bike can't tell the clutch is in and therefore won't start. It did land on the left side so. If nothing at all happens when you hit the starter it usually electrical, if it was mechanical you would ar least here it try and turn over. Keep checking electrical connections and maybe you will find something. You said the neutral light works so that should be ok.

Check for the two wires going to your clutch lever...there is a safety switch on the bottom and one or both of the wires could have come loose...make sure it is in neutral and give it another shot...probably flooded as well, but if it was a couple of days ago it should have dried out since then...

Let us know how you make out...

Later.

Twism...you beat me to it...

you could also check the wire to the side stand...if it gets broken or disconnected, same thing...

Good Luck...

Later.

i checked the wires already under the clutch and they seem to be fine, however i did not check the ones on the kickstand. i will look there next. if its not that is there any other ideas you guys have?

Quote from: madjak30 on April 20, 2011, 07:55:15 PM
Twism...you beat me to it...

you could also check the wire to the side stand...if it gets broken or disconnected, same thing...

Good Luck...

Later.

Too slow  
The bike should start with the side stand down. If you put it up and it still dies when you go into gear then it's damaged. Still worth checking since it's on the left as well.

Quote from: holyfighter117 on April 20, 2011, 07:57:10 PM
i checked the wires already under the clutch and they seem to be fine, however i did not check the ones on the kickstand. i will look there next. if its not that is there any other ideas you guys have?

I would still take the switch off, there are two little screws. It may have gotten damaged. You can take it off and toggle it to check.

Quote from: Twism86 on April 20, 2011, 07:59:50 PM

Quote from: holyfighter117 on April 20, 2011, 07:57:10 PM
i checked the wires already under the clutch and they seem to be fine, however i did not check the ones on the kickstand. i will look there next. if its not that is there any other ideas you guys have?

I would still take the switch off, there are two little screws. It may have gotten damaged. You can take it off and toggle it to check.

i took it off and looked at it but im not sure exactly what im suppose to be looking for. i see that it toggles back and forth like you said. but what am i lookin for to know if its damaged?

Suppose you could look for something broken or just doesn't look right.  But the best way would be to use an ohm meter to check for continuity between the two wires coming out of the switch when you pull the clutch in.  But you can also eliminate the clutch switch by connecting those two wires together (on the wire harness side, in the headlight bucket.)

Make sure you check the correct fuse too. The one that is visible is only a spare. Check the one inside the fusebox.

Fuse is probably fine. Lights, horn, oil and neutral lights wouldn't work without it.

Have you tried setting the petcock on "prime"? When my bike tipped over it was hard to get restarted, I think all the gas dumped out of the carb bowls.

Run/stop switch on right handlebar?  It happens to some people who always use the key to turn their bike off.

If the starter isn't turning over, but the lights come on...it is an electrical problem...could be a relay no longer functioning...

I'm hoping it is something simple that we are missing...I would just go through all the wiring connections that you can find and make sure they are making good connection...make sure your ignition switch is on...I know, a little obvious but we tend to look for the hard problem when it is something really simple...I do anyway  ...

Hard to trouble shoot without actually getting your hands dirty...

Later.

Won't start, or won't crank?

Won't crank = electrical

Won't start = air/fuel/spark

Quote from: Paulcet on April 21, 2011, 08:46:03 AM
Run/stop switch on right handlebar?  It happens to some people who always use the key to turn their bike off.

Thats one of those obvious "duhhh!" moments. My bike once went dead while riding. I pulled over and looked at it for a solid minute before i realized i hit the switch by accident.

Quote from: holyfighter117 on April 20, 2011, 07:35:31 PM
its like I'm not even hitting the starter button. i have no idea whats wrong. this is my first bike so I'm not much a mechanic so any help would be appreciated! Thanks!

Electrical, for sure...I'm still hoping for the loose wire to be the problem...even if it was a seized engine, you would still get a "click" from the starter...ground wire from the starter...wires to the starter in general...the only wires on the left side of the bike are the clutch switch, sidestand safety switch, stator wires from the crank case...spark plug wires, hi/low head light switch...

But maybe it wasn't the fall the caused the issue...maybe when the bike was picked up a wire was pulled...starting to guess here...start with the starter circuit...

Later.

Grab the wiring diagram and a volt meter - your two best friends to check wiring.
If you don't have a volt meter, at least a 12v bulb will tell you if there is voltage.
You can short the clutch switch wires together and bypass the clutch switch.
Check the kill switch. It can be shorrted (but not a good idea once you get it running). Lights work even if kill switch killed.
Check the ignition, but that's OK if the lights and horn work so skip that idea.
You can short the neutral switch, too (if you do, be on the center stand in you're not in neutral, but not necessary to start bike if clutch switch shorted)
Trace from the starter switch backwards using the volt meter.
Somewhere there is a connector off or a broken wire.

thanks guys. the prob was in the clutch wiring. had a friend do some hot wiring to the safety switch wires and it starts right up now. thanks for everyones help!

Quote from: holyfighter117 on April 21, 2011, 06:23:23 PM
thanks guys. the prob was in the clutch wiring. had a friend do some hot wiring to the safety switch wires and it starts right up now. thanks for everyones help!

Called it!  Thats good. Just remember to get it fixed for real soon and to always pull in your clutch, starting in gear would be no fun.