[Can2tx3]

Rinsed off bike last week, started it and let it run while it was wet, ran fine. Loaded up the next morning and when unloaded, tried to start it, and nothing. Read up on possibilities, and everything pointed to possibly shorting out kill switch. Unplugged kill switch, and nothing. Sprayed electronics cleaner/dryer on both kill switch and start switch, nothing. Continuity tester shows start switch seems to be good, but kill switch has 6 wire spots inside, and only 1 lights up, not sure what it means, but went to check continuity where kill switch plugs in under side cover, and apparently it does something, maybe shorting something out, but when I touch tester to connection, bike starts up and runs…any ideas? I have both a start switch ordered as well as a kill switch, so just curious if anyone can give me an idea what is happening. Thanks for any ideas.

[JimDirt]

Welcome to the site !!

So you are saying when you try to start it and "nothing" is that meaning the starter does not crank ?? or the bike just won't fire up but the engine cranks ?? , if it does nothing , then I am leaning to Starter Switch as the issue , have you tried unplugging every visible connection and blowing them out with air , then trying to start it ??... , the fact that you are "jumping" a connection and it starts is sounding like that is where the issue is , which is where you are jumping/completing the circuit

[Can2tx3]

Yes sir, I have unplugged every connection, blew them out and sprayed electronics cleaner/dryer on them, and still nothing. I am getting juice to both switches, but the start button gives nothing at all. I am replacing both switches when the deliveries get here next week, so hoping that fixes it.
Right now when I “short out” the kill switch at its connection point, the bike starts, and the kill switch will shut it off and the mode lights flash and everything, so I am believing that it is possibly the start switch is bad.

[JimDirt]

Yea , that is what it is sounding like .... Usually with these bikes you get the kill switch wet and that shorts out , but I usually bag mine with a gallon Ziploc when washing (sucks you can't get a dirt bike wet anymore , but that's how it goes) , back in the 70's I used to leave my YZ 125 out in the rain , then go riding in the rain .... never hurt anything , now you can't clean your bike without something electrical shorting out

[Back2-2]

Another Honda you cannot wash..... Geez.

[Aussiecrf230]

Yeah Neil, wait to they drop fuel for electric dirt bikes.
Then you want to be careful washing.

[Back2-2]

Hi Ray,
Nice to see you on here again. Glad you're doing ok. Both of us seem to just live in the shadow around here anymore.

Electric bikes - like them or not their here. I have yet to see one while out riding off-road or on-road but I know it's happening.
Not my thing, but some people seem to be really like them from what I read in ASA magazine.

[JimDirt]

Hi Ray,
Nice to see you on here again. Glad you're doing ok. Both of us seem to just live in the shadow around here anymore.

Electric bikes - like them or not their here. I have yet to see one while out riding off-road or on-road but I know it's happening.
Not my thing, but some people seem to be really like them from what I read in ASA magazine.

The reason you don't see many off-road , is because of battery life , everyone I talk to that has one (Alta's for example) , say that is the main issue with them , unless you are doing short loops around the campground , you only have about 1 hour of run time , then unless you have a spare battery , you need about a hour plus to recharge , or much longer depending on the power source , and something actually capable of powering the charger for them , a typical off road day ride for me is about 50+ miles (I have done 80 in a day easily in the desert) , which is what most "off-road" guys around here ride on a typical day in the woods or desert , ain't going to happen on a electric in their current platform , so until those limitations are resolved , gas is going to be here for a while .....

If they can't figure out how to get these things to self recharge , they just are not practical , kinda the same for electric cars , you have to charge all of them constantly , unless they are a hybrid , and even then , you are mostly relying on the gas engine to travel more than a 40 mile radius of nonstop driving , good luck driving cross country in a Chevy Volt or equivalent E-car , so to me , they are useless and not practical unless your 100% use of them is around town , or in the case of a dirt bike , on a MX track , but not sure you could get 2 - 30+ minute moto's out of them at any pace , no pro will , and most fast guys say that the battery gets hot doing a hard moto so it has to cool down before you can recharge, and good luck going on a road trip with a car (same goes for the bikes) unless you plan on stopping every couple hours , for a couple hours to recharge ..... they can push them on us all they want , but until I can ride a electric bike as long as I can ride my gas one , I won't waste the money on one , and as long as I can still buy gasoline , I will be riding a real bike ....

Not to mention a typical E-Bike (dirt bike) is about $15,000+ any spare batteries , which are a huge chunk of change themselves , plus spare chargers , etc. , compared to a gas bike for $9,000-$10,000 , so they are way overpriced for what you can really get out of them as far as run time , etc. , to me they are more of a novelty right now ... cool to look at , but basically useless for anyone that actually rides all day or wants to go anywhere aside from down to the store and back .....

On a somewhat related note , I just hit over 100 hours on my 450R today , I was at 99.7 when I started this morning and I am at 102.4 hours after our 3rd moto , and zero engine issues , or clutch issues (still original clutch plates/disks ... so much for the Honda clutch only lasts 3 hours that the magazines claim) , and so far , no electrical gremlins , I could not be happier with my choice in bikes ... meanwhile one of my friend's with his 21 KTM 250 is spending all of his time adjusting clickers and swapping out shocks and forks between moto's so he can make it around the track with his $4,000+ custom suspension , while my bike is bone stock aside from springs and I am not having any issues handling a track that only compares to Saddleback as far as rough goes ( I raced Saddleback , so I can attest from experience how brutal that track was in the 70's) , my friend with the KTM who races Glen Helen in the Vet National all the time even said this track is far worse than that track as far as rough goes

And yea , you need to post more , hardly ever see you post anymore , just because you don't like Honda's anymore , does not mean you have to be a stranger .... ... I feel like the Lone Ranger here by myself the majority of the time anymore ...

[Back2-2]

I knew that Jim would have to enlighten us on E-bikes - I saw that coming a million miles away.

It's not that I do not " like Honda". To me, It is just so disappointing after being a Honda fan and having many of their top-quality bikes over the years to see what they have become and build with their name on it.
Honda has been building poorly engineered bikes for the last 8 -10 years and until they get it back together I buy other brands.
Unfortunately, people are brand loyal or brand nieve and Honda presently does not have to build quality items. Their bikes sell regardless, purely on the name. That may come back to bite them in the rear one of these days.

I do my monitoring and moderating - read your stuff, laugh to myself, and move on. You got it all covered, no need for anyone else.

[Can2tx3]

UPDATE!

Ok, I replaced both the start and kill switches, and still nothing…so I went back over everything I did the day I washed the bike. Well, replaced my stock brake and clutch levers with some new, red anodized, breakaway levers. When I put them on they worked just fine, brake was good, and clutch worked, bike started 3-4 times, and everything seemed good…well, apparently something with the clutch lever did not work correctly, I replaced it with the old stock lever, and the bike starts and runs perfectly! I don’t understand what the issue is, but as soon as I find out, I shall let y’all know, and if anyone can explain what it may possibly be, I would appreciate any information.
Thanks to everyone for the help, it is appreciated, and I have gained some much needed knowledge!

[Back2-2]

Thanks for the update. That is good troubleshooting. Simple things first, and what did I do before the problem started.
Whatever the pin and switch arrangement that the lever uses for the safety switch is where to look. A very common problem when people change levers on street bikes so not surprised to see that on dirt bikes also.

[Can2tx3]

Ok, finally the ENTIRE issue is resolved! The start switch actually was shorted out and along with the lever issue, both of them were the problem. With the shorted starter switch and changing the lever, the bike would start when I engaged the clutch without pushing the start button. So, I changed the starter switch and, Voila’, problem solved, and everything works like it is supposed to. I am learning, and if I go over everything, eventually I figure it out. Thanks again for all your help.

[Back2-2]

Good job. Now go ride and enjoy it.