[REA Member 131]

I may have a gremlin. I've got a 2010 G5 Classic. The bike starts great with the kicker, but pushing the starter button results in nothing.

Key on (I hear the EFI spool up). All the lights come on as they're supposed to. The kill switch is in run. Bike is in neutral, clutch in. Kickstand up. Thumb the button... I don't get a sound from the starter. The Battery is fully charged. The wire from the battery positive to the starter shows zero Ohms. The three fuses mounted in front of the battery are all good. I tested the kickstand safety switch and it checks out fine.

I think the problem is with the switch (starter button) itself. Can anyone tell me how to test the switch? The connector is easy to get to, but I don't know what wires to check for continuity.

Thanks for any help.

[Sub]

Good deduction. Sounds like the switch to me too. If you take it apart, is it easy to see what wires come from the switch itself? I havent had mine open so I'm not sure.

[REA Member 131]

The button is mounted below another switch (I think the lights?) in that bottom half of the housing, and it's hard to see what wires are associated with the starter button.

[r80rt]

Check the kickstand switch. they'll do that to ya.

[REA Member 131]

Check the kickstand switch. they'll do that to ya.

I know, I had a bad one on my other bike. This one checks out good.

[Ducati Scotty]

Do you hear the relay thumping when you hit the switch?  On the C5 it's under the seat on the left.

Scott

[REA Member 131]

Nope. not a sound.

[r80rt]

check the clutch switch.

[Ducati Scotty]

Nope. not a sound.

Then something in the switch circuit is off, either the switch itself or one of the interlocks.  You've got the clutch, sidestand, and neutral.  Even though you've replaced the sidestand it's the easiest to check, just disconnect it.

You can open the switch gear at the handlebar and find the wires to the switch pretty easily.  Put a meter across the contacts and measure when pressed.  It should be fairly low.  If you don't have a meter you can get one for less than $10 if you look around.

Scott

[clubman]

check the clutch switch.

Good advice. I had this problem you describe more than once and unfortunately there are any number of possibilities. Once as I was 100 miles from home and desperate to get going without calling recovery I just pulled the clutch in even though it was definitely in neutral and should have started anyway but it did the trick. That switch is unreliable but can't be simply disconnected. I disconnected the sidestand switch as it's easy to do and is one less thing to consider. Another time it was the solenoid. Good luck - hope it's something simple.

[singhg5]

it's hard to see what wires are associated with the starter button.

Blue/White wire from starter button goes to Starter Relay.  

[Andy]

Check the kickstand kill-switch too. 

[barenekd]

Rather than checking continuity, check to see if you're getting voltage to those connections. Check at the Solenoid on the input side and see if the voltage is there. If it is the problem is the solenoid. If it's not there, check the output side of the starter button. If nothing, check the input side, yes=button, no, check sidestand switch and perhaps the clutch switch. Good Luck
Bare 

[REA Member 131]

Fixed it!! 

It was the connector at the clutch cut-out. The ends were mated, but not pushed all the way together.

I did some other diagnostics before figuring out what was wrong. I checked the blue/white wire coming out of the starter switch housing goes to the solenoid. I saw that voltage was there when the button was depressed (and absent when I let off the button). That ruled out the switch. I also confirmed that wire had continuity to the solenoid.

So, the next suspect was the solenoid. I was drenched in sweat and putting all my tools away when I thought I should probably give the clutch cut-out a look. That's when I noticed it was un-snapped. I snapped it together and the bike started with the starter button... as if to mock me. 

When I took delivery my dealer started it with the button, so the whole thing was somewhat of a mystery to me. I guess sometime between the dealership and my garage the connector got pulled apart just enough to break the connection.

It's always the simple things.

Thanks for all the help, guys!

[r80rt]

Glad you got it going, I removed those potential problem switches on mine long ago