[Raven Morrigan]

Own a 89 750, my bike will only start in neutral, normally my bike starts when holding clutch in first gear, but today it only starts in neutral. Could anyone tell me what to check for. Could it be a problem with safety switch on kick stand?

 

[Old Dog]

Welcome Raven... First thing I would check would be the switch at the clutch, make sure it is clipped in good also, but others are better at advise than me...
Have a good one...Old Dog...

 

[Raven Morrigan]

Welcome Raven... First thing I would check would be the switch at the clutch, make sure it is clipped in good also, but others are better at advise than me...
Have a good one...Old Dog...

Thank you! Another question, how does one adjust the clutch to make it tighter? Clutch cable is not broke, but I need to adjust it to where it is tighter. If I tighten it as tight as it'll go and still have problems could it be I need a new clutch cable?

 

[rubyrick]

Hi Raven. First let me say that I am not a mechanic. I operate, troubleshoot and adjust medical equipment as part of my job. Others on this site are better able to diagnose this problem for you, but here's my 2 cents:

My first thoughts are that the bike is not sensing that the clutch is pulled in or the clutch is not disengaging all the way. There is a starter interlock switch in the right hand controls that senses when the clutch is engaged. This may be faulty.

TRY THIS FIRST!! It's easier.
Also, you may have some drag on your clutch and a simple adjustment of the clutch handle may be all that is necessary. Does your bike move at all when in gear and the clutch is pulled in? If so, you need to adjust the clutch handle. That's easy. Loosen the locknut on the clutch handle and turn the adjuster in for more slack or out to tighten it. If you tighten it more, the clutch will pull better and your starting problem may be solved.

 

[rubyrick]

If I tighten it as tight as it'll go and still have problems could it be I need a new clutch cable?

There is a clutch adjuster in the middle of the clutch cable that can also be adjusted.

 

[Sky Rider]

DON"T USE THE CLUTCH RELEASE MECHANISM TO ADJUST THE CLUTCH!!! It is designed to match up with a punch mark on the shaft. This is one way to tell when you need a new clutch cable.

That being said, there are still two ways to adjust the cable. There is an adjustment where the cable exits the clutch handle that can be turned out and there is the adjustment in the middle of the cable. When adjusted correctly, you should only have about 1-2mm of play in the cable. If you get both adjustmets out to their max, the cable is stretched and needs to be replaced.

As far as the bike only starting in neutral, I'll bet the clutch safety switch has a broken extension. It is simply a plastic rod that is used to push in the microswitch. It's under the clutch handle on the LEFT side. The brake is on the right. When mine broke, I used a piece of plastic rod from a model airplane parts tree. Works like a charm.

 

[rubyrick]

Sorry for the mis-info on the clutch release mechanism. My bad.