Clutch Safety Switch

[nFrog]

I know there is some debate as to weather or not this is a good idea but I bypassed my clutch safety switch on my '79 GS1000 yesterday.

I would really like to wire it up where it will start in neutral without the clutch pulled in but if it is gear the clutch must be pulled in. This is the set up on a '80 Honda CX500 I have.

Does any one have ideas on how to pull this off? Or have schematic or link to a post where someone has done this? Thanks

[OldVet66]

I'm sure you could splice into the neutral light feed to close a relay to do this, but realistically, what difference would it make. I would recommend using the clutch switch. My '78 GS1000 did not have the clutch safety switch, it started in '79. I have forgotten a couple of times and pushed the starter button with the bike in gear. It will surprise you enough to let go of the button real quick before it has a chance to start, but it would be nice to have the clutch switch if it is set up to have one. Basscliff has the GS1000 shop manual with wiring diagrams on his website. I see little value in the Honda setup over a clutch switch.

[tkent02]

Or you could just not start it in gear without pulling in the clutch. Before all the safety devices were required, when men were men and all that, we didn't need no stinking safety switches.

But you could come up with some Boolean algebra type logic so it will only start with it in Neutral or if the clutch is in, even throw in unless the sidestand is down if you wanted to.
One of my bikes quits if you put it in gear with the stand down, kind of a nice foolproof if you are not too much of a fool.

[Steve]

My Wing has all that logic built in to the starter. It's nice, but not really necessary. I think the safety Nazis won out over the bean counters on that issue, because of all the interlocks involved.

To do that on your bike, you would have to do as OldVet suggested, and connect some sort of logic circuit, but it would definitely have to be a home-brew job.

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[Agemax]

the neutral light switch is a ground which makes the circuit to the bulb to illuminate when the bike is in neutral..
if you isolate the starter solenoid from any frame ground, then piggy back off the neutral light switch and connect that ground to the solenoid, then the starter will only work if the bike is in neutral.
the only draw back with this set up is that it will only start when the bike is in neutral, so if you stall it, or it cuts out, you have to find neutral to start it again. pulling the clutch will not over ride it

[argonsagas]

Why look for complications?

Disconnect the leads from the clutch switch on the handlebars and connect them together, bypassing the switch entirely.

That worked on my 1100GK and on the newer Bandit, so it should be the same on your 1000

[tkent02]

Why look for complications?

Disconnect the leads from the clutch switch on the handlebars and connect them together, bypassing the switch entirely.

That worked on my 1100GK and on the newer Bandit, so it should be the same on your 1000

This /\ Anything which complicates starting is a danger, not a safety.

[Redman]

I know there is some debate as to weather or not this is a good idea but I bypassed my clutch safety switch on my '79 GS1000 yesterday.

I would really like to wire it up where it will start in neutral without the clutch pulled in but if it is gear the clutch must be pulled in. This is the set up on a '80 Honda CX500 I have.

Does any one have ideas on how to pull this off? Or have schematic or link to a post where someone has done this? Thanks

To confirm what others have said,
Yah you could wire in a relay that is operated by the netural swtich, and wire the relay contact in place of the clutch switch .... or, more like you were asking, around the clutch switch (so either clutch or neutral will allow to start).

But really, I suspect that right now you just dont like it because it is different than what you had before. But after a while you get used to it.


If clutch switch is giving you problems, not operating reliabley, also keep in mind that it does have an adjustment. Loosen the little screws and move the swtitch body around some. If take out screws ther are little springs and contacts that will fall out.

.

[Steve]

This /\ Anything which complicates starting is a danger, not a safety.

Yes, Tom, we all agree, but it's the corporate lawyers that had a say in the liability issue that won that battle. They were concerned about the possibility of starting the bike while it is in gear, causing it to lurch forward, imposing another type of danger.

His original suggestion of "no clutch necessary if in neutral, must pull clutch if in gear" is actually quite simple and intuitive and poses no danger for anyone. It also removes that danger of starting the bike while in gear that the lawyers were trying to avoid. I think the main reason our bikes don't have that feature is that the electronics to do that were in their infancy, especially as they might be applied to a vehicle that might spend its entire life outside. It could be done, but wasn't going to be cheap, so they just installed a cheap switch that HAD to be activated ALL the time.

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[nFrog]

Thanks for the input everyone. Yeah, everything worked as it should have with the switch, I just prefer the setup my other bike has and was wondering if anyone had tried to wire theirs up with this system. Totally unnecessary but nevertheless it might be nice.

[Steve]

I just realized your location.

Yet ANOTHER GSer (that is just barely) in southwest oHIo.

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[Redman]

Two other comments:

1)
As far as interlocking the the starter, I alway thought having it in netural would be a better interlock than having clutch in. I suppose adding the clutch switch to the existing design was easier than adding the netural logic due to the way the netural switch is a "complete the ground" circuit.

With the clutch swtich can just get in habit of pulling in clutch, hit start button, then just let off clutch once its running. If it was in gear, then still get the "learch" actaully more of a "learch", but at least had both hands on the handle bar.

2)
I had bike that didnt have any such interlock. Then First bike I had that had the clutch interlock (82 GS650G), I didnt like that stupid clutch switch, who needs that? I knew it was going to cause me a problem some day, I just knew it was gonna be more trouble than it was worth and leave me stranded some day. Just because I didnt like it, I knew it was gonna be a problem. A couple months later, came out to bike (from a bar, maybe that had something to do with it - I dont do that any more) and no crank, no click. Darn it ! I knew that clutch swtich was gonna be a problem MUSZZLE-FRUZZLE-FRIZZLE-RATS ! !
Had tools out. Had headlight pulled out trying to get at wiring to find where/how to bypass that dern stupid thing that I knew, just knew, because I didnt like it, just knew was gonna cause problems some day.
A buddy came out and stood there for a while, then pointed at my kill switch. Doah!
That was 30 years ago, and have been living happily with clutch interlock switch ever since (including 850G and 1100GK).

.

[bwringer]

The clutch and side stand "safety" switches have failed and been disabled on all three of my bikes.

Just a data point, and fair warning to anyone who rides one of my bikes.


Anyhoo, to actually offer an answer to the question, I think the simplest solution is to grab the electrical bits and jobbies from a junked elderly Honda that operates the way you want and splice them into the Suzuki's wiring.

I hazily recall that there are a couple of relays and a diode that figure prominently in the KLR650's addlepated system, so it's not too complicated.

A couple of hours of sweaty, beady-eyed staring at Honda and Suzuki wiring diagrams should make it clear what to splice in where.

More modern bikes (like Gold Wings and V-Stroms) run the logic using the fuel injection computer, so you'll want to get parts from something older with carbs.

[Steve]

The clutch and side stand "safety" switches have failed and been disabled on all three of my bikes.

Actually, the side stand switch only turns on the light in the gauges, it doesn't do anything to prevent starting or kill the engine if you put it in gear with the stand down.

More modern bikes (like Gold Wings and V-Stroms) run the logic using the fuel injection computer, so you'll want to get parts from something older with carbs.

You can still get parts from a Wing.

My Wing is a 2000, which was the last of the carbureted Wings, and it has all those interlocks and more.

.

[OldVet66]

You can do this with a single pole normally open relay. Supply continuous 12V power to the pickup side of the relay coil, and tie the ground side of the coil to the neutral switch to complete the circuit when in neutral. That will close the normally opened relay switch. Run a jumper from each side of the clutch switch to each side of the relay switch. The relay will automatically close the clutch switch when in neutral, and open in gear so it works like your Honda system.