Newbie stupid move

YellowstoneBiker · 07-31-2012, 10:53 PM

I am new to riding--since May. I took a beginners motorcycle class and it was great. I have a Suzuki DR200--a dual sport that I ride on a dirt road to work and back. The other day I must have been very tired because I neglected to put the kick stand down quickly enough and dropped it in slow-mo onto my leg. No big deal to me, but this morning the bike would not start, nor turn over at all. I'm thinking the clutch handle got jammed and there is a cut-off kill switch thing somewhere. Can anyone give me any help with where to look to see what the problem is? Thanks a lot... yeah, my face is red and I've got a sore butt from kicking myself all day today.

Badlands-4-2 · 08-01-2012, 12:24 AM

Sorry to hear about your dilemma. You should try posting this in the Suzuki section for more answers, but my question to you is, was the bike running when you dropped it?

YellowstoneBiker · 08-01-2012, 10:43 AM

Badlands 4-2: No, the bike was not running when dropped. I had just turned it off.

Ramsfan87 · 08-07-2012, 10:22 AM

A simple fall shouldn't cause that much damage to the bike that it won't even turn over. Is there any clicking, sounds, etc when you try to start or just no response at all? If it is the later (which i hope) I would start by looking at the clutch lever if it has a killswitch. Sounds like an electrical problem. Many bikes do have those, forcing you to pull in the clutch every time starting. My triumph has that, even if starting in nuetral.

83gs1100e · 08-07-2012, 02:10 PM

I don't know what the exact internals look like but my Suzuki has the switch on the clutch that forces it to be engaged before the starter will do its thing. the drop could have jarred things around in there.

Badlands-4-2 · 08-07-2012, 02:30 PM

Do any of the lights come on and does the horn work? Perhaps you loosened up the battery cables in the tip over?

SpitefulHam · 08-07-2012, 09:00 PM

Also check if you have a kickstand switch. A lot of bikes have a safety switch that will prevent you from starting the bike in gear when the stand is down (or shuts it off if you put it in gear with the stand down). You may have jarred the switch so that it thinks the stand is always down.

z9nine · 08-07-2012, 09:05 PM

Can it be push started? I mean in my mind I would like to see if I could actually get it to run before I start tearing into stuff guessing.

If it were me and when I troubleshoot something I will I try and get it to the lowest possible choice by making sure everything else works. I.E. I would see if I could push start your bike, that would rule out most engine issues, give you an idea if you have fuel flow issues, and ignition issues.

I assume it has electric start, does it turn over, click, or do nothing. That would let me know certain battery issues or starter issues.

Carbed? make sure you fuel is turned on, in the right position, try the prime feature if you have it ya may have dumped the fuel out of the bowls and the prime feature uses gravity and not vacuum to move the go-go juice.

Do bikes have a tip over sensor, something that would kill it in case of a rubber side up problem? I would doubt it, much less a dual sport, but it would be something I would check out. :Added: side stand switch, the dude that posted above me gets the credit for this add, AKA SpitefulHam. This is kinda what I was getting at in this section but could not think of the proper name.

This may seem like a lot to check and a waste of time, but I rarely get a problem wrong when it comes to mechanical issues using this technique. This is the way the Military teaches you to troubleshoot. Many of the FSM's use this method as well in their books. It takes time, but in the long run you will not be running in circles if you rule out certain areas as much as possible before moving on. In my experience when this method is over looked you end up throwing random parts at it and spending more money than you ever needed to, and spending more time in the garage than you wanted to.

twizted278 · 08-28-2012, 08:06 AM

i had this problem while bk,
i found out that if i held the clutch, it would start.
seemed it wasnt started due to my clutch.. i know it not specific
but you could possibly check the clutch line?
maybe the bike is between gears?
mine was, stuck between neutral and 1st gear.. for some reason

not but it starts up just fine now, , not saying u dont use the clutch to start ur bike up

distantThunder · 08-28-2012, 09:45 AM

KILL switch is on the handlebars on the right hand side.
Otherwise check to see if anything has come loose.

You're not the first guy who forgot to put down the kickstand.
That's a legendary mistake ... plenty of riders have done it.

It also works in reverse.
You start up the engine of your bike, start rolling, and go "Ohhh cr** ... I forgot to put the kickstand up!!".

If you've got a new girlfriend and you're trying to impress her ...
this will work. NOT :-)

dT

twizted278 · 08-28-2012, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by distantThunder

KILL switch is on the handlebars on the right hand side.
Otherwise check to see if anything has come loose.

You're not the first guy who forgot to put down the kickstand.
That's a legendary mistake ... plenty of riders have done it.

It also works in reverse.
You start up the engine of your bike, start rolling, and go "Ohhh cr** ... I forgot to put the kickstand up!!".

If you've got a new girlfriend and you're trying to impress her ...
this will work. NOT :-)

dT

lol oh god, i wonder how many have did that on accident to impress someone, now

MvZiC MaN · 09-10-2012, 07:56 PM

Sounds like a Safty kill switch to me... my cousins Ninja Zx6r has 1 of those that wont let it start with the stand down......... so maybe the sensore got messed up when you dropped it Thats my 0.02 but im not Positive

Gunner75 · 09-11-2012, 01:18 AM

Mine has a kill switch when the kick stand is down however it only does this when its in gear. Once i move it into neutral itll start with the clutch out.

Gandalf · 09-11-2012, 06:28 AM

Yeah, I agree on the sidestand sensor. For testing purposes just tape it in the "up" position, or short it out/disconnect it as needed.

68BS90 · 09-11-2012, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by distantThunder

You're not the first guy who forgot to put down the kickstand.
That's a legendary mistake ... plenty of riders have done it.

Yep, no need to kick yourself over a common mistake even among experienced riders.

We'll do all the kicking around here.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gunner75

Mine has a kill switch when the kick stand is down however it only does this when its in gear. Once i move it into neutral itll start with the clutch out.

You can test this by making sure it's in neutral when you try to start it. If it does start and then dies when you put it into 1st even with the kickstand up, then you know it's the kickstand switch.

I like having a bike with zero safety nanny stuff but I do embarrass myself every once in a while by starting it in gear with the clutch out.

07-31-2012, 10:53 PM	#1
YellowstoneBiker Motorcyclist Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 8	Newbie stupid move I am new to riding--since May. I took a beginners motorcycle class and it was great. I have a Suzuki DR200--a dual sport that I ride on a dirt road to work and back. The other day I must have been very tired because I neglected to put the kick stand down quickly enough and dropped it in slow-mo onto my leg. No big deal to me, but this morning the bike would not start, nor turn over at all. I'm thinking the clutch handle got jammed and there is a cut-off kill switch thing somewhere. Can anyone give me any help with where to look to see what the problem is? Thanks a lot... yeah, my face is red and I've got a sore butt from kicking myself all day today.

08-07-2012, 09:05 PM	#8
z9nine What? Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Belleview Fl Posts: 622	Can it be push started? I mean in my mind I would like to see if I could actually get it to run before I start tearing into stuff guessing. If it were me and when I troubleshoot something I will I try and get it to the lowest possible choice by making sure everything else works. I.E. I would see if I could push start your bike, that would rule out most engine issues, give you an idea if you have fuel flow issues, and ignition issues. I assume it has electric start, does it turn over, click, or do nothing. That would let me know certain battery issues or starter issues. Carbed? make sure you fuel is turned on, in the right position, try the prime feature if you have it ya may have dumped the fuel out of the bowls and the prime feature uses gravity and not vacuum to move the go-go juice. Do bikes have a tip over sensor, something that would kill it in case of a rubber side up problem? I would doubt it, much less a dual sport, but it would be something I would check out. :Added: side stand switch, the dude that posted above me gets the credit for this add, AKA SpitefulHam. This is kinda what I was getting at in this section but could not think of the proper name. This may seem like a lot to check and a waste of time, but I rarely get a problem wrong when it comes to mechanical issues using this technique. This is the way the Military teaches you to troubleshoot. Many of the FSM's use this method as well in their books. It takes time, but in the long run you will not be running in circles if you rule out certain areas as much as possible before moving on. In my experience when this method is over looked you end up throwing random parts at it and spending more money than you ever needed to, and spending more time in the garage than you wanted to. __________________ Chrome is the Devil, Paint it black Last edited by z9nine; 08-07-2012 at 09:09 PM..

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08-01-2012, 12:24 AM	#2
Badlands-4-2 Super Moderator Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: The Badlands of North Dakota Posts: 9,699	Sorry to hear about your dilemma. You should try posting this in the Suzuki section for more answers, but my question to you is, was the bike running when you dropped it?

08-01-2012, 10:43 AM	#3
YellowstoneBiker Motorcyclist Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 8	Badlands 4-2: No, the bike was not running when dropped. I had just turned it off.

08-07-2012, 10:22 AM	#4
Ramsfan87 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Albany, NY Posts: 407	A simple fall shouldn't cause that much damage to the bike that it won't even turn over. Is there any clicking, sounds, etc when you try to start or just no response at all? If it is the later (which i hope) I would start by looking at the clutch lever if it has a killswitch. Sounds like an electrical problem. Many bikes do have those, forcing you to pull in the clutch every time starting. My triumph has that, even if starting in nuetral.

08-07-2012, 02:10 PM	#5
83gs1100e Verified Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 33	I don't know what the exact internals look like but my Suzuki has the switch on the clutch that forces it to be engaged before the starter will do its thing. the drop could have jarred things around in there.

08-07-2012, 02:30 PM	#6
Badlands-4-2 Super Moderator Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: The Badlands of North Dakota Posts: 9,699	Do any of the lights come on and does the horn work? Perhaps you loosened up the battery cables in the tip over?

08-07-2012, 09:00 PM	#7
SpitefulHam Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Frederick, MD Posts: 320	Also check if you have a kickstand switch. A lot of bikes have a safety switch that will prevent you from starting the bike in gear when the stand is down (or shuts it off if you put it in gear with the stand down). You may have jarred the switch so that it thinks the stand is always down.

08-28-2012, 08:06 AM	#9
twizted278 Verified Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Dallas, tx Posts: 42	i had this problem while bk, i found out that if i held the clutch, it would start. seemed it wasnt started due to my clutch.. i know it not specific but you could possibly check the clutch line? maybe the bike is between gears? mine was, stuck between neutral and 1st gear.. for some reason not but it starts up just fine now, , not saying u dont use the clutch to start ur bike up

08-28-2012, 09:45 AM	#10
distantThunder Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 1,240	KILL switch is on the handlebars on the right hand side. Otherwise check to see if anything has come loose. You're not the first guy who forgot to put down the kickstand. That's a legendary mistake ... plenty of riders have done it. It also works in reverse. You start up the engine of your bike, start rolling, and go "Ohhh cr** ... I forgot to put the kickstand up!!". If you've got a new girlfriend and you're trying to impress her ... this will work. NOT :-) dT

09-10-2012, 07:56 PM	#12
MvZiC MaN Verified Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Port Charlotte Fl Posts: 20	Sounds like a Safty kill switch to me... my cousins Ninja Zx6r has 1 of those that wont let it start with the stand down......... so maybe the sensore got messed up when you dropped it Thats my 0.02 but im not Positive

09-11-2012, 01:18 AM	#13
Gunner75 Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Jackson Center Ohio Posts: 218	Mine has a kill switch when the kick stand is down however it only does this when its in gear. Once i move it into neutral itll start with the clutch out.

09-11-2012, 06:28 AM	#14
Gandalf If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Indy Posts: 391	Yeah, I agree on the sidestand sensor. For testing purposes just tape it in the "up" position, or short it out/disconnect it as needed.