Bike starting, but no headlight? Check out this post...

A couple of months ago, my starter button fell off. No problem - I just used a bent paper-clip to push in the starter button (atlhough I thought this could be troublesome if my bike ever stalled out in an intersection). A few days later, my bike would start, but no headlight.

After checking the headlight (fine), checking fuses (fine), using a multi-meter across the light contacts (fine), I thought the problem must be elsewhere. I started reading up on how the front headlight is wired, and found out it routes through the starter. I thought - starter button broken off, maybe something else is too?

There are two sets of contacts behind the starter button: one for the headlight, one for the starter. Press the button, and the headlight circuit opens (light shuts off) and the starter circuit closes (starter runs). Maybe contact wasn't being made? It was a long shot, but I opened up the starter button housing - and found a disaster. Not only had the starter button broken off, but the piece of plastic with the contacts in it had split in half! So - push the button forward, it still hit the starter contacts, but in the rest position it made no contact with the (basically hanging off) portion with the headlight contacts.

Victoria Motorcycle Salvage was closed for a month or so at that point, no one had parts in I could use, and I needed the bike within two days. What to do? First, the contacts - I carefully JB Welded the plastic back together, and cemented it into place inside its bracket (note - take pics before you start popping little pieces of metal out of the starter button housing. It's deceptively simple looking, but easy to put pieces back in in the wrong order). Next - I took a scrap of stamped galvanized metel (I think from an old lighting fixture?) and filed and bent it to fit the starter button clip and resemble a starter button (I'll try and get pics up eventually).

Let the JB Weld 1 1/2 days, put it back together - it's now held up for three months! However, given my daily drive home in the winter darkness, it makes me a tad nervous - now that the salvage place has re-opened, I think it's time to go pick up another starter assembly for the bike (they have a number of XJ's in, apparently).

Hope this (possibly) helps someone out!

Cheers.

 

I hope and think you just made my day. It sounds exactly like what is going on with my bike. Thanks for the post. awesome job great description.