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By-pass kickstand safety switching

Discussion in 'Hangout Lounge' started by Donks212100, Aug 7, 2014.

  1. Donks212100

    Donks212100 New Member

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    I have a 81 XJ 550 and the kickstand switch is broken. I know that there is a way to by-pass but not sure how to. Please advise. Thanks in advance
     
  2. hogfiddles

    hogfiddles XJ-Wizard, Host-Central NY Carb Clinic Moderator Premium Member

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    I'm not going to tell you how to do it.

    Yes, it's possible.....I've done it myself. I had mine bypassed for two years.
    Then one day, in the town where I worked, a local bike shop owner was out for a ride on his bike. He took a slow left turn, after a stop at a light, the kickstand was down, it caught the road, flipped the bike, he hit his head on the curb edge, and was pronounced dead at the scene.

    I replaced the switch the next day.

    So, how do you bypass the switch? you order a replacement and install it. That's the only way to do it right. If you disconnect the clip and jumper from one side to the other, you have now put your bike in a very dangerous situation since you now have NO safety feature governing the kickstand and you will have at least one very scary moment.

    Fix it the right way--put a new switch on.
     
  3. TomJ

    TomJ Member

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    I was going to say how to bypass a switch, then I saw your story, it convinced me otherwise. I've had to bypass switches on old cranes at work, but nothing with consequences like that...
     
  4. chacal

    chacal Moderator Moderator Supporting Vendor Premium Member

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    Are you sure the switch is bad (they're pretty durable little beasts) because it could be that the sidestand RELAY is bad/missing/etc.......
     
  5. Donks212100

    Donks212100 New Member

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    This is a project bike for me and I just want to make sure the engine is ok before I sink a lot of money into it.

    The kickstand switch is actually broken off. I will replace it but just need to here it run before dropping any money into it. The issue that I am having is that I get no click from the solenoid when I try to start. The battery is fully charged and I do have power. The solenoid has recently been replaced. I am able to jump the solenoid and the engine will crank. But I thought that I should be able to start the bike even with a broken kickstand switch. I just wouldn't be able to put it into gear. So I am just looking for some help on getting the bike running.

    Thanks in advance for any help that you guys can offer.
     
  6. hogfiddles

    hogfiddles XJ-Wizard, Host-Central NY Carb Clinic Moderator Premium Member

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    In that case, trace the wires back from the switch to where the connect to the harness. Unplug the leads. Make a little pigtail ( horseshoe) to simple connect the to sides of the harness together

    Now the easier thing in this case --- since the switch is already broken, just cut the wires coming out of it, bare ends and wire-nut them together. Your gonna replace the switch anyway and the new wires will be on the switch.

    Dave f
     
  7. bensalf

    bensalf Well-Known Member

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    whatever happened to the mechanical way to safeguard riding off with the stand down.?
    ziptie a short piece of rubber hose to the bottom of the sidestand, so it extends a couple of inches below the stand, then if you leave it down and move off, when you lean into a left hander, the hose touches the ground and flips the stand up, without it digging in
    my 1970s cx500 had a manufacturer fitted piece of rubber bolted to the bottom of the sidestand for that exact reason.
    when using the stand to rest the bike, the hose or rubber simply folds back
    stu
     
    fardarriggerXJ900Seca likes this.
  8. Donks212100

    Donks212100 New Member

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    Tanks Dave. That is what I thought I needed to do so I have already connected the 2 wires together still nothing. So I still have an issue. Any ideas?
    Steve
     
  9. ronmold

    ronmold New Member

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    3 days ago, soon to be inlaws' kickstand down, left turn out of a parking lot, high-sider and bike lands on him: broke 3 ribs & collarbone, punctured lung. Probably should fix the switch.
     
  10. ronmold

    ronmold New Member

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    3 days ago, soon to be inlaws' kickstand down, left turn out of a parking lot, high-sider and bike lands on him: broke 3 ribs & collarbone, punctured lung. Probably should fix the switch.
     
  11. TIMEtoRIDE

    TIMEtoRIDE Active Member

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    I've said this recently in another thread - -

    Honda's solution was a ten-cent-rubber-finger that automatically flips the stand if you are forgetful.
    (clever tip with that fuel line!!)

    And sorry to hear about the guy who died,
    but another simple solution comes to mind, by simply re-mounting the return spring an inch ?? so you have to PUT the kickstand down, and it flips-up by itself would also work.

    For Donks - Gamuru's Start Circuit Diagnosis

    http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=4 ... =next.html
     
  12. hogfiddles

    hogfiddles XJ-Wizard, Host-Central NY Carb Clinic Moderator Premium Member

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    Maybe companies could find a way to incorporate a safety switch of some sort so that the bike won't run until the stand is put up... That might help prevent accidents due to a kickstand inadvertently being left down.

    I don't think I'd want to trust my life to a little rubber tube to hopefully lift the stand.....

    Dave
     
  13. hogfiddles

    hogfiddles XJ-Wizard, Host-Central NY Carb Clinic Moderator Premium Member

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    Do you have the switch on the handlebar set to ON/RUN? (Middle setting)

    Have you checked the fuses?

    Dave
     
  14. k-moe

    k-moe Pie, Bacon, Bourbon. Moderator Premium Member

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    Ducati used to do that. The self-retracting kickstand that self-retracted in the slightest breeze, while you were as far from the bike as possible. A brand-new 916 with crunched body panels is not a pretty sight.

    BTW. Hondas have had sidestand switches since the mid 80's.

    _____

    I have a thought that may turn out to be a WAG. Is the neutral light on when the bike is in neutral? The reason I ask is because the PO of a maxim I'm working on disconnected that, along with the sidestand switch, and recovered the wiring loom so you couldn't tell anything was unhooked just by looking.
     
  15. bensalf

    bensalf Well-Known Member

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    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    I don't think I'd want to trust my life to a little rubber tube to hopefully lift the stand
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    but you trust your life on an electrical switch making contact.?
    :roll:
    stu
     
  16. hogfiddles

    hogfiddles XJ-Wizard, Host-Central NY Carb Clinic Moderator Premium Member

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    No. I have a habit of checking the stand before I even start the bike.
    However, all of the switches on my bikes are in working order. Plus, it's ALMOST impossible for the switch to fail in such a way the there could still be continuity with the stand down.
     
  17. bigfitz52

    bigfitz52 Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    OHFERCHRISSAKES

    On '80s Yamahas, the sidestand switch is a GOOD IDEA. You can't see the bloody sidestand if you have any bigger than about a size 6 boot. Plus, since it's such a stubby little thing, the geometry is such that if you do roll into a left-hander with it down, it WILL drop you on your butt. Hopefully you're wearing a helmet, and the bike lands in the nice soft grass of the neighbor's front yard.

    My Norton doesn't have a sidestand switch; but its sidestand is about two feet long and there's no way you can miss that it's deployed.

    Back to the subject at hand.

    If you've effectively bypassed the sidestand switch and it still won't spin, some other part of the safety circuit is likely ackin' wacky. Does the red "oil" lamp come on when you mash the starter button?

    You have a 550, right?

    In addition to the sidestand switch, it has a sidestand relay. It also has a safety cutoff relay.

    DOES IT HAVE THE ORIGINAL FUSE BOX?

    What manual are you working with?
     
  18. hogfiddles

    hogfiddles XJ-Wizard, Host-Central NY Carb Clinic Moderator Premium Member

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    Yeah, I've tried to make that clear---
     
  19. thejewishguy

    thejewishguy Member

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    What the heck just bypass the switch and avoid oroblems later on... I even bypassed the kill switch on my right handle; the Red Run/Off button
    If that thing goes out on the road.. You are done left stranded.
     
  20. k-moe

    k-moe Pie, Bacon, Bourbon. Moderator Premium Member

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    There are not enough faces for all of tha palms I need.

    May as well disable the brakes while you're at it so you don't get stranded if one locks up on you.
     
  21. TIMEtoRIDE

    TIMEtoRIDE Active Member

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    If you did this - you would TEST it's effectiveness a few times,
    and after thinking about it, the tube should be secured with Stainless Wire, not just a couple plastic zip-ties near the exhaust.

    If I ever get a bike with no kickstand safety, I'll try it.

    The little "rubber finger" on my (late) Silver Wing saved me a couple times, with a *bang* against the muffler, and almost no wiggle.
     
  22. Bushy

    Bushy Active Member

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    Lucky I've only had / got 1 bike with this dang side stand switch thingy, all those years of no problems with it not working.
     
  23. Polock

    Polock Well-Known Member

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    My bmw has a mechanism that lifts the side stand when the clutch is squeezed.
    But you can't pull the clutch if it's setting on the stand. That's kind of a pain.
    The Seca on the other hand has no safety devices, stand, clutch or neutral.
    A tip over device should be on all bikes.
     
  24. Donks212100

    Donks212100 New Member

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    I have it on run and yes I have checked the fuses.
     
  25. bigfitz52

    bigfitz52 Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    OK, but that's not what I asked. I asked if the fusebox was original. Plus I asked some other questions that the answers to will help us help you.

     
  26. Donks212100

    Donks212100 New Member

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    Yes this is a 550. The oil light does come on and the fuse box is original.
     

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