Hitchcocks Forum

Hy folks thanks for all the help so far with my none starting Electra X Well this morning she has finally decided to burst into life.
Fresh fuel new plug, Put it on main stand made sure the side stand was up pulled in clutch (even in neutral)or else it will not turn over)
and after a few spits and bangs and warming the plug it is up and running "wow" its a runner.
The only problem now is the lights, the minute I flick the switch to side lights or main Beam the engine stops
Some sort of short circuit, any ideas folk ? look forward to hearing from you all again.
regards johno

When I managed to start my Dads Electra X yesterday, I didn't need to pull in the clutch as the gearbox was in neutral. I did check this by pulling in the clutch and trying to start the bike. Nothing happened. If you've managed to start the bike when gearbox is in neutral and having the clutch lever pulled in, something is wrong. It sounds like a couple of wires have been swopped around. Here's a daft suggestion: See if the lights work with the clutch lever pulled in.

The starter solenoid gets a +ve from the starter button. Its -ve comes via either a pulled-in clutch lever or from the neutral switch in the gearbox.

The side stand inhibits the ignition circuit(not the starter circuit) via the TCI unit meaning that with the side stand down, clutch in or neutral selected, the engine will turn over but will have no spark.

The fact that the lights cut the engine sounds like an electrical fault (short circuit) and, from experience, I would expect this to be in the rat's nest, sorry, the nacelle.

Get a wiring diagram (there's one in the handbook and another in the workshop manual) and a cheap multimeter.

Don't be frightened by the wiring or the diagram. Concentrate on one wire at a time.

Barry. If in neutral and you had to pull in the clutch lever to engage the starter then something is wrong. Probably the clutch switch. In neutral it should work whatever the clutch position. Only in gear does the lever have to be pulled.

Frank, I think you've mis-read what I wrote. I clearly said that the clutch lever didn't need to be pulled in to start the engine when the gearbox was in neutral. I only checked the clutch switch (for correct operation) as a test when I tried to start the bike again (Which it didn't). The clutch lever switch was mearly a suggestion as a potential fault when it came to Johno's light problem.

Barry, yes apologies.

Barry, yes apologies.

I had a similar problem a few days after bying my Electra new, the wire to one of the pilot lights had rubbed through, bike would run fine till I turned the lights on. Sometimes it would blow a fuse sometimes it wouldn but as soon as I turned the lights on the motor would stop

Barry. Now the effects of a few pints of beer have worn off I'm still a bit puzzled by your statement, quote "If you've managed to start the bike when gearbox is in neutral and having the clutch lever pulled in, something is wrong". The point I was trying to make is that you should be able to start the bike in neutral with the clutch lever in OR out. If Johno's bike will not start in neutral unless the lever is IN then that is wrong. If your bike will only turn over with the lever out and won't when it is in, then that is also wrong. In neutral it should turn over irrespective of position.

To answer your question (This is on an 05 plate Electra X). Gearbox in neutral (Neutral light is on). Clutch lever out, bike starts. Clutch lever in, nothing! My guess is that the neutral light is linked to the clutch switch. If the bike is in gear (and the neutral light is out), the clutch lever has to be pulled in to start the bike. Since I don't have a wiring diagram for an Electra X, I couldn't say for certain where the electic is coming from, or indeed going to within the starting circuit.