Motorcycle Repair: bike wont run in gear, kawasaki vulcan 750, 1993 kawasaki vulcan 750

Question
Hi,
I have a 1993 Kawasaki Vulcan 750. My bike idles fine, even in gear with the clutch pulled, but as soon as I release the clutch the slightest bit it dies instantly. Any ideas? Do these bikes have a neutral safety switch and a clutch safety switch because I have read about both and didn't know if they were two different things or the same switch called by different names. I also recently took the headlight off to replace it if that makes any difference. The bike has sat for a while (about a year or so) but it just doesn't feel like a carb problem to me with the way it instantly dies when the clutch is released. Any help would be appreciated as I am desperate to get out there riding!


Thanks, Christine

Answer
Hi Christine,

For the most part there are a couple of things
that make a bike die in gear when the clutch
is released.

One is if the clutch plates are warped
and become grabby when the clutch
is lever is released.

The other possibility is the side stand switch.

The clutch safety switch is on the clutch lever
and is designed to prevent the bike's starter
from operating while in gear with the clutch lever
released. When you pull the clutch lever in
it allows the starter to work.

The neutral safety switch is on the engine
and allows the bike to start in neutral
even if the clutch lever is not pulled in.

These two switches are related to the bike's
starting system and should not cause the
bike to stop running which the side stand switch
can do if faulty.

I believe the side stand grounds a black/white
wire to the bike's ignitor module and when
this ground is broken the bike stops.
These switches all work through a series of
diodes inside the junction box so
weird things can happen if those diodes blow.

1.-I would check the operation of the side stand
switch with a multimeter.

2.-If the bike will run just by speeding the engine
up when you release the clutch then
it might be warped grabby clutch plates which
would require replacement.

If the bike is starting okay in neutral and in gear
with the clutch pulled then the clutch switch and
the neutral switch are likely okay.

Good luck!

Wayne S.
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