Motorcycle Repair: 1981 kawasaki kz 650 wont start, kawasaki kz650, kawasaki kz 650

Question
Hi I have a kawasaki kz650 which wont turn over, and the turn signals wont work, dont know if its related to the starter, but my only concern is to the starter.  a friend told me to roll it down a hill in gear to try to jump start it, but i am worried about the trans if i do that.

Answer
Check all the fuses first to make sure none of them are blown, if that doesn't work then you need to start troubleshooting the starter circuit to see what the problem is. It could be a fried starter relay, a corroded start button or the starter itself.

If the battery is fully charged and you are sure the ignition system is working, you can try to push start the bike or roll it down a hill and let out the clutch... you should try that in 2nd gear and at a speed less than 15mph to avoid the rear wheel from locking up when you let out the clutch and don't give it a lot of throttle. push starting or rolling it down a hill won't damage the transmission.