QuestionHey Chris ... I own a Kawasaki VN800 2002 I just replaced the drive chain. Bike starts up,but once
I put it in gear,the engine dies. I made sure the
kickstand was up. Could it be a neutral switch?
Funny thing is I cant find the switch. I have the
factory service manual and where it shows where the switch is located there is no switch. First, Is this the problem and if not what else could it be?
THANKS MUCH, RICH
AnswerHi Rich.
Your problem is the most common problem that every rider of bikes from the big 4 have had since the 80's. Every Japanese bike built since the early 1980's has had a sidestand cutoff switch. The reason that it came to be was that Harley riders were hanging up their sidestands when taking off on rides. The problem is that Harleys are the only bikes whose sidestands lock down. The solution was to put a switch on JAPANESE bikes to prevent that kind of accident.
You will see on the sidestand, at the top near the hingepoint, a small switch. Either replace the switch or cut it out and reconnect the 2 wires that complete the circuit. There are 3 wires in the switch and connecting 2 of them together will allow the bike to run properly.
Now if the sidestand cutoff switch is missing, then check for the wires and see if they have been spliced together. If not, then the switch came disconnected and torn from the bike somehow or has been removed and spliced at the plug.
If the wires are spiced together properly and there are no shorts in the wires that were spliced, then the problem could be either in the clutch switch or the neutral switch. Check the neutral switch first because the neutral switch is buried inside the engine and is not easy to get at.
To test the wires and connections for any of these switches, you will need a multimeter set to test resistance. There should be no resistance when the sidestand cutoff switch is engaged (as if using the bike). The specifics for each of the switches, as well as all testing proceedures, is in the repair manual.
Good luck and ride safe.
Falcon
