Can't turn it over in gear?

[Wrel]

Hey guys, just wondering if this is a common problem, or even a problem at all, and merely a design of the bike.

I rolled up to a stop light and managed to stall in traffic the other day. No biggie. I tried hitting the starter but it did nothing. I check for all possible problems, but found nothing. Then I put it into neutral, and it turned over fine. First gear? Or any gear for that matter? I get no response from the starter.

Anyone else have a bike that acts like this? My other 2 bikes would fire right back up when in gear, so I had just assumed this one would too. Should I take it to the dealership and have them take a look at this for me?

Thanks

 

[99vengeur]

Hey guys, just wondering if this is a common problem, or even a problem at all, and merely a design of the bike.

I rolled up to a stop light and managed to stall in traffic the other day. No biggie. I tried hitting the starter but it did nothing. I check for all possible problems, but found nothing. Then I put it into neutral, and it turned over fine. First gear? Or any gear for that matter? I get no response from the starter.

Anyone else have a bike that acts like this? My other 2 bikes would fire right back up when in gear, so I had just assumed this one would too. Should I take it to the dealership and have them take a look at this for me?

Thanks

Mine will start up in gear, you just have to make sure the clutch is pulled in and that the side-stand isn't down.

 

[JonKerr]

Mine started up in first gear just fine the one time I tried. I shut it off and restarted at a light because the sensor didn't pick me up and didn't need to shift out of first. I've been told the magnetic field from the starter being engaged will trip the sensors in the road sometimes.

 

[xplodnstar]

Hey guys, just wondering if this is a common problem, or even a problem at all, and merely a design of the bike.

I rolled up to a stop light and managed to stall in traffic the other day. No biggie. I tried hitting the starter but it did nothing. I check for all possible problems, but found nothing. Then I put it into neutral, and it turned over fine. First gear? Or any gear for that matter? I get no response from the starter.

Anyone else have a bike that acts like this? My other 2 bikes would fire right back up when in gear, so I had just assumed this one would too. Should I take it to the dealership and have them take a look at this for me?

Thanks

It's a safety feature on many newer bikes. As Ven said, you just have to hold in the clutch to turn it over.

It keeps most people from starting it in gear and having the bike run right out from under them. Yes, it's happened and the look on the guys face ans his bike went all of 5 feet and fell over was heartbreaking.

 

[dart1963]

"First gear? Or any gear for that matter? I get no response from the starter."

ok, I'll make the assumption, he did have the clutch pulled when trying (since he hasn't responded and seems to have tried other gears and... common sense says you can't turn over in gear), so if he did have the clutch pulled and it still wouldn't start in gear, I'd suspect a bad kickstand switch or he didn't quite have it all the way up. This bike will kill the engine when the stand is down in any gear and will not start in gear when it is down.... must be in neutral with kickstand down to run.

 

[nortonator]

The same thing happened to me on my road test. The bike was about a week old, I started off, thinking I was in second and stalled it (2 points). like you, I had issues re-starting it. I think I had to put it back in first or neutral.
Afterwards, I found out that it may have been due to the transmission being new, and that it takes a while to break-in the transmission as well as the engine. I think there was only about 200km on the bike at that time. It's seems to be running skookum now,I stalled it the other week and had no problem starting it.

hope this helps,

Cheers.

 

[FZ1inNH]

Check behind the clutch lever (front of the handlebars). There's a switch in the clutch lever with two blade connections. Often times, the dealer overlooks connecting these, or one of the two, or they just are not seated properly. This switch has no effect in neutral but the bike will not start in gear with these two wires being disconnected.

Let me know if that is the issue.

 

[Allan]

I've got just over 400km's on the clock now. Stalled it a couple of days ago in first , and, with the clutch in, it started up first time.

 

[Wrel]

Yeah like dart thought, I did have the clutch in. I dont think even with the neutral light on, I'd have the gall to turn it over with the clutch out in traffic.

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll check over the cabling today when I go for a ride. I have about 350km on the bike now, only having it for about a week, but thankfully I only had the stall issue once. I might let it break in a bit more before I talk to the dealer I bought it from.

 

[99vengeur]

Yeah like dart thought, I did have the clutch in. I dont think even with the neutral light on, I'd have the gall to turn it over with the clutch out in traffic.

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll check over the cabling today when I go for a ride. I have about 350km on the bike now, only having it for about a week, but thankfully I only had the stall issue once. I might let it break in a bit more before I talk to the dealer I bought it from.

Get back with us and let us know what you determine the problem to be. This has piqued my interest.

 

[Funkmaxtor]

This same thing happened to me when I first got the bike. The issue was caused by my clutch cable stretching. I had the clutch in but since the cable was out of adjustment it wasn't enough to allow the bike to start. Adjust the cable and you should be good to go.

Goodluck!

 

[FZ1inNH]

Yeah like dart thought, I did have the clutch in. I dont think even with the neutral light on, I'd have the gall to turn it over with the clutch out in traffic.

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll check over the cabling today when I go for a ride. I have about 350km on the bike now, only having it for about a week, but thankfully I only had the stall issue once. I might let it break in a bit more before I talk to the dealer I bought it from.

Those two wires are 100% visible and nothing needs to be taken apart. Just check them and it will take about 10 seconds. The plug in right below the adjustment wheel on the clutch.

 

[Wrel]

Well, I have a plug port there, but no plug actually IN that port. That could be the culprit. I stopped at the dealer on my way home and he fired up another FZ6R and it would turn over in gear, like mine should. I'll look around tomorrow for the phantom plug hah.

 

[FZ1inNH]

Maybe it fell in? I'll have to look at her bike to see where it *might* have gone! Are the wires at least there? Thanx!

 

[FZ1inNH]

Here's some pics of the switch under the clutch level clamp. The first shows the view of the wires from the rider's area looking forward. The next two show from beneath with the clutch lever neutral and pulled.

 

[Wrel]

Wow, thanks FZ1inNH. Those pics are super detailed. If I haden't figured out the problem, I would have been elated to get those pics.

I went into my garage and poked around when I got home from work. I found the empty socket and traced the wires down the forks, but didn't look UP the wire, closer under the clutch. Looking up the wire, there was the culprit plug, unplugged, parallel with the main wire under the electronics box on the bars. I didn't see the plug because it was tucked so tight up behind the other cable that runs parallel with it (your 2nd picture shows it perfect). Popped that plug in, and that's all it took!

Another problem solved, and thanks to everyone in this thread that helped me out. Hope this can be of help to someone in the future.

 

[Tijeras505]

I had exactly the same problem! Thanks...

 

[jabe]

Ug! How embarrassing! On my way to work this morning and split lanes to get up to the front at a red light and due to having thicker gloves on I stalled. I was already in first gear because I was ready to take off. Push the start button and nothing! Get it into neutral and started and ride off. As Im going im thinking that isn't right! Seems to be a safety hazard on the bike! I need to take it to the dealership!

Come to this forum and learn that it might be an oversight of the dealers part... go take a look and sure enough, thats what it was... The freggin plug next to the clutch wasn't plugged in! Thanks for this post!!

 

[Roaddawg]

Mine started up in first gear just fine the one time I tried. I shut it off and restarted at a light because the sensor didn't pick me up and didn't need to shift out of first. I've been told the magnetic field from the starter being engaged will trip the sensors in the road sometimes.

Sorry for the thread hijack, but.....Jon, did this really work?? I have a few lights I frequent that won't change for me and wondering if this actually works.

 

[kidster]

Thanks for posting the pic! It really helped!

Here's some pics of the switch under the clutch level clamp. The first shows the view of the wires from the rider's area looking forward. The next two show from beneath with the clutch lever neutral and pulled.

I knew something was not right when I couldn't start my bike in gear. I was too lazy to take it back to the dealer and thought it was a "safety" feature or just the way bike was designed. After reading the posts and seeing your pics, I saw the wires were disconnected. I reconnected the wires and now I am able to start the bike in gear now. Awesome thanks!