[martinw]

Went out for a ride today. About an hour in, lost power had to coast to a stop. Got her started with a pop from the exhaust (wouldn’t go into neutral, had to pull in clutch). Got back closer to home, did it again. Eventually stopped altogether, still won’t go into neutral. Wouldn’t even turn over the starter motor. Electric power good, lights etc. on. Clue may be neutral light has been coming on for quite a while now when not in neutral. Any ideas anybody? Cheers Martin

 

[machinehead]

bypass the neutral switch and see if it works ok? might be that simple that the switch is knackered

 

[martinw]

bypass the neutral switch and see if it works ok? might be that simple that the switch is knackered

Cheers, I’ll give that a go, is it relatively simple to do?

 

[martinw]

I might just replace the switch if it is, they’re not expensive ...

 

[Kenthammer]

Martin,

The PN is 35600KE8003. OEM around £25. Easy install.

Bit confused though, are you saying you cannot physically get the bike into neutral or you just can’t get the neutral lamp to come on ? If the former it’s a whole different ball game.

To test the switch, disconnect the switch wire connector and move the bike into neutral (obviously dependant on above), turn ignition on, the neutral light should be out, if not then you need to ground the wire that goes to instrument cluster, if the light then comes on, the switch is knackered.

But all dependant on if you can manually shift the bike into neutral or not.

 

[martinw]

Martin,

The PN is 35600KE8003. OEM around £25. Easy install.

Bit confused though, are you saying you cannot physically get the bike into neutral or you just can’t get the neutral lamp to come on ? If the former it’s a whole different ball game.

To test the switch, disconnect the switch wire connector and move the bike into neutral (obviously dependant on above), turn ignition on, the neutral light should be out, if not then you need to ground the wire that goes to instrument cluster, if the light then comes on, the switch is knackered.

But all dependant on if you can manually shift the bike into neutral or not.

Hi, managed to get it into neutral before I put it in the garage last night. Can’t understand though why it wouldn’t start pulling the clutch in, even though the neutral switch wasn’t working ...

 

[Kenthammer]

Ahhh.........Don't forget there’s a clutch switch and clutch diode, starter relay and side stand switch, and fuses, check fuses first and then just work through them.

Check the push on spade connectors on the clutch lever bracket are clean and connected OK, easy test of the switch, should have continuity between the terminals when clutch is pulled in and nothing when clutch is released, of not clutch switch is goosed.

Now you have it in neutral, does neutral light come on when ignition on, ? The neutral switch is only part of a circuit to give you a lamp indicator.

It’s really a matter of just working through the starting circuit compone to one be one, just have a look at the wiring diagram and follow the process through.

 

[martinw]

Ahhh.........Don't forget there’s a clutch switch and clutch diode, starter relay and side stand switch, and fuses, check fuses first and then just work through them.

Check the push on spade connectors on the clutch lever bracket are clean and connected OK, easy test of the switch, should have continuity between the terminals when clutch is pulled in and nothing when clutch is released, of not clutch switch is goosed.

Now you have it in neutral, does neutral light come on when ignition on, ? The neutral switch is only part of a circuit to give you a lamp indicator.

It’s really a matter of just working through the starting circuit compone to one be one, just have a look at the wiring diagram and follow the process through.

Sounds good, I presume I don’t have to drain the oil to swap out the switch, it looks like it has a sealing mechanism on it? I have a workshop manual with a wiring diagram in it and I’m an electrical engineer Until yesterday when I got it into neutral I thought the gearbox was goosed. Hopefully it’s an easy(ish) fix, thank you for your help! Martin

 

[Kenthammer]

Your welcome Martin, make sure the bikes upright if your changing the neutral switch, you might get a bit of weeping.

But first thing I would do after your post, would be check out the clutch switch, if you can’t start it with the bike in neutral or clutch in if in gear, then that circuit is where I would investigate, and dropping a meter across the clutch switch terminals is a 30 sec job to prove it, and you may have 2 faults with the neutral light issue.

 

[martinw]

Your welcome Martin, make sure the bikes upright if your changing the neutral switch, you might get a bit of weeping.

But first thing I would do after your post, would be check out the clutch switch, if you can’t start it with the bike in neutral or clutch in if in gear, then that circuit is where I would investigate, and dropping a meter across the clutch switch terminals is a 30 sec job to prove it, and you may have 2 faults with the neutral light issue.

Typical, put the key in Sunday morning, in the garage, turned it and boom, it started ... intermittent electrical faults ... gotta love em 🙄

 

[Gunk]

You were unlucky, they are really reliable bikes. In 7 years of owning SC28’s I’ve only ever suffered one fault and that was a burnt out connector.

I’ve never had one fail to start and never been stranded. Shame modern bikes aren’t so good. All by breakdowns were with newer bikes.

 

[martinw]

You were unlucky, they are really reliable bikes. In 7 years of owning SC28’s I’ve only ever suffered one fault and that was a burnt out connector.

I’ve never had one fail to start and never been stranded. Shame modern bikes aren’t so good. All by breakdowns were with newer bikes.

Funnily enough I’ve just returned home after swapping the neutral switch out and unplugging and plugging in spade connectors and connectors and all seems well 🤞 I did head out with an Allen key, a length of wire and the wiring diagram though 😊 All seems well so far, no flashing neutral light as I’m riding along now 👏

 

[martinw]

In my 25 years of ownership I’ve only really had 3 major problems, first one was the well known charge circuit connector under the seat that burnt out due to water building up in it. The second one was the fuel pump that needed new innards and this problem which is hopefully just this neutral switch that I’ve had to replace. Not bad really, although it’s only done just over 20,000 miles (although it did have a broken speedo cable for a couple of thou or so ) and it’s always lived in a garage.

 

[Gunk]

first one was the well known charge circuit connector under the seat that burnt out

just had mine done

 

[Kenthammer]

Mine went for 10 miles after picking it up before running out of power, dealer came and recovered me, and to their credit replaced the RR that was the issue and also put in a new battery as I had a near 300 mile ride home and they didn’t want me on the phone again. I was lucky it was a Honda dealer and they had a RR in the parts dept.

Worst Blade I have ever owned was a 2010, and the dreaded ABS, the bike was fine apart from that bucket of crap system Honda tried to sell as a world beater. But in somewhere around 450000 miles+ on Blades over 25 years, they have been bullet proof and the only one ever to actually stop was the issue above with the current 94 model.

 

[Kenthammer]

Funnily enough I’ve just returned home after swapping the neutral switch out and unplugging and plugging in spade connectors and connectors and all seems well 🤞 I did head out with an Allen key, a length of wire and the wiring diagram though 😊 All seems well so far, no flashing neutral light as I’m riding along now 👏[]

Martin, your making me jealous, all that scenery and no traffic ....... if only

 

[martinw]

Martin, your making me jealous, all that scenery and no traffic ....... if only

North east of Scotland, roads up here are insane, ton 20, 30 on a 25 year old bike ... LOL, just gotta keep your eye out for sheep and not do it too often, addictive and the odds of coming a cropper increase exponentially. No police choppers up here, closest I came was a copper in a mini metro chasing me a while back now. No contest

 

[martinw]

Need your leathers on for that kind of fun though Just in case you end up sliding down the road on your arse 😂

 

[Kenthammer]

As for electrics, on these older Hondas, I always wire direct from the o/p +ve & -ve of the RR to the battery, using an inline 30A fuse on the pos. It takes out all the potential issues of loom wiring and dodgy earths.

 

[Kenthammer]

3 guys got arrested on Kent/Sussex border this week for hitting a ton in open country, it’s a war zone down here.