Clutch Switch

[67972]

Can anyone please let me know how I unscrew the clutch switch on a 95 R1100GS. The nut is far inside the handle bar housing I do not have anything that can reach in there. I need to short out the switch to see if its bad, my bike will only start in neutral right now and I really don't want to remove the tank because of course it's full of gas. Thanks.

[GSAddict]

Before tearing the switch out, check it place.
Pull out the starter relay and locate where pin 86 of the relay connects (plugs in) to.
Put one lead of your ohmmeter (ohms x1 scale) to that contact and the other to a good ground.
Operate the clutch lever in and out.
Lever In = 0 ohms
Lever Out = infinity ohms

If you listen carefully you can also hear the switch click if you operate the lever slowly, that should correspond with your ohmmeter readings.

[flars]

To remove the switch, you have to cut the wires near the switch. then slip a deep socket down over the wires. 10 or 12 mm, I think.
Since the switch doesn't have to be very tight, to tighten the new switch, I used long thin needle nose pliers.

[rxcrider]

I think it is actuallly an 11mm socket. I used a 1/4" drive deep well socket, ground down the outside to make it fit and cut a long notch out of one side like an O2 sensor socket so that I could remove and install the switch without cutting the wires. I was stealing one from my parts bike at the time and needed to get it out without damaging it.

[JimMoore]

You can also just clip the wires going to the switch and wire them together.

[rxcrider]

You can also just clip the wires going to the switch and wire them together.

...as an emergency on the road repair, not a permanent one; unless you like being able to thumb the starter with the bike in gear and on the side stand so you can watch it fall over.

[pbrokaw]

Not to highjack the thread but....

A big thanks for the info on this switch and how to check it out electrically. Mine just failed today on my RT. Have the Tupperware off to do some maint and I noticed it wouldn't start in gear at the parts store.


Perry

[JimMoore]

...as an emergency on the road repair, not a permanent one; unless you like being able to thumb the starter with the bike in gear and on the side stand so you can watch it fall over.

Yabbut, who would do that?

[67972]

Thanks for all the info. If she don't check out good I'll be shorting the wires together.

[rxcrider]

Yabbut, who would do that?

Maybe nobody - I just remembered that the clutch switch only overrides the need for neutral, not the side stand. So on the center stand would be the issue.