Do I have another electrical gremlin?

[John Schmidt]

You're all aware of the function of the clutch switch; allows you to start the bike in gear as long as the kickstand is up. Comes in handy when you happen to kill it at a stoplight. A couple days ago I noticed something I don't think I have ever been aware of in the past; the bike is in gear, kickstand is up, pull in the clutch and the bike starts...as it should. Next, the only thing you do is put the kickstand down...my bike keeps running. Would someone check that on their bike, do exactly as I said it; kickstand up, in gear, pull in clutch and start it. Continue holding the clutch and put the kickstand down. Does the engine kill or keep running?

Mine does as it should otherwise; kickstand down, clutch in, won't start. Engine running and rolling down the road, kickstand down, engine kills. Pull into the garage in gear, kickstand up, pull in the clutch and put the kickstand down, engine kills. Lastly....engine running in neutral, kickstand down, pull in the clutch and put in gear, engine dies. The only anomaly I can see might be the one mentioned. Can someone check their operation and see what happens?

[Robert]

Dies Mine will start and stay running in gear with the kickstand down.

[John Schmidt]

Dies Mine will start and stay running in gear with the kickstand down.

Robert, are you saying it dies if you start it with the kickstand up and in gear, then put the kickestand down? Are you still holding the clutch in when you put it down? And if it starts in gear while the kickstand is down, you have another problem.  ???

[Robert]

Easy way, when ever the kick stand is down the bike will not stay running in gear nor start in gear. If the bike is running in gear and you put the stand down it dies. The kick stand is the priority in the equation thank God because there have been couple of times it saved my bacon  

[TearlessTom]

The switch on the kickstand is two pieces of copper that are in a spiral with a small space in between them.

When putting the stand up and down it has a spiral/screw like effect that wedges the two pieces together to either make contact  on break contact between the two pieces of copper.

It is like putting two nuts on a bolt and turn them in opposite directions they will either move away from each other or move toward each other depending on the direction.  The switch acts the same way so .....

It may be as simple as a damaged or sticking switch.

Mine was damaged from the jack stand I assume and had a similar problem only occasionally it wouldn't start with the stand up or down so I temporarily took the switch out of the equation by tying the two wires together. Now it will start with it up or down but still only when in neutral or the clutch in.

One day I will remember to order that switch...

[Robert]

Thanks Tom, I always wondered how that worked.