Electric start issue on 87 250ES Big Red

[ClayW]

Ok guys maybe this post will help someone else besides me. My 87 Big Reds electric start acts up from time to time. This is what it does. You walk up and get on, turn the key on. The green Neutral light lights up. You hit the starter button and you get a click and the neutral light goes out. Then nothing, no clicks, nothing. Ok so heres my solution and maybe someone can tell me the problem. So it wont do anything. Neutral lights out, regardless if you turn it off and back on. It will not light up again until you kickstart it. So. I hook a hot wire up to the positive terminal on the battery and touch it to the small yellow wire at the solenoid. The postive side. Not the green, and not the big red or big black wire on the top post. The very small yellow wire. if you have the key in the on position, as soon as it makes contact the trike will turn over and fire off. If the key is in the off position, It will just turn the starter and engine over until you pull the fabricated hot wire loose. Ok. This is where it gets weird. Once you do this and you have killed the engine, it will crank normally for quite a while. It did this 4 months ago and hasnt doen is since. This was until last week. Now today it did it again. Im thinking the keyed ignition is working intermitten. What do you think. I have a entire parts bike with good electical parts. I have tried to change the switch, but it had no affect until I put that hot wire to the solenoid. Could that yellow wire have a short in it? What do you think. Its liveable as is, but a little agrivating. I just left the hot wire insulated and hooked up. I taped it to a good spot on the frame incase i needed it. What do you think? John?

ClayW

[kryppy]

Sure sounds like a loose or dirty connection to me. One of the battery cables probably.

[ClayW]

Thats definately not the problem. My cables are in very good shape. And besides the headlight still works while this is happening.

ClayW

[kdagenais]

If the rest of the bike still has power when this happens like the headlight still works and everything else. My guess would be the wire that plugs into the neutral safety switch is loose. This is located on the bottom of the right side crankcase underneath a cover held by a 8mm bolt. Remove the cover and see how loose the connections is and if it is loose just squeze it together a little with a pair of pliers. Also note that this is where your reverse light switch is also so there will be 2 wires.

[Dads]

when the light goes out try grounding the neutral light wire. there is a plugin comeing out of the harness under the rectifire. one is reverse one neutral light. the switches are grounding switches. it is some times the connectors on the switch get dirty so check both spots

[ClayW]

Will do. Thanks.

ClayW