Just got my first rc and I am having a bit of an issue. Situation plays out like this...

Im sitting on the bike and I start it up. Starts right up with no issues. When I go to click it into 1st gear from neutral or 2nd gear the bike shuts off. Any ideas?

from 2nd gear?

if it dies only from neutral to 1st gear it's time eye the side stand switch.

i tried shifting from neutral to 1st and it died. then i tried going into 2nd from neutral and the same thing... what is the side stand switch?

oh, that's different.

if the bike starts in neutral and then you put it in any gear with the stand down it will immediately die. it's a safety switch down by your side stand. they commonly fail and i'm fairly certain this is your problem, but i'm not guranteeing it!!!.

you can either clean it and hope that fixes it, replace it, or hard wire the switch right out.

personally i like that switch but many take it out.

i tried shifting from neutral to 1st and it died. then i tried going into 2nd from neutral and the same thing... what is the side stand switch?

The sidestand switch is a safety device to prevent from riding off with your sidestand down, which could cause an accident.
The switch is a rotary switch that's held by the bolt that attached the sidestand.
It has a tang that's is rotated by the sidestand.
You can remove the switch and test it by connecting a continuity meter across the leads and rotating the switch.
At a spot on the switch, you'll see continuity.

Well i doubt its the stand switch. I tried it today and same thing. Then I got smart and realized that the clutch isnt engaging... which is why it dies when i shift it into 1st or second... any ideas on the clutch?

Have you found any leakage near the clutch slave cylinder?
Or how's the clutch fluid level. Maybe air's got into the lines.
Was the clutch recently worked on? Maybe it was not reassembled correctly.

i havent found any leakage. A few friends told me I should bleed the fluid and replace it. The guy I bought the bike from said it had a new clutch installed....

Wait a minute. You need to explain your problem better. You said when you put it in gear it dies. 1st of all is the kick stand down or not cause either way it sounds like its the switch, which happens sometimes its not uncommon.

Then you come out and flabbergast everyone with "my clutch isn't engaging" So let me ask you this....Does the bike jump forward when you put it in gear and it dies??? If so then yes you definitely have a clutch issue. If no then its a side stand issue.

the same thing happens with the stand up so I know it isn't the kickstand switch. When I go to click it into 1st it dies. If it had lurched at all I would of instantly thought clutch but it doesn't lurch. This bike has been in storage for years and hasn't been ridden at all. I have zero experience with these rc's... i have ridden gixxers all my life so this is something all together different.

Any ideas what the problem could be with the clutch? Maybe it just needs to be adjusted?

i wish i knew something about clutches so i could be of help to you. sorry man.

clutch in rc shouldn't be all that different that the clutch in a gixxer.

with my gixxers if something was up with the clutch i could feel it on the pull in and release. i don't feel any play or anything out of the ordinary with this clutch

i havent found any leakage. A few friends told me I should bleed the fluid and replace it. The guy I bought the bike from said it had a new clutch installed....

the same thing happens with the stand up so I know it isn't the kickstand switch. When I go to click it into 1st it dies. If it had lurched at all I would of instantly thought clutch but it doesn't lurch. This bike has been in storage for years and hasn't been ridden at all. I have zero experience with these rc's... i have ridden gixxers all my life so this is something all together different.

Any ideas what the problem could be with the clutch? Maybe it just needs to be adjusted?

Bro if your not going to read anyones replies then whats the point of all this??? I said that the kick stand switch will fail even if the KICK STAND IS UP. The bike has been in storage and hasn't been ridden for years but it has a new clutch in it??? That just doesn't sound right.

So what you did was pull this bike out of storage after "years" of being there and immediately cranked it up. Fluids break down after certain amounts of time specially brake fluid which is what is used in your clutch because it absorbs moisture very easily. Also your clutch can't be adjusted because its hydraulic. If it was a cable clutch that would be a different story. I suggest you change all your fluids ASAFP !!! Then start fresh and we'll narrow it down after that.

the bike was owned by a young rich kid that had no idea how to ride a bike. He burnt the clutch up at 1800 miles. then a new one was installed and he wrecked the bike a short time later attempting a wheelie. His father had bought the bike for him and after he crashed it took it away and kept it in storage where it has sat since 2003. The bike only has 2600 miles on it. Im sorry if I am coming off as ignorant or rude. I don't mean to be at all. The dad said that he had taken it to a dealer and had all the fluids changed prior to putting it up for sale. he was going to ride it but a back injury nixed that idea

guys, don't get upset. we're all here to help each other, and ourselves.
i'm still thinking switch but what do i know? not much! if the switch is always performing as if the stand is down, as soon as you put it in gear it will die, before it has a chance to lurch forward.
i'm not sure if the switch is normally open or closed. either way, if you wired it out of the circuit that would be the tell tale...
i'm gonna look on superhawkforum for you because i know there are threads there covering this topic.
do you have a tech that can look at it?

two threads. i am even more suspicious of the side stand switch.

http://superhawkforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19022&highlight=side+stand+switch

even better:
http://superhawkforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7306&highlight=sidestand+switch

as i think more and more, i get more sure of the side stand switch.

keep us(me!) posted. yes, i am hoping to get credit on this one!!! hahahaha

good luck.

If the clutch lever switch is bad (maybe due to the wreck?) then if he changes into any gear other than neutral, the safety circuit will kill the engine.
Check the switch operation on the clutch lever to make sure it work properly.

subsailor knows what he's talking about

i live in a po dunk area and there aren't any techs around here that i trust... How do I go about problem solving the side stand switch?

yeah sub is the man he'll take care of all your problems ;)

yeah sub is the man he'll take care of all your problems ;)

Thanks for the kind words ya'll. :)

i live in a po dunk area and there aren't any techs around here that i trust... How do I go about problem solving the side stand switch?

Go to the nearest Radio Shack and buy a reasonably priced digital multimeter (DMM). Particularly one that checks continuity.
That's your friend for electrical problems.
Connect the meter across the sidestand switch connector.
There should be continuity with the sidestand up, and no continuity with the sidestand down.
Then check the clutch switch as well.
There should be continuity with the clutch lever squeezed, and no continuity with the clutch lever released.

sub is right i had both problems with my rc firs the stand switch and then the clutch after i laid it down at the track. it really sounds to me that it is a clutch switch but that is just my thaughts on it. good luck

found a good tech near me that has a few of his own rc's. Im going to take it to him on monday and see if he cant figure out the issue

you don't feel confident enough to look at it before you take it to that tech?

you're gonna be happy when it's fixed.

well i have tried the sidestand and clutch switches and as far as I can tell they are not the issue. The tech is going to look at it for free. He has a bunch of bikes in his stable but has a special place in his heart for rc's.

what??? i'm shocked.

subsailor, what do you say?

Ok, let's see.
The engine is running and when the trans is shifted into either 1st or 2nd, the engine dies.
The sidestand and clutch switches both check out ok.
Does the neutral indicator light while in neutral?
If not, the neutral switch may be bad.
The neutral switch should show continuity while in neutral, and not when in any gear.

Yes the neutral light works

found out the clutch was installed wrong. Got everything good to go now! Took her for a blast down the road last night and loved it!! Now just gotta get a few more parts and she is ready for the season

wow that is not what i expected at all it sounded so much like an electrical problem.

alright! glad you got it sorted out

me too! now just need a seat, right side fairing and a D&D carbon can