Bike Only Starts When Killswitch Is Held In

[Watts]

Was having trouble getting motor going, but determined it was a short in my killswitch connection. The engine works fine and takes me forward as long as I have the killswitch pushed in. I have seen a couple other posts with this same problem.

I just checked the spring under the killswitch and its positioning seems fine and unmoved. The wiring to the killswitch looks fine.

So its not the spring in the killswitch, any other ideas. Could it be a cut or disconnect in my splicing even tho it was taped up with electrical tape.

I checked the spring and wiring to the killswitch and all seems fine and so does the throttle cable. I took it for another ride today and still had to hold the killswitch in to get the motorbike going. I can only seem to hit 28-30km/hr.

I rode about 1km holding the switch in fine only hitting 25-30km/hr and while riding I heard a loud pop twice...sounded like my sparkplug was firing and making noise...spark plug connector was really hot afterwards and also it seems positioned higher than before in the engine.

Any ideas what this popping sounds could be, only happened twice and motor was still running after but I turned off the bike in fear of doing damage. Am I better just removing the killswitch if it can lead to my engine dying ??

Dont know much about gap sizes and what their relation is to spark plugs and performance. Any information on the spark plug gaps etc would be great as well

Thanks

Watts

 

[turkman]

it happened to me too, it turned out to be mag had a short in it , buy a new one or ground the white wire and not have a kill switch {I bought two to have a spare } remember these things are assembled on dirt floors with the cheepest stuff they could find , anyway good luck Later Bob

 

[Venice Motor Bikes]

Every time I read one of these posts, I give the advice of "connect the two kill button wires & just ride it!"

 

[Watts]

Turkman & Venice some great ideas. I think it makes sense that my mag may be shorted. I think for now till I can get a new magneto over the weekend that connecting the killswitch wires together to make it inactive would be best for now.

I know there are diagrams on how to wire the killswitch and throttle to the bike/engine, and I imagine when you say connect the 2 kill switch cables together, that i just need to simply wrap the two together and tape the end?

Just wanna make sure as I dont want to blow my engine with incorrect wiring, is there anything else i would need to do to the wiring given that it currently is wired to have kill/throttle and is grounded to bike frame?

Thanks again guys I am learning so much

Watts

 

[mapbike]

Turkman & Venice some great ideas. I think it makes sense that my mag may be shorted. I think for now till I can get a new magneto over the weekend that connecting the killswitch wires together to make it inactive would be best for now.

I know there are diagrams on how to wire the killswitch and throttle to the bike/engine, and I imagine when you say connect the 2 kill switch cables together, that i just need to simply wrap the two together and tape the end?

Just wanna make sure as I dont want to blow my engine with incorrect wiring, is there anything else i would need to do to the wiring given that it currently is wired to have kill/throttle and is grounded to bike frame?

Thanks again guys I am learning so much

Watts

If you will put a 2 poll toggle switch between the 2 wires then you have what I would call a reverse kill switch, when the connection is made it will run and then click the switch over to brake that connection and wala it will die. and now you still have a kill switch. this is what I would do in your situation until I got my new Magneto in.

 

[Watts]

Mapbike, Sorry for my ignorance but what exactly is a 2 poll toggle switch? I tried looking online with no success. And also how would I wire it? to be able to keep the killswitch working?

Thanks

Watts

 

[Dan]

Forgive me, but am thinking it may just be wired wrong. If'n it were me, I would just disconnect the KS so as to be sure. Then rewire it the opposite then it is now if that works.

Just a thought but I am really, really bad at reading, understanding and helping folks with this sort of thing. (spent 2 weeks trying to help a guy and turned out his MB wouldn't start due to him having his carb upside down, snork) I shoulda asked for pics. lol

Pics really do help and if ya get no joy, should post some.

Best of luck!

 

[drhofferber]

if i'm not mistaken it doesnt matter which wire you ground to the frame from the kill switch, or which wire you use as your power sorce...correct me if i'm wrong...Dennis

 

[Dan]

That is what I was wondering Dennis. Well, do any of the kits still ground to the frame? Been a while since I did a 2 smoke build other then a dax. (So I should shut up, eh? lol)

But what I was thinking if the wires both go back, and are back-wards. Then holding the KS in to make it run is an easy fix. I'll stop now and wait for folks better versed then I.

 

[drhofferber]

i ground always to the frame....my white wire is taped off or to my lights...so what you are saying is that by blocking the kill switch your bike runs...right...now is the other wire from the kill switch hooked to the blue wire...?...it better...sounds like its on the black wire(ground)...its a simple fix...let us know...Dennis

 

[Watts]

The killswitch was working fine for 300+km and I didnt change the wiring during the whole time. Then engine died and I realized I had to hold in killswitch for engine to move (not easy holding the little button down while twisting throttle for long periods).

There is a ground cable connected to the bike fram where the water bottle screw is. The wiring is spliced so I will have to look again, but given that it worked for so long without changing the wiring or pulling at it, does it make more sense that there could be a short in the mag?

If I just take the two wires comming from the killswitch and connect the ends of those wires together and cap it off, then it should remove the killswitch from the equation?

Also the reason I am wanting to take the faulty kill switch off is that I noticed while riding last night with kill switch held in while riding. That i noticed my spark plug had made a large popping sound and what seemed like a spark out the top of the engine, should I be concerened? Will removing the killswitch prevent any bad/faulty wiring from destroying the motor / engine.


Thanks

Watts

 

[drhofferber]

watts...disconnect the kill switch...if it starts youve found the problem...but only do one thing at a time...when i splice a wire i put silacone on the wire and connection so it cannt come apart...my opinion is that its not the magneto coil...that would be hard to do...was the bike making any noise before it stopped running?...i have had the magneto go out in a bike before....remember your spark is coming from the magneto, so if you hold in the kill switch and it runs...there is spark coming from the mag.to the cdi and spark plug...and you are completing the circuit by holding in the kill switch...fix the kill switch wires...remember...process of elimination...one step at a time...Dennis

 

[Dan]

watts...disconnect the kill switch...if it starts youve found the problem...but only do one thing at a time...when i splice a wire i put silacone on the wire and connection so it cannt come apart...my opinion is that its not the magneto coil...that would be hard to do...was the bike making any noise before it stopped running?...i have had the magneto go out in a bike before....remember your spark is coming from the magneto, so if you hold in the kill switch and it runs...there is spark coming from the mag.to the cdi and spark plug...and you are completing the circuit by holding in the kill switch...fix the kill switch wires...remember...process of elimination...one step at a time...Dennis

That is excellent advise. One thing at a time.

I am really looking forward to this resolution. If the KS worked, how can it now be working in reverse? Looking forward to the answer. I am at a loss. Some sort of short?

 

[Watts]

I disconnected the killswitch yellow wire from the the engines white wire. And the ground disconnect.

http://motorbicycling.com/attachments/f34/23161d1271296717-kill-switch-electrical-diagram-best.jpg

The optional method of wiring.

I then tried to run the bike and engine will start but will not provide any forward movement. When i hold clutch it idles motor (sounds like its actually turning it off) then i let go of clutch and engine start up again. But wont seem to move me forward now that I disconnected the killswitch.

Please help would like to ride someday soon.

Thanks

Watts

 

[drhofferber]

ok...now tape off the white wire so it does notground anything out...now take your yellow wire and splice it into the power or blue wire of the cdi...take the other wire or ground wire and ground it to the frame...now start the bike..if that doesnt work i want you to splice the ground wire into the blk or ground wire of the cdi..get back..Dennis...next after all this is done...adjust your clutch...

 

[Watts]

drhofferber, I tried the wiring options listed and none of them seem to work. Only way I can seem to get bike moving forward is to have that white wire from the engine connect to the yellow wire from the killswitch.

Any ideas why I cant get this moving whenever the white wire is capped off and not connected? Is my mag messed up? looks fine from inspection. I cant understand why the white wire needs to be connected when most of you guys use the white wire for lights.

Popping sound was because the spark plug had become loose, so tightened it up to motor, and no more popping

Any help would be great thanks

Watts

 

[K.i.p]

1. So at any point do you plan to do a simple check of the kill switch? Call me crazy but that would have been my first test. With no pressure on the button the kill switch should read open. With the button depressed it should read closed. OK, that's one down. Kill switch either works properly or it does not.

2. Kill switch OK? Wire the motor directly with no kill switch. Cap white wire. then blue to blue, black to black. Does the motor run? Two down.

3. Use both wires from the kill switch, one leg attached to the black wire between motor and CDI, one leg to the blue wire between the motor and CDI. Does motor run and kill properly with regards to kill switch? Three down. Go for a ride.

If you can't get through the three steps you have an actual problem. Follow the steps and tell us at what point you find a failing. Keep it simple and we'll get you through this.

 

[Watts]

KIP, yeah if you look through the whole post you will notice I have tried all 3 steps..

1. Checked wiring directly to kill switch, went as far as to make sure spring under kill switch button was in place. (I even cleaned the metal contacts to ensure there wasnt any buildup affecting the connection)

2. As stated, when I disconnect the killswitch completely (with or without ground) and cap off the white wire, I get no forward movement..no throttle!!!

3. Used both wires from the kill switch, one leg attached to the black wire between motor and CDI, one leg to the blue wire between the motor and CDI. Still no forward movement

Once AGAIN it does seem as stated in the previous posts on this thread that I need to have the white wire from the motor connected to the orange wire on the killswitch.

-Can someone offer an idea thats new after reading fully?
-Why does my white need to be connected to get the bike moving forward?
-Why can I not just remove the killswitch and leave the white wire capped?
-Would wiring the white to the blue or black on cdi be better?
-Could there be something to use under the killswitch button other than the spring that would connect the 2 killswitch wires together when i push down on the red button?

Ive gotten so much help on the engine / motor / carb which is great but none of which addressed my problem. Now that I have determined it was wiring do we have anyone on here that knows anything about the wiring on these chinese motors??? Please help...Dennis I hear you know your stuff??!!

Thanks

Watts

Being a computer guy I never understood motors, now it seems like the motors are the easy thing to understand but the wiring is the real tricky part. Anyone out there that knows about wiring as supposed to just the basic motor/carb/engine knowledge? PLEASE HELP? Any electricians?

 

[drhofferber]

ok..i'm here for you...do exactly what k.i.p. and myself said.....the wiring on the bike is blue to blue...blk to blk..the white is a low voltage wire....cap it...make sure you have gas...make sure your pit cock is open so the carb gets gas...make sure spark plug is tight and the wire is screwed on the cdi and the cap is tight on the plug....now get on the bike, hold the clutch arm in, and pedal like hec...than release the clutch...should get a little bucking than ignition and away you go...watt i cannt explain it any better...good luck...i'll be watching golf...Dennis

 

[Watts]

Dennis, given that the setup you describe does not work. And only when the white wire is connected will it move forward.

What this means is that I have to connect white wire in order to get bike moving forward...I HAVE to connect it.


Any idea why this is, I must not be the first person that this has happened to??? How come noone can explain why it would work with white wire connected to kill switchs yellow wire. I keep hearing how to wire over and over again and thats great guys. But Im not looking to wire it, im trying to troubleshoot it.

And as stated


1. Tried blue to blue and black to black from engine to CDI with no kill switch (bike wont move forward but engine starts)
2. Tried blue to blue and black to black from engine to CDI with kill switch orange wired to splice in blue and green ground wired to frame (bike wont move forward but engine starts)
3.Tried blue to blue black to black from engine to CDI with kill switch orange wired to splice in blue and green wired to splice into black (bike wont move forward but engine starts)

NONE of these work.....BUT......

when i connect

1. Blue to blue and black to black from engine to CDI and killswitch orange wired to engine white and killswitch green to frame ground

The bike will go forward while holding down the killswitch button in this wired setup, however the throttle / speed / movement forward is not consistent and seems to accelerate to 23km/hr then back down to 16km/hr then to 23km/hr again and so on. (When it was running before the problem I was getting at least 35-40km/hr)

I understand how you guys wire it, but can you help me with my specific problem, and help me understand why only when have the white connected to the orange will the bike move forward????

Can a magneto reverse its polarity? Can a magneto sync with a wire / electric signal that when that signal is no longer there magneto wont work? Can the magneto be shorted to not work correctly but still provide enough go for the bike?...or when a magneto break does it stop working? are thre half working magnetos?

(it seems the magneto is just a half ass strong magnet wrapped with wiring to help conduct electricity, if this is the case it cant retain memor and would either work or not work..no in between)

Watts

PS Getting to the point where im wanting to sell this bike, if I cant even find an answer for this wiring then I can only imagine what happens when I have a question in regards to the engine / motor. Can someone offer something new outside of "Standard killswitch wiring" which is OBVIOUSLY not applicable in my case as I have stated I need WHITE wire connected to get bike moving. Any other forums that may have people who know. Please help about to give up on this if a simple wiring issue cant even be solved and all the answers to solve it are the same




SHOULD I TRY WHITE TO BLACK ...OR EVEN WHITE TO BLUE??????????? ONLY WIRING SETUP I HAVENT TRIED YET