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I went and modified my clutch lever to both sit and actuate closer to the bar, the better to fit my girlyhands with. It is hydraulic and non-adjustable for such luxuries so I had to shorten the plunger and grind off some aluminum on the lever. And it works great, no problems, happy, happy time.

But there is a small plunger-type micro switch on the clutch perch, activated by pulling in the clutch lever. It activates in the first few millimeters of lever movement, a simple on/off affair. What does this switch do?

It is always actuated now with my new lever position. All the 'safety features' are still in place and working properly. I can only start the bike in gear with the clutch fully disengaged, it still blocks the starter if it's not pulled in, so that's not it.

What's this thing for? Please don't make me trace all those little dam black lines in the electrical schematic. Nobody wants that.......

You lazy bastid.

The parts fiche calls it a "Switch" Helpful, huh

I don't have a wiring diagram, sorry.

the clutch switch on all of mine--(4) is so you can pull in clutch and crank it in gear,so if you stall it you dont have to go to neutral to restart it.on
my 1991 gsx1100g you have to pull in clutch even in neutral to crank.

My GSXR is the same way, pull the clutch or nothin' moves.

This switch can't be doing that, It still only lets the engine crank in gear if the clutch is fully disengaged, and that happens long after this mystery switch has actuated. It will not crank if the lever is in the friction zone, even though this switch is just as actuated as it was before.

It ain't messing with me, so I ain't too concerned right now. Just wondering if someone else had done the hard work already.... but it looks like I have to open the schematic and trace lines, then figure out its function.

Great.

Now I have to scare the dogs, pissoff the wife and actually think for myself..... I'll be in bad mood for days. And all of it cause none of you will do it for me....

...clutch switch. that's what my clymer manual calls it too.... no mention of what it does or nuthin'... it just appears in the diagrams..... mutter, mutter, bloody electrons. hate electricity, hate electricity......

My genuine Yamaha shop manual says one wire goes to the starter switch and the other to the starting circuit cut-off relay, which tells me the switch has something to do with not allowing the engine to start without squeezing the clutch lever. Of course my old heap is older than yours, and has a cable operated clutch, but the switch may work the same.

I'll bet it is a Gridley Actuator.

Maybe the switch isn't working?

oldnslo wrote:My genuine Yamaha shop manual says one wire goes to the starter switch and the other to the starting circuit cut-off relay, which tells me the switch has something to do with not allowing the engine to start without squeezing the clutch lever. Of course my old heap is older than yours, and has a cable operated clutch, but the switch may work the same.

That's what I though to John, as it makes sense with the location and all.... but it still works exactly the was it worked before. And something is working to allow it bike to only be started in gear if the clutch is fully disengaged..... Screw it.... it works.

On mine, you can't start it in neutral either, without the lever in..maybe yours has the one one the lever (which is always on now), and one in the transmission area or clutch are, too. Does it start in neutral without the lever in?, (Did it before miss that part?). I hate gremlins, especially the kind that show no apparent symptom, But I think they should.

Yep it starts in neutral without the clutch... always has and still does..... and I'm still 'too busy' (no, really) to look in the book.