[Knack Attack]

This past Saturday I had a minor incident off road on a dirt trail when a hikers dog came out from behind their parked car and into the road. Unfortunately I didn’t get my plant foot down in time to slide my scrambler to a stop and the bike low-sided into the dirt. The only thing that really got damaged was the shift lever. My left grip and clutch lever got slightly scratched but not bent due to being in soft dirt and only going about 15 mph. However after I got the bike back up and bent the shift lever back to a useable position, the bike won’t start unless I put the transmission in neutral. Has anyone else had this problem before by any chance and if so how do I fix it?

 

[Hui]

This past Saturday I had a minor incident off road on a dirt trail when a hikers dog came out from behind their parked car and into the road. Unfortunately I didn’t get my plant foot down in time to slide my scrambler to a stop and the bike low-sided into the dirt. The only thing that really got damaged was the shift lever. My left grip and clutch lever got slightly scratched but not bent due to being in soft dirt and only going about 15 mph. However after I got the bike back up and bent the shift lever back to a useable position, the bike won’t start unless I put the transmission in neutral. Has anyone else had this problem before by any chance and if so how do I fix it?

There's a strong chance if the bike went down on the shifter side that the inhibitor switch wires that go into the sidestand mount/pivot have been knocked off. The job of this switch is to prevent starting with the stand down and in gear, pretty much your symptoms.

 

[Max Kool]

I'm with Hui.

It's one of the gizmos preventing you from clutchess starting when in gear, or with the sidestand down. I would look at the switch in the clutch perch first. Odds are the switch is not engaging anymore, so you can't start with a pulled clutch in first gear.

If it was the sidestand switch you couldn't pull off from stand still at all.

 

[Hui]

I'm with Hui.

It's one of the gizmos preventing you from clutchess starting when in gear, or with the sidestand down. I would look at the switch in the clutch perch first. Odds are the switch is not engaging anymore, so you can't start with a pulled clutch in first gear.

If it was the sidestand switch you couldn't pull off from stand still at all.

Good point, I wasn't thinking straight and was thrown by the bent shift lever.

 

[Max Kool]

Years of DR650 experience :anonymous:

About the first things I did on my recent one is short the clutch switch for this exact reason.

 

[Knack Attack]

Where exactly are you looking on the clutch perch because the wire coming from the clutch is still intact (see pictures) Are you suggesting it is something internal within the clutch perch?

 

[Max Kool]

I would carefully remove that small hex screw on the underside and look inside.

Careful though, wouldn’t be surprised if there were some small little parts inside there...

 

[Knack Attack]

So.... Funny thing happened today. I replaced the stock levers with some Chinese CNC folding ones and now the bike starts in gear. So I don’t know why the stock clutch lever wouldn’t let the bike start in gear but apparently all you need to do is replace the lever if the bike goes down. Funny who would have ever guessed that.

 

[nokfir2]

what happened was that somhow after your slide the tension or pull amount of your lever was lengthed, meaning the clutch lever was pulling the cable less.

Basically if the lever doesn't "pull enough" it doesn't activate the switch. I betcha if you if you adjusted that new lever all the way to "1" or the closest, it wouldnt start either.

Ive experience that on a few bikes with those adjustables....