Katana Owners Club U.K.

welcome to the forum... maybe pop by the bar and pop up a few pics and introduce yourself

what bike do you have?

Does the solenoid click when you turn on the ignition, set the kill switch to RUN and push the START Button?

If not you need to do some checks.

First to look for is what is known, where I work, as Muppetry. Double check everything you have disturbed/replaced. Then check Keyswitch on. Do you get any lights horn etc?

Is the Kill Switch set to RUN?

It shouldn't have, but are there sidestand or clutch switches fitted?

Don't be offended by the above. in over 25 years of work I have seen/done/been stitched up by similar stuff usually while trying to start gas turbines at silly O'Clock in the morning

Then start at the earthing of the solenoid to the electrical plate.

Then the earth of the electrical plate to the frame

Then check the battery negative to the frame

You can do all these things with a multi-meter set to resistance

Dis-connect and check from the GREEN/YELLOW wire on the Solenoid to the battery EARTH terminal for max 2 or 3 Ohms.



Then with the meter set to DC volts check where you have 12volts

Across the battery terminals

The path is from the battery to the fuse (RED).

Then to the ignition switch (RED).

Then from the switch back to the fuse holders (ORANGE)

Then from the fuse to the RH handle bar switch ((ORANGE/WHITE)

From there an ORANGE/WHITE goes to the ignition

BUT a GREEN/YELLOW goes to the Starter solenoid

From the solenoid it's down to earth.

At each of the above stages there should be a good 12 volts (Only when starter button is pushed for the GREEN/YELLOW) at all the connections to the loom and switches.


The first volt check is an end to end one: clip the meter COMMON/EARTH/BLACK lead to the battery EARTH/BLACK Terminal. Then disconnect the solenoid GREEN/YELLOW from the wiring loom and then connect the meter RED lead to the GREEN/YELLOW from the loom. Ignition ON Kill Switch engaged... sorry to RUN when you push the starter button you should get 12 Volts if not you have a break in the wiring. Then you will need to check connectors and switch contacts for corrosion.

that's a start. Good Luck

sparki wrote:welcome to the forum... maybe pop by the bar and pop up a few pics and introduce yourself

what bike do you have?

Oh yeah and Wot Sparki says.......

favorite is the solenoid, or the actual button inside the right hand switchgear, spring rusts and contacts dont conduct so pressing it does nothing. strip the switch and clean it all out.

... if it's a 650 it needs earthing too i ithink