Pressing start button does nothing

[Keith]

Hey all,

I'm new here so i hope this is ok to post. Seemed like the right forum.

Im looking to purchase a 1983 GS450L (I think its an L). I went to the owners house last night to see it and we couldn't get it to turn over, let alone start. Pressing the starter button does nothing. When turning on the ignition all lights and horn work. I took apart the handlebar control (very limited tools at his place) and it seems pretty clean in there. The spring that pushes out the start button seemed weak and compressed. On any other bike i've owned the start button seems to compress about a quarter inch and then return to its original position. The one on this bike seems to do nothing.

Any thoughts? Below is the bike im looking to get. Got him down to $500 ($385 USD) I hope it's ok to post links. If not please let me know and i will remove it.

Hoping to turn this in to a cafe racer over the winter.

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-view-details.html?adId=1373337246&requestSource=b

 

[Keith]

Side note... yes i pulled in the clutch to start.

Bike has been pretty much sitting indoors for 10 years. He said it started in June using the button.

 

[eddypeck]

Might be stating the obvious, but it's not unheard of for someone to be caught out by the kill switch. Then once panic and desperation kicks in rational thinking ends, before you know it the bike is in bits, but the only issue was the kill switch had been flicked and no one thought to check!


I'm in the UK and that works out at under ?300, which is a great price already. I'd take the bike and then worry about the issues, if you get it running in front of the seller he might decide he wants more, knock off another $50 say you're willing to take it as a non-runner and take your chances.


I'm sure there's too many potential reasons to diagnose non-starting without more info, but as you say you looked at the push switch. While you were there you could have simply bridged the wires to the switch to mimic the button pressed. But once you've got it just start the process of elimination.

 

[scratch]

Does 1983 Have a kickstand kill switch? Check the main fuse? (assuming a good battery or power source of course)...
That said, have seen several starter buttons fail from dirt, corrosion, moth eggs, advanced age & intimate contact with pavement...

 

[Keith]

Might be stating the obvious, but it's not unheard of for someone to be caught out by the kill switch. Then once panic and desperation kicks in rational thinking ends, before you know it the bike is in bits, but the only issue was the kill switch had been flicked and no one thought to check!

Yup, the kill switch was in the correct position.

 

[Steve]

Does 1983 Have a kickstand kill switch? Check the main fuse? (assuming a good battery or power source of course)...

NONE of the GS-series bikes have a kickstand kill switch. Starting with some '82 models, they had a light on the instrument panel, but it never affected whether the bike would start and/or run.

If the main fuse was blown, he would not have had lights and horn, as mentioned.

.

 

[eddypeck]

NONE of the GS-series bikes have a kickstand kill switch. Starting with some '82 models, they had a light on the instrument panel, but it never affected whether the bike would start and/or run.

If the main fuse was blown, he would not have had lights and horn, as mentioned.

.

I'm guessing there isn't a clutch safety switch either? I had a 90s Kawasaki that could only be started if the clutch lever was pulled in. However the wiring was a bit iffy so I had to have the steering on full left lock also. Caught me out on numerous occasions.

 

[Charlie G]

Did you pull in the clutch lever? All my GS'es have have clutch switches.

 

[Keith]

Did you pull in the clutch lever? All my GS'es have have clutch switches.

Yes i did.

 

[Gorminrider]

+1 to eddypeck's post...or just apply + to where the Green/Yellow is soldered to the solenoid...

there's very little difference in the 83 L or T -both had stepped seat but the T slightly ramped . Both look to have identical sidecovers unlike earlier years and I guess yours is a T . it's Too bad if you cut it up and make it a bike you can't sit on for more than 20 minutes(sigh) looks like a good example if the chrome is good.
https://www.cmsnl.com/suzuki-gs450tx-1983-d-usa-e03_model16022/partslist/BLCK0036.html

 

[Keith]

+1 to eddypeck's post...or just apply + to where the Green/Yellow is soldered to the solenoid...

there's very little difference in the 83 L or T -both had stepped seat but the T slightly ramped . Both look to have identical sidecovers unlike earlier years and I guess yours is a T . it's Too bad if you cut it up and make it a bike you can't sit on for more than 20 minutes(sigh) looks like a good example if the chrome is good.
https://www.cmsnl.com/suzuki-gs450tx-1983-d-usa-e03_model16022/partslist/BLCK0036.html

Thanks for the info! I respect your opinion, but at least its not going to the crusher.

 

[LAB3]

After going thru my 450t last winter I ran across the same issue, turned out I had the ground wire on one of the airbox mount screws instead of the top screw that holds down the regulator. Once I figured that out, the starter worked as it should.

 

[Steve]

I'm guessing there isn't a clutch safety switch either?

Yes, they had a

"safety" switch in the clutch, but most of us have bypassed that silly feature.

.

 

[sam000lee]

The '83 GS450 very well may have the clutch switch. It would be the "Starter Disconnect Switch" here:

https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=2370...0C6B!1031&parId=2370B62DDF9F0C6B!1030&o=OneUp.

Could be a loose connection in the headlight bucket - The kill switch wires along with the starter button wire (3 wires) go into a green connector that could have come loose and would cause that behavior.

Without poking around too much into the wiring, you can short the terminals on the starter solenoid or bump start it. The GS450 isn't that hard to push

 

[Keith]

Thanks everyone for your help. I decided to take the gamble and get the bike. I'm waiting for his Lawyer son to get back from vacation with the registration. Should have it by the end of the month.

This is my first fixer bike so i'm sure i will have a lot of questions.

 

[eddypeck]

I hope you post up a build thread, after a year of ownership now of mt 1000G and getting it in a state I'm happy with I'm looking around for a cheap small engine bike to 'play' with this winter. Good luck

 

[Keith]

I hope you post up a build thread, after a year of ownership now of mt 1000G and getting it in a state I'm happy with I'm looking around for a cheap small engine bike to 'play' with this winter. Good luck

Thats the goal. Im a Newbie so there should be some entertaining mistakes.

 

[steve murdoch]

Trust me Keith, it is not just the newbies with the entertaining mistakes.
We all make them.
Glad to hear another GS is not being parted out.

 

[CincinnatiKid]

On my Gs 1100 it’s got this nifty feature where it will blow the ignition fuse when I turn the handlebars to full left lock, typically (always) while trying to back into a tight parking space in downtown Chicago lol.

all that is to say that your symptoms sound the same. Key on gives you lights and horn, but starter button does nothing even with the kill switch in the proper position. So check that!