1982 GS750t won't start

[travis.hall]

i am new to this website and this is my first post. i am a college student and not too familiar with bikes. i have always wanted one and i finally baught one this past summer. it is a 1982 GS750t (with less than 18,000 miles if that matters) anyway it was running great for a couple months until i noticed that when i would go to start it, it wouldn't start up the first couple of times i would hit the button, but it would usually start after 4 or 5 tries. one day i tried to start it and it wouldn't, it wouldn't turn over or anything, not even make a sound. that was last september and it is now april and it still hasn't started. i don't know that much about motorcycles but i personally thought it was with my start button or somthing electrical. just recently i took it to a repair shop and the guy looked at it and he told me to check the starter, and if it started it was most likely the kill switch.
I just wanted to know what you guys thought cause i was reading some post and you guys know your stuff.
If it is the kill switch, what is the easiest way to change/clean it and or where would i buy a new one at if need be?

thanks for the help

[rphillips]

More likely the clutch switch, than the kill switch. You didn't mention if you have power to the lights etc. If you are sure you have power, there are two wires coming off of the clutch perch. Follow these wires inside the headlight bowl & find where they are connected. unplug the 2 connectors & connect the 2 ends that come from the eng. side, don't worry about the 2 coming from the clutch. Try it now, but be sure the bike isn't in gear

[travis.hall]

hey thanks for the info, i will try that. and yeah the bike does have power, the lights and horn work.

i checked out the clymer manual for this model and was looking through it and it said somthing about the starter relay, so you think this could be one of the problems too?

[rphillips]

Usually if the starter relay (solenoid) is bad, it will click, but not enguage the starter. You may want to try this, maybe not. You can stick a straight pin, or needle, straight thru both of the wires coming off of the clutch switch at the clutch perch, anything that will make a good connection between these wires will by-pass the clutch switch. But be sure the bike is not in gear when trying this. May save the effort of taking the headlight apart & tracing down the wires.

[flyingace]

Don't pay for any starter parts or repairs until you are 100% sure your battery is fully charged and in good shape. I saw nothing in your post to indicate the battery condition.

You can jump-start your bike from a car as long as the car IS NOT RUNNING. If it starts, you know your battery is the problem.

[cruisinflatout]

If you really think it's the starter, I would push start it and see if it starts...

...but you may have to be pulled behind a vehicle but that can be dicey if you've never tried it before. The only reason I mentioned the pull start idea is because the push start might not work if the bike hasn't run in a while...the bike might want to turn over a bit before it fires.

Just an idea - be careful whatever you do and hopefully you'll be back on 2 wheels in no time \\/

[flyingace]

That's the very reason for using the car battery - so you can crank it enough to start the engine.

[pntrdave]

You did have the clutch handle pulled all the way in when trying to start it??? I only ask because I tried and tried to get mine started, traced wires, tore my kill switch apart, pulled starter out and had it checked, felt like a real dummy when my son sat on the bike pulled the clutch handle in hit the starter button and she fired right up.

[cruisinflatout]

That's the very reason for using the car battery - so you can crank it enough to start the engine.

ummm...yeah but if the starter is toast - no amount of power's gonna start the thing thus why I said push/pull start it if he eliminated the battery being the problem. :roll:

[travis.hall]

yeah i forgot to mention that the battery in it now is brand new and charged. and yeah when i try to start it i pull the clutch all the way down, cause i thought i might have been doing that when it first happened.

[rphillips]

To check the starter, find your solenoid, (starter relay). There will be 2 big cables coming off the top of it, one directly from the hot side of the battery, the other from the starter. With bike in neutral, using a pair of plyers, or another heavy metal object that will fit, connect these two heavy posts. Be careful not to let anything touch anything except these two posts. if the starter doesn't turn when this connection is made, 99.9% the starter itself is the problem. This bypasses the ign, start button, wiring harness, fuse panel,etc.

[Joseph Masnyk]

starting problems

I had the same problem with my gs400,first you must check the battery is chatged then you have to take out the kill switch and get a bit of sand paper(you don't have to take the switch off all the way)Then sandit the connection till it is fairly shiny and then spray a bit of wd 40 on it to make it last.Then take the spark plugs out of the cylinders so they are open.TO DO THIS YOU WILL NEED AN OPEN SPACE AROUND YOU . then kick start it with the plugs out,this will eliminate all excess gas in the cylinders repeat this till there is not much gas coming out.Then buy some new plugs because your old ones are probably wet and damaged from trying to start it previously,after you have got new plugs in and connected the wires,put the bike into neutral and put it onto it's center stand as this is easier.Then get a screw driver(make sure it conducts electricity and hsa a plastic handle so you will not get shocked.Put the bike into the run position go to the relay and put the screw driver into the right position making a contact with each metal end of the wire.This will bypass all the clutch mechanisms and should start the bike.
Good Luck,
Jo