keyswitch stucked ...

[lapls]

Hi all,

Since I will be out of town next week I put my chain to lock the rear wheel and thought it would be a good thing to lock the steering also , even if I don't have the owner's Manual for my GS650GL I was able to figure that I needed to push down and turn the key to the right to lock it, unfortunately it also turned on the parking light ( which is normal, typically there are 2 positions when a steering is locked ). Problem is, there is no way I can turn the key now, I tried by pushing down then turn, turn without pushing down, tried with key halfway, no way, I can't take it from the steering locked-parking light ON position. I also tried by pushing the lock tab under the triple tree and turning the key but trying harder could break the key.

For tonight I just disconnected the battery but I could not find anything in the archives ( or with google ). Anybody ever had this problem ? Do I need to find a way to remove the whole switch assembly and try to fix? The switch has been working fine until now, very smooth and I don't think this is a rust issue ( As I said, this is the first time I tried to lock the steering , owning my GS for 2 months now.. )

Unless there is a "secret" way to undo it, I am stumped :-)

Thanks for any input...

[Billy Ricks]

Hi all,

Since I will be out of town next week I put my chain to lock the rear wheel and thought it would be a good thing to lock the steering also , even if I don't have the owner's Manual for my GS650GL I was able to figure that I needed to push down and turn the key to the right to lock it, unfortunately it also turned on the parking light ( which is normal, typically there are 2 positions when a steering is locked ). Problem is, there is no way I can turn the key now, I tried by pushing down then turn, turn without pushing down, tried with key halfway, no way, I can't take it from the steering locked-parking light ON position. I also tried by pushing the lock tab under the triple tree and turning the key but trying harder could break the key.

For tonight I just disconnected the battery but I could not find anything in the archives ( or with google ). Anybody ever had this problem ? Do I need to find a way to remove the whole switch assembly and try to fix? The switch has been working fine until now, very smooth and I don't think this is a rust issue ( As I said, this is the first time I tried to lock the steering , owning my GS for 2 months now.. )

Unless there is a "secret" way to undo it, I am stumped :-)

Thanks for any input...

Squirt a little oil down the key slot and try it in the morning.

[ThatGuyChuck]

Along with the light oil (or silicone spray lubricant), try rapping on it with the handle of a plastic screwdriver. A sudden blow may jar things loose. Make sure not to hit the side of the key though.

[lapls]

Hi,
No problem getting oil to the contacts?

[Steve]

Sounds like the forks are in a bind. Try wiggling the forks while trying to move the key. If that does not work, you just might be up a rather smelly creek. You have figured out by now that turning the key to the RIGHT will lock the fork, but that is the PARK position which turns on the tail light. To merely LOCK the fork, turn the key all the way to the LEFT.


.

[lapls]

Thanks for all the tricks, I will try squirting a bit of oil and tap with a plastic handle, and now I know I will need to turn it to the left ;-)

But the fork/steering is moving a bit, not twisted or binded, the problem is within the switch assembly . I know the steering bearings are worn ( flat spot ) that, I will take care of that next winter

[BRycraft]

Locked Bars

On that switch all that secures the forks is when you put it in park or lock which is to the left on the switch and park to the right, a small steel block protrudes down from under the switch and engages a slot in the frame, you can try pushing the bars further to the right to maybe take some slack off the lock tab and at the same time try pushing down and to the left to unlock the switch. Think of it as putting your car in park on a steep incline, the locking pawl in the transmission has so much pressure on it that it is sometimes very difficult to get it out of park.
You can also try getting up under the switch and loosen the 2 allen bolts that secure the switch, if you can free the switch a little you should be able to free it. Its a very simple but effective locking mech. Once you understand how it works fixing it is actually a lot easier then you would think.
Also try locking it in lock which is to the left on the switch and the parking lights will not come on, good for day locking...

Good Luck Bill

[Pharkmeh]

Squirt a little oil down the key slot and try it in the morning.

worth a try but its never worked on my ex :?

[chuckycheese]

Good advice

That all seems like good advice to me....I used to have a Yamaha 650 that had that problem. I never did anything except jiggle the fork back and forth and it always freed it up fairly easily. It's actually similar to the way a steering wheel can get locked up on a car.

[lapls]

Fixed it! All it needed was a little love and ball peen hammer ;-)

I followed Bill's advice and removed the headlight shell and the keyswitch ( I didn't know these were allen bolts ). I then removed the electrical "module" that is held by a phillips screw, I then tried every possible way to push, turn, lubricate liberally, nothing works ( I've had many bikes before so I can understand how they're made once I see ;-) ), nothing worked and to go further I would have had to drill the dowell pins that hold the barrel to the switch. I resigned myself to take out the switch and use a screwdriver in order to be able to use the on/off position until I could find a used one, but then, as a last resort I thought I could try Bill's philosophy: If it jams force it, if it breaks it needed replacing anyway. Well, by pressing the key and hitting the lock with a 10 ounces ballpeen hammer , it took 2-3 shots before the lock would go back to where it belongs, before that it never move more than 2-3 mm , so I kept adding lubricant and moved the key many times between the 4 positions and it kept working.. Put everything back in place and it is perfect now..
Now I can to to my training week without thinking about my switch problem :-)

Thanks to all, and maybe it can be of some help to someone in the future..