Yamaha Grizzly 700 (older) won't turn off.......

[JohnGalway]

So I have borrowed my friends bike for a while during lambing. Ran into an issue where it wouldn't start (it had been taking a while to start previously), he came over and thought the solenoid starter relay had died. We would just hear a clicking when trying to start it. Got a new starter relay, wired it up, wouldn't start. Took out the battery and charged it, bike started, happy days. Shut it off using the slider switch.

Had it on a trailer, brought it out to the land, thought it started very, very well. Drove it off the trailer and while I'd be filling the trailer with stuff from the van I thought I'd switch it off. Neither the slider switch nor the key would switch it off, I had to physically disconnect the battery. Even with every switch off, the key out, and the bike NOT in neutral it would attempt to start if I even touched the leads to the battery. I thought when it was off the trailer running while parked it may still have been attempting to start, if that makes sense.

Ideas on what's gone wrong? I don't understand why it would shut off in the shed but not 20 minutes later, nor why it wasn't trying to start itself while on the trailer between the drive from the shed to the land.

I'll bring it to be fixed but, if it's a simple/stupid check I'd like to talk to my friend and see if it's something we'd look at ourselves.

Thanks

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Hi John

Sounds like it has to be around the starter relay/solenoid ? Either stuck, or somehow made live.
If it's a new one ... then you would instantly expect something wrong with wiring (my old Honda farmbike used to give opposite issues with water + cobweb in the handlebar switches)

I would launch into it with a testlight or multimeter and test the voltage of the medium-gauge wires to the solenoid, just disconnect the lead to the starter, so you can reconnect the battery. See if the voltage is constant or result of pushing the button.

Brand new relay could be welded shut also, could try percussive maintenance (hit it on the rack a couple of times & test it) or try another, known good unit

(If you fitted some new [crimp] terminals a common bogey is leaving a strand or two of copper out of the crimp which earths out, or shorts to a neighbouring terminal)

 

[JohnGalway]

Thanks Pete, will have a go at that and see if I find anything.

 

[Sharpy]

It sounds like the starter solenoid is shunting power back up the wire to the starter switch, but to energise the system the starter switch would have to be jammed on also. Weird

 

[milkloss]

 

[JohnGalway]

Appreciate that, all Chinese to this idiot unfortunately