I knew it was too good to be true!!!!! Grrrrrrr......

[Steve_D]

I think these absurd sidestand and brake switches are an utterly pointless pain in the arse.
Just something extra to go wrong and what's worse they don't even do anything useful.
A handlebar mounted kill switch is actually useful but does my scooter have one?
Nope, just the annoying pull the brake to start the scooter nonsense.

No kill switch on a modern Honda scooter? I thought all scooters had 'em.

[Earl]

I think these absurd sidestand and brake switches are an utterly pointless pain in the arse.
Just something extra to go wrong and what's worse they don't even do anything useful.
A handlebar mounted kill switch is actually useful but does my scooter have one?
Nope, just the annoying pull the brake to start the scooter nonsense.

I have to agree with you on this one about the sidestand switch, there's nothing funnier than watching someone on a bike take a left hander with the stand down lol

[johnp]

Lucky that it is still just in it's warranty or it would cost you a fair bit if it is the ECU.

[Data]

Spike, sorry to hear of your problem. But don't worry, it'll be fixed. I've seen this before on many Honda's when I teched. It could also be the Starter Motor Interlock Switch that's failed. It gives similar symptoms to the brake interlock switch failure (and indeed could still be one of those). But the brake interlock switch is dead easy to bypass by doing what he did and/or lifting the wire from the switch itself. Once it's started it won't start again unless you do the same things again if it's just the solenoid he bypassed. However, the Starter Interlock simply turns off the headlights when you push the starter button to allow more juice from the battery to be available for engine starting. Useful if you have done loads of short stop start trips and the battery may not be fully up with charge. They can fail and produce the exact symptoms you describe. Again going straight past it should allow the bike to run ok but it won't start again if you turn it off until fixed. Interlocks can be very useful. I have one on my wallet that prevents me from buying a round of drinks at the bar. No one has ever found a cure for that problem! But I don't mind...

PS. it's doubtful it's your ecu at fault

[SpikeOne]

Well I've spoken to the guys this morning, and, would you believe it, it looks like it might actually just be the brake light bulb itself afterall!
It seems that they have routed the starter directly through the brake circuitry, including the bulb, using it as a sort of fuse to kill the starter, to stop you driving away a bike which has no brake lights.

I find this incredibly over zealous if it's a safety thing, and pants if it's just cheap design.

Anyway he's still checking it out and will call me when he's finished.

If this is the case, I shall have to tape a bulb to the inside somehow for just such an eventuality in the future.

[Taipan]

Brake light bulb has gone?

Funnily enough the AA man said that! I can't believe that that'll stop it though - that's absurd!

I think if the bulb has gone, its possible the circuit doesn't complete?

[SpikeOne]

could also be the Starter Motor Interlock Switch that's failed.

There's no starter motor interlock switch on the circuit diagram. Only the stand, tilt and brake switches.

The diagram does show the bulb in the circuit too, but I discounted this as an error on the part of the printers, or just an oversimplification, as it would be a stupid way to do it in my opinion. If it turns out that that is all it is, I might take advice and see if it's possible to bypass the bulb with a parallel resistor. (my electrical theory is very old and bit vague but I think from memory this is a possiblity). I'd rather get home with no brake light, than have to call out the AA if it happens again.

[Data]

Well...looks like you are getting it fixed. Incidentally, that bulb thing is very common and has been for some time on many modern cars too. I don't know if it is like that on my Burgman but I know I do have the starter interlock. My own car has this feature where the car won't go more than 35mph if a tail light or brake light bulb is gone and the whole dash lights up and puts the car into limp home mode. I carry a spare set of bulbs just in case. Bit over kill to my mind. Health & Safety gone mad! I too experienced the 'dead bike' thing the other day. I went out to wizz to the vets to get some urgently needed meds for our cat only to find the bike completely dead. Nada...when I turned the key! Turns out that I had switched on the parking lights by mistake when taking the key out after coming home the previous day. I didn't notice what I had done and of course the battery went flat overnight. Not a brilliant design...but easily remedied. She's fine now. Good luck with the fault finding.

[Maxsymuppet]

Reminds me of the problems I had with my Burgman 400 a couple of winters ago. As soon as the temperature fell to below freezing the brake light switch froze, which meant the engine wouldn't start. The only cure was a couple of minutes vigorously squeezing the rear brake lever till the switch unfroze. Even then I had to keep checking the brake lights were working whenever I got the opportunity or whether the switch had frozen again. Overall a right pain in the you-know-what.
The SH300i that followed it didn't do it but I now have another Burgman 400, and I am awaiting my first winter with it to see if it does it or not.

[MrGrumpy]

Reminds me of the problems I had with my Burgman 400 a couple of winters ago. As soon as the temperature fell to below freezing the brake light switch froze, which meant the engine wouldn't start. The only cure was a couple of minutes vigorously squeezing the rear brake lever till the switch unfroze. Even then I had to keep checking the brake lights were working whenever I got the opportunity or whether the switch had frozen again. Overall a right pain in the you-know-what.

Reminds me of the sticking centre stand switch on the Burger 650 which left you marooned in bottom ratio until you grovelled on the ground and freed it...very Executive. OK Sorry...Off Topic!