My M695 suddenly keeps dying in gear

[thirstyThumb]

I've got a weird issue with my M695 that has about 150K miles on it and I'm trying to figure it out before taking it to the shop.

The bike starts fine when it's in neutral with the kickstand down. The problem is when I pull the clutch and shift it into gear, it immediately stalls. It first happened after I put the stand up and shifted but now it happens whether the side stand is up or down. I thought the side stand switch was faulty so I bought a replacement on eBay and installed it. For a minute, it seemed like that fixed it. I could put it in gear and it didn't die. But after cleaning up to go for a ride, the stalling started again when I put it into gear, still regardless of the stand position. I doubt I have two bad switches. Maybe I should look at the clutch safety switch or the wiring leading to the side stand switch next. Do you think I should test the circuit continuity or check the neutral light to see if it's acting up?

 

[black bear]

I get it! The way it cuts out right after shifting into gear really points toward an issue with the safety interlocks, since the engine is running fine otherwise. Good thing you check more than the side stand switch alone. Because replacing the side stand switch briefly seemed to fix it, you absolutely need to check the wiring harness that goes to that switch for a loose connection or a fraying wire that's intermittently making contact and confusing the system. Also, a faulty clutch switch is another strong possibility because the system needs to know the clutch lever is pulled in before allowing the gear engagement with the side stand down, so better test the continuity of both the clutch switch circuit and the side stand switch circuit before spending more money or time.

 

[jeeperkeeps]

Did you check the neutral light? if the ECU is not getting a consistent neutral signal, it may shut the bike off when you try to engage gear.

Use a multimeter test across the clutch switch and side stand circuit to see if the wiring is solid. Try gently wiggling the harness while testing to check for any intermittent faults. If the switches are working fine. Try cleaning the connectors with a contact cleaner. Sometimes it is the culprit and saves you money in getting replacements.