Help: Suzuki V-Strom doesn't start
 

Hi,
I ride a Suzuki V-Strom 650 - year 2007.
I was riding on gravel road when my fron lights (Hi + Low beams) went off. I thought it was a fuse and kept riding. I arrived to my destination and checked-in in my hostel. When I went to check the light fuse, it was OK. I wanted to turn on the bike again, but nothing.
- Instrument panel is OK (initialise and light up)
- Turn signals, back light, brake light OK
- but NO front lights, NO starter (not a sound)

I checked all the fuses, checked all the connections that I could get my hands on without removing any fairing. All OK.

It's night, can't do much. I think I can start it in 2nd gear but will only try tomorrow. I will have to go to a city where there's a mechanic (I am in Trevelin, a village in central Patagonia heading south to Ushuaia). It must be a cable lose or cut, no?

If anyone can help, please reply or e-mail : samizmc (at) yahoo.com
I'll keep searching the net in the meantime until the morning

Thanks
Sami

If you can start it in second gear it might be the cutoff switch at the clutch handle is all I can come up with.
Bill

V strom
 

Hi.
I know that there was an issue with cable routing on these. The part at issue was the routing inside the lhs side panel just where the pillions knee would be.
There may be a relay that turns the lights out when the starter is pressed, have a look at this. Lots of the earth returns on the v strom use wires instead of the frame (alloy steel combination) so have a look at your earths.
Make sure of the fuse/connectors and also as silly as it sounds, check your bulb.
Energize the starter directly from the battery with some wire (make sure its in neutral) to make sure the starter is still ok.
If so, work backwards through all your switches ect. Side stand switches are a big cause of non starting but with the bulb issue it sounds like something else. There is a remote chance that you have two issues at the same time.
I'd probably have a tinker with the relays and earths first, un-plug, clean, wd40 and re plug. Clean up any frame earths you find.
All the best mate, let me know how you get on. Dave.

The lights cutting out could point to something getting disconnected in the wiring harness.

Does your speedo/odometer work? When turning the key switch from "OFF" to "ON", do you hear the buzzing sound of the fuel pump pressurizing?

There is a big connector somewhere inside the left front fairing, that transports more or less everything into the instrument panel, and maybe it has something to do with the lights too, so this could be one place to check.

Are you able to get it started by pushing? I once had a malfunctioning battery on my DL650 K7, and fortunately it seemed relatively easy to push-start.

Found & solved the issue :)
 

Thanks guys,

Dave, you lead me in the right direction. First, I push started it and it turned on easily which was a great relief as it pointed to a less severe problem. And as you said, since the light turn off when you press the start button, I started tracing these wires from end to end. That took a long time:
- The wiring harness was all fine.
- Dismounted the starter (at handlebar) and all connection were fine.
- Dismounted the actual spring starter button and it was also fine (this spring is horizontal).
But inside this starter/spring case, there is another spring, perpendicular, which pushes the connector upward to make contact with the wires. This small spring was "damaged", i.e. was "soft", not pushing. I have no idea how it can just fail like this from 1 day to the other. Probably the whole casing was tight enough to make the connection last?...

AnywayZ, it took me again many trials and errors to finally work around this issue with some electric tape, a small piece of rubber, crazy glue,... and it's alive :)

Don't think it's the best fix and hitting the 40 south will probably set it loose again, but it will have to do until I head north to BA. I am playing against the weather here and it's getting really cold and wet (hopefully no snow).

The best part of it all was to know that wherever I might be, I am 1 click away from getting help. Thanks again guys!

Sami