So I ride on some knarly trails in the enduro series here in the PNW. One of the big reasons to switch to the KLX from my kicker XR400 was for estart. I've been on a nasty hillclimb or sidehill and needed to start the bike a few times sometimes from off to the side of the bike while I lift and drag it over an obstacle all the time trying to be fast. Also, our events are usually dead engine starts that I want to start the bike in gear.

So I noticed that the KLX doesn't seem to want to let me engage the starter while the bike is in gear. Regardless of whether the clutch is pulled in or not. I was also fiddling with the kickstand safety switch so I am not certain what the deal is.

So is this true that the bike can't be started in gear? If so, how do I make that "feature" go away? I can always just trick the sensor into thinking the bike is in neutral all the time but then I would have to stare at that green light.

Any ideas?

 

Hmmmm.... Mine seams to start just fine when its in gear. Unless the kickstand is down.
What series are you running? I rode the Poker run in Odesa last weekend, and I'm thinking about runing the Beginner's Enduro May 1st In Shelton.

 

Oh good, I might have just had the kickstand down and made a mistake. I'll have to do check again.

I ride the enduro series through the NMA. 6 enduros most years and one of them was the same weekend as the D100. With the new bike I was unable to attend either.

The Shelton Valley enduro weekend is put on by the Puget Sound Enduro Riders and is probably the best enduro of the series. You can do the Beginner on Saturday and then ride the real one on Sunday. It will be harder and longer on Sunday though. The trails out there are not worn to hell since it is a somewhat closed riding area. Very nice enduro since the organizer is very interested in people actually keeping time and not just racing. Enduros are cool since you get in more trouble for being too fast than for being too slow. You'll need an odometer like a trailtech that you can move forward or back to keep on step with the course and a stopwatch. Or you can just ride it like a poker run.

 

My KLX starts in gear. I have done it many times on the trail where I stalled the engine. Clutch lever needs to be pressed in order for it to start. Also, kick stand needs to be up if you let go of the clutch lever (it will stall), but will still start in gear with it down as long as the clutch lever is pressed in.

 

Stock lever has a small sliding type switch, at least on my 06. When I put on a MSR lever I just soldered a wire on said switch to 'fool' it. Never needed to mess with kickstand switch. I fried it in a puddle soon after I got the bike. Now my starter will engage whenever I press it.

 

Save yourself a lot of future grief and bypass both the clutch and side stand switches. If they haven't failed they will and at the worst possible time. NOTE: do this mod at your own risk, with these mods the starter will work ANYTIME the starter button is pushed. These mods are HIGHLY dangerous and should not be carried out by anyone anytime anywhere!!

 

ol'klx-er: I like the disclaimer at the end of your post. LOL.

 

I was having some problems the other day with my clutch safety. Turns out the clutch cable was loose. I guess the slop in the levers and cable prevented it from pressing the safety switch all the way. Otherwise it will start in gear with no kick safety.

 

You get different experiences with these safety switch issues. I gotta say I like the clutch/neutral switch but hate the sidestand switch. The sidestand switch is down there where it's just waiting get mudded and gunked up. On the clutch/neutral switch, however, I've been in situations where I'm on an off camber sidehill or such, and in the heat of the moment punched the starter button on bikes where I had disabled that switch, and nearly rolled and tumbled off the hill. Yeah, one should know better, but when you're between a rock and a hard place, and you want to get the engine fired back up, that clutch switch can be a benefit when you're teetering on a knife edge. An electric start dirt bike can get you into some oddball situations when the bike is in gear and the starter will engage. I've had my last two KLR650's totally "deswitched". I've been stalled in some precarious situations on gnarly trails in Colorado, Utah, etc., and nearly killed myself by trying to start the bike in gear accidentally. I can usually walk and chew gum at the same time, but I think I'll leave my KLX as is on the clutch...but the sidestand switch is history already.

 

Highbeam our bikes will start in gear but you have to have the clutch pulled in to do so... on mine sometimes it doesn't like to work, every once in a while i have to take the switch apart and clean up the contacs inside of it.the switch is located under the clutch mount on the handle bars two phillip head screws to get it apart.....in a pintch when i am on the trail or it stalls and i haven't cleaned it in awhile i just pull the clutch in and slightly lift the end of the clutch handle and that useally works....good luck

On another note i would NEVER take the kick stand switch off a bike...a friend of the my family died because he didnt have it on his bike took off to go for a ride rounded a corner his kickstand caught the road.....ended laying it down and was doa...i know we take alot off crap off our bikes that is made to be on there but that is one thing i won't take off!!!