For a while now, my Triumph Speed Triple 1050 from 2009 was refusing to start every now and then. At first I thought this was a motormanagement or battery problem, or the sidestand switch, but it turns out there is another switch which prevents the starter engine from turning over. The clutch handle!
The switch in the clutch handle is a simplistic one, and after a while dirt and moisture can get in there and that makes it fail intermittently. One time it starts, and the next time it won’t even react. Today I took it apart and cleaned it, and it seems to have fixed the problem. If you suspect similar problems, this is a video of a guy that shows how to take it apart:
Because the video is not all that clear, I added a few photo’s of my switch below. Make sure you take care in taking this apart, it is a bit fiddly. Pay special attention to not breaking the plastic or tearing the rubber, because the switch seems to be sealed to the wiring loom. When re-assembling, pay attention to the plastic and copper rings, they have to be put back in the correct place to make the switch work properly.
I cleaned the switch with brake cleaner, and I coated the copper with a bit of WD40 to repel moisture. After closing the housing I added a but of vaseline to the pin that protrudes and touches the handle. Vaseline keeps out moisture and is safe for the plastics.
The original post was done on the Dutch Motor Forum.
