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V7 Starter switch fail - No Power - Power Loss

What happened to the other wires in the first pic(black, yellow, the short green)? My 2013 stone ignition barrel is a bit temperamental so gonna check if mine need doing.

cheers

E

My ignition switch only had those 2 wires. The first pic I posted was from this thread, as I had not opened up my switch yet.
It’s much easier than I initially expected. I pushed the bars to the right to full lock, then the bottom of the switch is easily accessed.
 
Wow. For a bike with < 2,000 miles, yours seems to have been really ham-fisted on a lot of stuff.

Maybe you should consider taking it into a good reputable dealer and see if they can get any “goodwill” help from Piaggio.

At a minimum, they should be able to use the PADS to isolate the issues and get it resolved for you.

Good luck!
 
For what it is worth I have not had this problem again on my V7 III. I start it with gloves off, and press firmly on the right edge of the starter button. The mechanism does like to be dried out after rain riding, like today, with some deOxit spray.
 
I also ordered a cable to connect the ECU to my computer so i don't have to go to the dealer to pull and clear codes.
Just a word on this topic...

What you are doing and the product you are using, is a forbidden subject here. Please remember this. It is posted at the top of the page.

I will warn and caution you with these words of advice:

Over the 12+ years I have haunted this place, I have seen dozens of poor people who bought into the idea of using that product to do what you are doing.

The problem is - that software is not a professional product, there is no technical support or commercial help and assistance, and it is filled with many bugs and glitches that will cause you to irrevocably destroy your equipment in the blink of an eye. Nobody can fix it once this happens!

The pack of guys in Australia that wildly promote it, nor the German guy who wrote it but does not maintain it, are unable "knowledge wise", to help anybody when things go south. They run like roaches in the light and leave everybody high and dry.

Those people who are suckered into a false sense of simplicity and security, inevitably end up here begging for help out of the mess that they have created.

I have seen firsthand several ECU's that were "bricked" (rendered dead and useless) by that product. The people ended up in a living hell, begging for somebody to help them out of the abyss.

Unfortunately there was nothing that could be done to help them other than for them to purchase a new ECU and start new, which is $$$$$ beyond belief.

This is not fiction nor exaggeration.

I've seen it again and again.

So, OK, you have been informed now.


Please, I won’t debate or even discuss this any further, but I would be remiss if I did not caution you that what you are doing, IS NOT BENIGN.

It is a veritable land mine field that you are contemplating going walking around in, as the software has the total ability to destroy an ECU by corrupting the firmware. When this happens, and it is always without warning, it renders the ECU completely useless.

If you make the slightest mistake, have a glitch in your power, have an incompatibility issue in the USB driver or other computer firmware while you have accessed you ECU firmware with that “software”, you will have a DISASTER.

(Literally, there are all sorts of potential problems than can bury you) and you will deeply regret it.

You are planning to mess with an absolutely critical component of your motorcycle with a product not designed for the purpose you want to use it for, to do things that you know nothing about what you are doing, and most importantly, with ZERO PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT to help you get out of the weeds when you end up in them!

Think twice about this please... it’s not what you think at all.

Screen Shot 2022 04 16 at 33546 PM
 
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The start switch failed today on my 2021 V7-850. I stopped to take a picture., I then returned to my motorcycle and tried to start it. There was a bit of a starter click, then nothing. At that point the starter switch did nothing.

I checked the obvious fuses. I was able to push start it (wow did that leave me longing for a backup kick-starter). I was still several hundred miles from home, so I jumped across the starter to get it going a few times (yes, I know, bad idea, but it was that or . . . walk?).

There is the normal dash and fuel pump. However, the start switch now does nothing. It is also not able to be used to reset to trip counters.

It is under warranty, but the service centre is about 325 miles from me (Tulsa Oklahoma). Of course, I will be calling them tomorrow, but does anyone have any ideas as to what may have failed?
 
If the V7-850 is like the V85TT, then the starter button is just an input to the ECU. An output from the ECU energizes the starter relay if all appropriate conditions are met. It could be the button not closing its contact, broken wire or bad connection in harness, failed input of ECU, or failed output of ECU.

Failure is most likely on input side since you cannot reset trip counters.
 
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Check that the ground lug on the rear of the engine is tight. That was my problem on my 2017. Took me months to figure out and 5 minutes to fix.
 
How do I remove the throttle side switches (yes, the assembly that contains the starter switch). I see this image in the manual, but it does not seem to be easily removed. There is a long machine screw that I removed, but the assembly still does not move.
V7-Stone-Throttle.jpg


This, the one on the bottom, is the switch I am trying to access:
V7-Start-3.jpg


I have removed this long bolt:
V7-Start-1.jpg


From this area here:
V7-Start-2.jpg


. . . and I don't see why I can not open the cover and access the switch, any tips? I am sure what I am missing is probably simple, but I have no idea what I should be looking for to release the cover.
 
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By documenting this, I have some chance of remembering what I did.

Okay, here are where to find the two holding the assembly on the motorcycle:
V7-Start-bolts.jpg


After doing that and wiggling the entire assembly off, this is where the start button is. Here you are looking at the back of it (sorry for the focus, I forgot to switch to macro):
V7-Start-9.jpg

I then checked with a DMM to see if there was any change in continuity when I pressed the start button (actually, I had the aforementioned daughter pushing the button while I held the probes), and there was no change in resistance.
V7-Start-5.jpg

I did get curious, at that point, and jumpered across the two contacts. When I did that, the motorcycle started normally.

Here I looked closely at the switch and observed that the contact areas showed burnt areas.
V7-Start-7.jpg


I tested it again to see that it still did not start from the switch. I then sprayed ion come contact cleaner and wiggled the mating surface in a side-to-side movement. After that, the motorcycle started with the switch. However, that is a very short-term fix, it needs a new switch.
 
My 2017 V7 III Special had this starter problem. After a thorough cleaning with de-oxit...and keeping it clean and dry using electronics spray: no problems. The switch works best if I do not wear gloves and press only the right side edge.
 
Had to get my start switch replaced at about 1500 miles. It was sticking in the start position, so the bike would start when I pushed the kill switch to the run position. Tripped a check engine light and traction control fault. (Because of the traction control calibration procedure)
Yes! Same exact thing on my 17 V9.
 
Went to start the bike yesterday (V7 Classic) and nothing - no idiot lights no power. Rolled it back in the garage and checked again and now power.

Started up, put on gloves and it dies again, no lights, no power.

Thanks to a thread on this site, I knew that the wires in the ignition switch can come loose so checked this morning and voila! The culprit - orange wire detached.
Now soldered back on.

20221117 092425 20221117 094059
 
Well... my V7 III starting issue has returned. Happy to see this thread. Maybe I will forward to Mike Haven at MPH here in Houston and see if he can fix my bike? So frustrating: I do NOT trust this machine at all, concerned about being stranded. Noticed: if I toggle the main key, sometimes that helps. Also, literally bump the bike, and that helps. Love the bike, but the starting issue is a big.... ugh.
Hi Lucydad; I am new at posting so I hope Im in the right area; I am considering buying a 2017 V111 (9000 kms); I noticed you have posted many time so I am concerned that the issue you have may be common. Wondering if you know if there are other issues with this model I should be concerned about? cheers
 
Hi Lucydad; I am new at posting so I hope Im in the right area; I am considering buying a 2017 V111 (9000 kms); I noticed you have posted many time so I am concerned that the issue you have may be common. Wondering if you know if there are other issues with this model I should be concerned about? cheers

Frybone,

Two things resolved the starting issue for me: 1) cleaning thoroughly the switch, and then using electrical cleaner spray into the switch every couple weeks to keep humidity out. 2) when starting, take your gloves off and use the right edge of the switch to toggle, not the middle or left side, the switch is a rocker type and activates best from the right edge.

I still own my bike and moved to SE Pennsylvania, USA. I had a major 9000 mile service done here at the local dealer done Spring of 2023. It has been flawless all of 2023, zero issues. Overall the V7 III, in my opinion, is a true all rounder bike: does everything well. You can't go wrong with this bike.

cheers back,
Lucydad
 
For what it is worth I have not had this problem again on my V7 III. I start it with gloves off, and press firmly on the right edge of the starter button. The mechanism does like to be dried out after rain riding, like today, with some deOxit spray.
Have had this start button issue on my 2022 Special in its early days and do the WD-40 spray after any wet riding but main cure I found is as you mention, taking gloves off to press the start button and making sure you don't accidently have any throttle wound on also.
 
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