Bike won't start... Sidestand Down?

I <3 Svart

I <3 Svart

fast rider
Joined
Oct 13, 2020
Messages
61
Location
Virginia
Well I'm suuuuuuper excited to report the first problem with my 2020 401 Svartpilen at 1,380 miles. Went into the garage today to ride out and grab some breakfast, turn the key, press the start button and click click click. Figured it was just a fluke and tried again click click click and Sidestand Down flashing on the dash. So I check and the sidestand is definitely not down or even halfway down. So I looked around and discovered this was apparently a common problem people had with previous year SP/VP and KTM-based bikes in general where the magnet for the sidestand sensor would become dislodged or fall off killing the bike and leaving people stranded. Great little piece of design there. After looking up the part though I'm pretty sure my magnet is still attached. I've got a couple more things I can look at. I recently installed heated grips so maybe somehow I've managed to kill the battery? I've put a few hundred miles on since then though and it still doesn't explain the Sidestand Down error, but I'll check the battery anyway since I know they'll ask.

I'll call the dealership and see what they have to say about it, but needless to say I'm displeased to be having this issue on a bike barely out of its break-in period that was just in for service 3 days ago.
 
You hear a click, click, click? The sidestand warning is an obvious concern, but be sure to check the battery and connections... all sorts of strange things happen with weak batteries.
 
After calling the dealership they also suspect the battery. The tech I spoke with told me I should have either X or Y brand battery (can't remember), but the battery I actually have (an Exide) is neither of those so that was a bit concerning as well. In a bit I'll take the battery out and go have it tested. Tech said that if it's the battery it'll be replaced under warranty after a test confirming it. It would make some sense. From the beginning the bike hasn't always started on the first try. The engine will turn over and run for about half a second and immediately die. I told the tech about it at the first service and was told to keep an eye on it while he contacts Husky. I really do hope it's the battery.
 
Bit of a concerning update. Just had the battery tested and while it wasn't fully charged it was producing 110CCA which doesn't sound abnormal to me. I'm letting the battery charge and in 3-4 hours we'll see if that makes any difference at all, but I'm not hopeful.
 
What does the bike do when you put it in N and start it with the sidestand down?

In N it should start and run with the stand down.
 
I always park the bike in neutral so it was in neutral throughout the entire process. If it will start and run in neutral with the sidestand down then I feel a bit better because that means it's unlikely to be the magnet/stand issue. On the other hand if it's not the battery and it's not the stand I'm kind of out of ideas.
 
Your bike is a 2020 401 right?
I also have one of these and I looked at it a bit.

This is the magnet for the side stand switch. The side stand is "down". It looks like a brass bolt with a dark circle on the head:
PXL_20201111_003733969.jpg

And I think this black dot in the center of the brass bolt is the magnet (side stand is "down"):
PXL_20201111_003848189.jpg

With the side stand the up position you can see the brass bolt/magnet here:
PXL_20201111_004714514.jpg
In the above picture, notice how the head of the brass bolt/magnet is against a gray color piece. The magnetic switch must be there. I will call it the "gray switch pad".

In this picture the side stand is in the "down" position, and the pencil points to the "gray switch pad" part of the magnetic switch:
PXL_20201111_004733964.jpg

So, I suggest the following diagnostic steps.
  • Make sure the brass bolt/magnet has not fallen out of your side stand. Also verify the black circle of the magnet is present in the head of the bolt.
  • Verify the magnet is still magnetic: see if a screwdriver tip or other piece of steel will stick to it.
  • Make sure the "gray switch pad" is clean and free of debris.
  • If you have a "magnet on a stick" tool, put the side stand down and put the magnet against the "grey switch pad". See if that removes the side stand warning on the display. (I successfully did this test on my bike).
  • Check the cable running to the switch is not damaged.
Tip: If you have a large mirror, you can put it on the ground to see all this stuff. Also, you can point a flashlight into the mirror to help illuminate the area.
PXL_20201111_011006486.jpg
 

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My guess would be, when the bike is having problems with it in neutral (N) then the switch adjustment is not the main problem, because it doesnt matter if it is up/down, it needs to start/run in neutral.

That being said I'm not sure how the bike reacts when the sensor is completely broken, or simply umplugged.

I personally would check first the battery connections clean them and torque them appropriately. (Could also at the same time see if you have something drawing from the battery when the bike is off)

Also it's not unheard of for batteries to have internal issues causing intermittent failures. I have even had brand new batteries with issues a few weeks down the road. So if the connections are cleaned and torqued and there are still issues, it might be the right time to upgrade to LiFePo.

After that I would go after the sensor if it still doesnt work (warrantee?)

And lastly I would check if a squirrel acquired the taste for your electrics.
 
BISavage said:
My guess would be, when the bike is having problems with it in neutral (N) then the switch adjustment is not the main problem, because it doesnt matter if it is up/down, it needs to start/run in neutral.
Click to expand...
Won't the bike start in any gear if the clutch lever is pulled in and the side stand up?
 
She's back! Thanks for the help everyone. My sidestand magnet and everything was still in place so I was able to eliminate that as a possibility. I cleaned the terminals, replaced the square nuts inside the terminals, and when I put it all back together it started right up. So not sure if the connections were loose or dirty, but it was definitely something to do with the battery. I thought there was no way it could be that since I had put a few hundred miles and several different trips on the bike since putting the heated grips on without issue AND it had just been in for service where I'm guessing they started it several times. I took it offroad a good bit the day before it happened so maybe the connection was already loose and bouncing around finally knocked it to a point where the connection was no longer good enough to start the bike. The sidestand error kind of sent me in the wrong direction on that one. Thankfully that happened in my garage and not out in the middle of nowhere.
 
I <3 Svart said:
She's back! Thanks for the help everyone. My sidestand magnet and everything was still in place so I was able to eliminate that as a possibility. I cleaned the terminals, replaced the square nuts inside the terminals, and when I put it all back together it started right up. So not sure if the connections were loose or dirty, but it was definitely something to do with the battery. I thought there was no way it could be that since I had put a few hundred miles and several different trips on the bike since putting the heated grips on without issue AND it had just been in for service where I'm guessing they started it several times. I took it offroad a good bit the day before it happened so maybe the connection was already loose and bouncing around finally knocked it to a point where the connection was no longer good enough to start the bike. The sidestand error kind of sent me in the wrong direction on that one. Thankfully that happened in my garage and not out in the middle of nowhere.
Click to expand...
Great to hear! Note that it is possible for batteries to fail in strange ways and to be "intermittent".
I also found the magnet sidestand magnet is a bit sensitive to placement. It really is possible it is a bit too far away from the switch or something, and is intermittent.
But as BISavage said, even with the "sidestand down" indication, it should start if the bike is in neutral (check the display to be sure the bike thinks it is in neutral).
If it happens again, check that: bike in neutral (on the computer display), clutch lever pulled in, try to start it. If it doesn't start then, it likely isn't the side stand.
 
Vintage Veloce said:
And here are some pictures of the actual switch.
View attachment 454
View attachment 455
Click to expand...
Did you take that switch out to bypass it?

I had an odd thing happen today when I came back from a ride. I went to put my kickstand down and there was considerable resistance, I was able to push it down, but it took a bit of force. It looks like the moving bracket that the magnet is mounted to was rubbing against the exhaust flange and when I put the kickstand down it bent the moving bracket. It will no longer follow the kickstand up and engage the sensor, and if pushed back up it won’t go passed the exhaust flange. Weird.

I’ll either need to replace the assembly or just bypass the sensor by permanently fixing a magnet to it, since the kick stand itself is still fine. Any thoughts?
 
InigoMontoya said:
... since the kick stand itself is still fine. Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

Before you bypass the electrics, did you check that the other mechanics are fine?

Is the kickstand bolt loose, or how did that thing get in the way of the exhaust flange?

If it were my bike, and my warrantee were expired, I would take it off and bend it back to shape and/or buy a new bracket for 12.50 then put is back in working condition.

A bypass for the 'lectrics is more of a backup solution to make it home... so the coyotes dont get ya.
 

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The exhaust flange looks pretty gouged and scored like it has been rubbing for a while. The rest of the kick stand assembly seem solid.

it is still under warranty, however it’s peak season here and if I bring it in to get fixed I will be lucky to see the bike again this season.

I ride a lot of forest roads in this thing, miles and miles from phone service or civilization and wouldn’t want the magnetic in the kick stand switch causing a problem out in the middle of nowhere. The coyotes would definitely get me out there. That’s why I was leaning to just bypass the switch by permanently mounting a magnet to it and relocating it to under the seat. Or perhaps just buy me enough time to bring it in for service during the rainy season.
 
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I ended up removing the kickstand position switch and re routed the wires under my seat. I attached a magnet to it and heat shrinked it on. Then mounted the sensor between the airbox and battery. Good to go. No more kick stand problems. No bypass dongle required or resistor needed.
 
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