Gear position switch

Something I am seeing increasingly on the net and through experience now with 2 1250s is faulty gear position switches. I replaced one last week for a friend (instant fix).

There's 2 broad symptoms. The first is an erratic neutral light that won't easily activate, yet comes on the minute you put the side stand down. The second is seen if you have a GiPro ATRE, which starts showing unusual readings, like"0" in 6th, and so forth. (I had both issues, and initially thought it was the GiPro)

The switch is a rotary switch behind the sprocket cover, which has a pawl that engages the gearbox and provides the computer with a different resistance reading according to the selected gear (thus the computer adopts the appropriate map). It gets oil and crap in it. Some people have managed to clean it with contact cleaner with some limited success. Being a fussy git I just replaced the switch. Take the plastic sprocket cover off and you will see it attached to the gearbox wall. The plug on the wire is under the left hand side cover just under the tank.

It's shown below in part number 40 (Suzuki part 37730-18H01)

Easily replaced, and I suspect it's quite common. I am not sure what effect a neutral map will have on your bike when you are in 6th, but it's probably not optimal as the advance will differ

If you are having these symptoms, check the switch!

What price the switch my friend .

USD$58.54 from www.powersportsplus.com

I like them as they have sensible postage and post to NZ at a fraction of the dealer price here (and they are fast). This part has $26 off at present (usually around the $80 mark).

Probably worth trying contact cleaner first

After a year in use, the switch decided to do the erratic trick again. I bought a can of CRC Contact cleaner, popped the sidecover off, left everything else in place, unbolted the switch and flushed it with contact cleaner in situ until the brown crap stopped coming out.

Works perfectly again. I wonder how many people out there have a Bandit reading the wrong map as the sensor is giving faulty readings. Only if you have a gear position indicator or a dodgy neutral light would you know.

The switch design is such that oil works its way in and eventually gunges the terminals, so contact cleaner would seem to be the logical solution.